handkerchief；　some　will　think；　but　I　was　lent　to　twenty　people　that　night；
  and　while　in　her　hands；　I　overheard　the　following　little　aside；　between
  two　young　fashionables；　who　were　quite　unconscious　of　the　acuteness
  of　the　senses　of　our　family。
  〃This　must　be　a　rich　old　chap；　this　Halfacre；　to　be　able　to　give　his
  daughter　a　hundred…dollar　pocket…handkerchief；　Tom；　one　might　do
  well　to　get　introduced。〃
  〃If　you'll　take　my　advice；　Ned；　you'll　keep　where　you　are；〃　was　the
  answer。　〃You've　been　to　the　surrogate's　office；　and　have　seen　the　will　of
  old　Simonds；　and　KNOW　that　he　has　left　his　daughter　seventy…eight
  thousand　dollars；　and；　after　all；　this　pocket…handkerchief　may　be　only　a
  sign。　I　always　distrust　people　who　throw　out　such　lures。〃
  〃Oh；　rely　on　it；　there　is　no　sham　here；　Charley　Pray　told　me　of　this　girl
  last　week；　when　no　one　had　ever　heard　of　her　pocket…handkerchief。〃
  〃Why　don't　Charley；　then；　take　her　himself？　I'm　sure；　if　I　had　HIS
  imperial；　I　could　pick　and　choose　among　all　the　second…class　heiresses
  in　town。〃
  ｛imperial　=　wealth　（from　a　Russian　gold　coin）｝
  〃Ay；　there's　the　rub；　Tom；　one　is　obliged　in　our　business　to　put　up　with
  the　SECOND　class。　Why　can't　we　aim　higher　at　once；　and　get　such
  girls　as　the　Burtons；　for　instance？〃
  〃The　Burtons　have；　or　have　had；　a　mother。〃
  〃And　haven't　all　girls　mothers？　Who　ever　heard　of　a　man　or　a　woman
  without　a　mother！〃
  〃True；　physically；　but　I　mean　morally。　Now　this　very　Eudosia　Halfacre
  has　no　more　mother；　in　the　last　sense；　than　you　have　a　wet…nurse。　She
  has　an　old　woman　to　help　her　make　a　fool　of　herself；　but；　in　the　way　of
  a　mother；　she　would　be　better　off　with　a　pair　of　good　gum…shoes。　A
  creature　that　is　just　to　tell　a　girl　not　to　wet　her　feet；　and　when　to　cloak
  and　uncloak；　and　to　help　tear　the　check…book　out　of　money；　is　no　more
  of　a　mother　than　old　Simonds　was　of　a　Solomon；　when　he　made　that
  will　which　every　one　of　us　knows　by　heart　quite　as　well　as　he　knows　the
  constitution。〃
  Here　a　buzz　in　the　room　drew　the　two　young　men　a　little　aside；　and　for
  a　minute　I　heard　nothing　but　indistinct　phrases；　in　which　〃removal　of
  deposites；〃　〃panic；〃　〃General　Jackson；〃　and　〃revolution；〃　were　the　only
  words　I　could　fairly　understand。　Presently；　however；　the　young　men
  dropped　back　into　their　former　position；　and　the　dialogue　proceeded。
  ｛General　Jackson。。。　=　President　Andrew　Jackson　in　1833　withdrew　the
  federal　government　deposits　from　the　Bank　of　the　United　States；　leading
  to　a　major　financial　panic｝
  〃There！〃　exclaimed　Ned；　in　a　voice　louder　than　was　prudent；　〃THAT　is
  what　I　call　an　escape！　That　cursed　handkerchief　was　very　near　taking
  me　in。　I　call　it　swindling　to　make　such　false　pretensions。〃
  〃It　might　be　very　awkward　with　one　who　was　not　properly　on　his　guard；
  but　with　the　right　sort　there　is　very　little　danger。〃
  Here　the　two　elegants　led　out　a　couple　of　heiresses　to　dance；　and　I
  heard　no　more　of　them　or　of　their　escapes。　Lest　the　reader；　however；
  should　be　misled；　I　wish　to　add；　that　these　two　worthies　are　not　to　be
  taken　as　specimens　of　New　York　morality　at　allno　place　on　earth
  being　more　free　from　fortune…hunters；　or　of　a　higher　tone　of　social
  morals　in　this　delicate　particular。　As　I　am　writing　for　American　readers；
  I　wish　to　say；　that　all　they　are　told　of　the　vices　of　OLD　countries；　on　the
  other　side　of　the　Atlantic；　is　strictly　true；　while　all　that　is　said；　directly；　or
  by　implication；　of　the　vices　and　faults　of　this　happy　young　country；　is　just
  so　much　calumny。　The　many　excellent　friends　I　have　made；　since　my
  arrival　in　this　hemisphere；　has　bound　my　heart　to　them　to　all　eternity；
  and　I　will　now　proceed　with　my　philosophical　and　profound
  disquisitions　on　what　I　have　seen；　with　a　perfect　confidence　that　I　shall
  receive　credit；　and　an　independence　of　opinion　that　is　much　too　dear　to
  me　to　consent　to　place　it　in　question。　But　to　return　to　facts。
  ｛elegants　=　dandies｝
  I　was　restored　to　Eudosia；　with　a　cold；　reserved　look；　by　a　lady　into
  whose　hands　I　had　passed；　that　struck　me　as　singular；　as　shown　to　the
  owner　of　such　an　article。　It　was　not　long；　however；　before　I　discovered；
  to　use　a　homely　phrase；　that　something　had　happened；　and　I　was　not
  altogether　without　curiosity　to　know　what　that　something　was。　It　was
