I belonged, at most, to
the class of small proprietors, as they existed in the last century,
and filled a very useful and respectable niche between the yeoman and
gentleman, considering the last strictly in reference to the upper
class of that day. Now, it struck me that Emily Merton, with her
English notions, might very well draw the distinctions Rupert had
mentioned; nor am I conscious of having cared much about it, though
she did. If I were a less important person on _terra firma_, with
all the usages and notions of ordinary society producing their
influence, than I had been when in command of the Crisis, in the
centre of the Pacific, so was Miss Merton a less important young lady,
in the midst of the beauty of New York, than she had been in the
isolation of Marble Land. This I could feel very distinctly. But
Lucy's supposed defection did more than annoy me. I felt humbled,
mortified, grieved. I had always known that Lucy was better connected
than I was myself, and I had ever given Rupert and her the benefit of
this advantage, as some offset to my own and Grace's larger means; but
it had never struck me that either the brother or sister would be
disposed to look down upon us in consequence. The world is
everywhere--and America, on account of its social vicissitudes, more
than most other countries--constantly exhibiting pictures of the
struggles between fallen consequence and rising wealth.
Pages:
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577