Inthecourseofthenextdaythefirstoftheusualbetrothalvisitswereexchanged.
TheNewYorkritualwaspreciseandinflexibleinsuchmatters; , 'storeceivethatvenerableancestress'sblessing.
, thoughnot, ofcourse, asvenerableascertainotheroldfamilyhousesinUniversityPlaceandlowerFifthAvenue.Thosewereofthepurest1830, withagrimharmonyofcabbage-rose-garlandedcarpets, rosewoodconsoles, round-archedfire-placeswithblackmarblemantels, andimmenseglazedbook-casesofmahogany; , whohadbuiltherhouselater, hadbodilycastoutthemassivefurnitureofherprime, -roomonthegroundfloor, , , thequarries, theone-storysaloons, thewoodengreen-housesinraggedgardens, andtherocksfromwhichgoatssurveyedthescene, wouldvanishbeforetheadvanceofresidencesasstatelyasherown—perhaps (forshewasanimpartialwoman) evenstatelier; andthatthecobble-stonesoverwhichtheoldclatteringomnibusesbumpedwouldbereplacedbysmoothasphalt, , aseveryoneshecaredtoseecametoHER (andshecouldfillherroomsaseasilyastheBeauforts, andwithoutaddingasingleitemtothemenuofhersuppers), shedidnotsufferfromhergeographicisolation.
, andnow, inextremeoldage, wasrewardedbypresentingtohermirroranalmostunwrinkledexpanseoffirmpinkandwhiteflesh, ; andaroundandbelow, waveafterwaveofblacksilksurgedawayovertheedgesofacapaciousarmchair, withtwotinywhitehandspoisedlikegullsonthesurfaceofthebillows.
