Chapter VI: Another Letter

The following is a letter which Dr. James wrote to his friend Philip:

"You ask me to tell you about Jessie's friend, who has come to
stay with my old crony, Miss Spelman, and I see that you are
curious to know my sentiments regarding her. I also suspect, from
the tone of your remarks, that you think it would be a very good
thing for a poor doctor like me, etc., etc. That this coincides
with Miss Selina's course of reasoning on this matter, I am pretty
certain; for before Miss Lester came she was continually praising
her to me, and now I can see that every opportunity is improved
to bring us together. Would you believe it, Philip?--when the
young lady arrived, Miss Spelman manoeuvred so as to give me a
_tête-à-tête_ drive with her from the station to the house! She
was disappointed in her plans, as there were both a maid and a dog
to be packed into my chaise besides Miss Lester. But what seems so
plain to other people's eyes, I cannot say is so to mine. You want
a description of her, and add a hope that I have found the ideal
of our college days. I laugh as I recall that ideal, and think
of the reality before my mind's eye. Picture to yourself, then,
a tall young woman--five feet eight inches, I should say--large
in proportion, and a decided brunette. She is called handsome,
as you know, but I do not agree to this; though if the adjective
were _showy_, I should have no objection to make. Her style is
rather loud, or, as she herself says, '_prononcé_.' She has a pair
of very brown, inquisitive eyes, which see, I am sure, much more
than they have any right to see. She has a good deal of color, but
not the changing blush we used to talk of. Her dress? Of course I
cannot give you a correct description of that; but the first time
I saw her in the house, she wore very deep purple with ornaments
of gold, a gold band on her hair, and long, barbarous eardrops.
The next time, in the morning, she was dressed (I am not joking)
in bright scarlet, worked all over with black; and she went to
drive with me in a round fur cap that would have been appropriate
to a young swell in New York, but hardly to a lady. But all these
objections are, after all, minor, when I come to the great one;
my dear fellow, she is an heiress! Now, you know very well my mind
on this subject; and I know you will think of my favorite verse,

'Where I want of riches find,
Think what with them I would do,
That without them dare to woo.'

"But in this case I feel sure that I should not be a disinterested
lover. I could never forget her money. By the way, I suspect that
she did not intend me to know she was wealthy; Jessie's note gave
the impression that she had, as I wished, enough to secure her own
comfort; but Miss Spelman took care to let me understand how very
well her niece was provided with 'earthly goods.'

"I see I am allowing myself to find fault with Miss Lester and
criticise her, a thing I have resolved I will not do. I will
therefore suppress a good deal more of disapproval I was going to
write, and see what I can tell you in her praise. In the first
place, I think she is good-tempered; I have seen her thoughtful
of her maid, and good-natured when she was both cold and hungry.
She is entertaining, intelligent, and companionable. I enjoyed her
society when I drove her over to Sealing, and she is wonderfully
fresh and simple in her tastes for a _blase_ New Yorker, surfeited
with gayeties as she has been. She is a good musician, though she
does not sing. Her hands are her best feature: large and shapely
and well kept; they are also warm, smooth, and womanly.

"Where is my dream, Philip? Would not your gentle Jessie more
nearly fulfil it? You will say that dreams 'go by contraries;'
true perhaps of those we frame at night, unconsciously; but does
that wise maxim hold good of day-dreams and castles in the air
also? Now, you have chosen well and wisely for yourself, and
my best wish is that you and your loving helpmate may live to
enjoy all the bliss you hope for; but I must wait until my wife
manifests herself, as I am sure she will, unmistakably, and for
that I am content to wait until I am an old man."

It will be seen from this letter that Dr. James had not disclosed, even to his old friend, the secret of Margaret's visit to Shellbeach; neither was Jessie more communicative on the subject; for they were both rather ashamed of the affair. Margaret herself, to tell the truth, was not free from a like embarrassment; there was something manly and unassuming about the doctor, a freedom from all pretension and assertion, that made her feel, when with him, quiet and almost diffident. This, however, she did not acknowledge to herself; and her high spirits determined her to carry out her plan, and brave all the obstacles which her appreciation of the circumstances suggested to her. From one point of view, her coming was a success; Miss Spelman was charmed with her, and spoke of her remaining indefinitely. She made much of and petted her in a way Margaret was not accustomed to, and which was very pleasant to her. She could almost imagine, now, what it would be to have a mother's love and care during these years of her youthful womanhood. True, her aunt was no support, and her advice was not always wise; but Margaret was both by nature and habit self-reliant, and the person was not come, she thought, to whom she could abandon the reins of government, and in whose favor she might abdicate.