  apparent　enough；　that　Eudosia　was　the　subject　of　general　observation；
  and　of　general　conversation；　though；　so　long　as　she　held　me　in　her　hand；
  it　exceeded　all　my　acuteness　of　hearing　to　learn　what　was　said。　The
  poor　girl　fancied　her　pocket…handkerchief　was　the　common　theme；　and
  in　this　she　was　not　far　from　right；　though　it　was　in　a　way　she　little
  suspected。　At　length　Clara　Caverly　drew　near；　and　borrowed　me　of　her
  friend；　under　a　pretext　of　showing　me　to　her　mother；　who　was　in　the
  room；　though；　in　fact；　it　was　merely　to　get　me　out　of　sight；　for　Clara　was
  much　too　well…bred　to　render　any　part　of　another's　dress　the　subject　of
  her　discussions　in　general　society。　As　if　impatient　to　get　me　out　of　sight；
  I　was　thrown　on　a　sofa；　among　a　little　pile　of　consoeurs；　（if　there　is　such
  a　word；）　for　a　gathering　had　been　made；　while　our　pretty　hostesses
  were　dancing；　in　order　to　compare　our　beauty。　There　we　lay　quite　an
  hour；　a　congress　of　pocket…handkerchiefs；　making　our　comments　on　the
  company；　and　gossiping　in　our　own　fashion。　It　was　only　the　next　day
  that　I　discovered　the　reason　we　were　thus　neglected；　for；　to　own　the
  truth；　something　had　occurred　which　suddenly　brought　〃three…figure；〃
  and　even　〃two…figure〃　people　of　our　class　into　temporary　disrepute。　I
  shall　explain　that　reason　at　the　proper　moment。
  ｛consoeurs　=　fellow　sisters｝
  The　conversation　among　the　handkerchiefs　on　the　sofa；　ran　principally
  on　the　subject　of　our　comparative　market　value。　I　soon　discovered　that
  there　was　a　good　deal　of　envy　against　me；　on　account　of　my　〃three
  figures；〃　although；　I　confess；　I　thought　I　cut　a　〃poor　figure；〃　lying　as　I
  did；　neglected　in　a　corner；　on　the　very　first　evening　of　my　appearance　in
  the　fashionable　world。　But　some　of　the　opinions　uttered　on　this
  occasionalways　in　the　mesmeritic　manner；　be　it　rememberedwill　be
  seen　in　the　following　dialogue。
  〃Well！〃　exclaimed　25；　〃this　is　the　first　ball　I　have　been　at　that　I　was　not
  thought　good　enough　to　have　a　place　in　the　quadrille。　You　see　all　the
  canaille　are　in　the　hands　of　their　owners；　while　we；　the　elite　of　pocket…
  handkerchiefs；　are　left　here　in　a　corner；　like　so　many　cloaks。〃
  ｛canaille　=　riff…raff｝
  〃There　must　be　a　reason　for　this；　certainly；〃　answered　45；　〃though
  YOU　have　been　flourished　about　these　two　winters；　in　a　way　that　ought
  to　satisfy　one　of　YOUR　pretensions。〃
  An　animated　reply　was　about　to　set　us　all　in　commotion；　when　80；
  who；　next　to　myself；　had　the　highest　claims　of　any　in　the　party；　changed
  the　current　of　feeling；　by　remarking
  〃It　is　no　secret　that　we　are　out　of　favor　for　a　night　or　two；　in
  consequence　of　three　figures　having　been　paid　for　one　of　us；　this　very
  day；　by　a　bossess；　whose　father　stopped　payment　within　three　hours
  after　he　signed　the　cheque　that　was　to　pay　the　importer。　I　overheard　the
  whole　story；　half　an　hour　since；　and　thus；　you　see；　every　one　is　afraid　to
  be　seen　with　an　aristocratic　handkerchief；　just　at　this　moment。　But
  bless　you！　in　a　day　or　two　all　will　be　forgotten；　and　we　shall　come　more
  into　favor　than　ever。　All　is　always　forgotten　in　New　York　in　a　week。〃
  Such　was；　indeed；　the　truth。　One　General　Jackson　had　〃removed　the
  deposits；〃　as　I　afterwards　learned；　though　I　never　could　understand
  exactly　what　that　meant；　but；　it　suddenly　made　money　scarce；　more
  especially　with　those　who　had　none；　and　every　body　that　was
  〃extended〃　began　to　quake　in　their　shoes。　Mr。　Halfacre　happened　to　be
  in　this　awkward　predicament；　and　he　broke　down　in　the　effort　to　sustain
  himself。　His　energy　had　over…reached　itself；　like　the　tumbler　who　breaks
  his　neck　in　throwing　seventeen　hundred　somersets　backwards。
  CHAPTER　XII。
  Every　one　is　more　apt　to　hear　an　unpleasant　rumor　than　those　whom　it
  immediately　affects。　Thus　Eudosia　and　her　mother　were　the　only
  persons　at　Mrs。　Trotter's　ball　who　were　ignorant　of　what　had
  happened；　one　whispering　the　news　to　another；　though　no　one　could
  presume　to　communicate　the　fact　to　the　parties　most　interested。　In　a
  commercial　town；　like　New　York；　the　failure　of　a　reputed　millionaire；
  could　not　long　remain　a　secret；　and　every　body　stared　at　the　wife　and
  daughter；　and　me；　first；　as　if　they　had　never　seen　the　wives　and
  daughters　of　bankrupts　before；　and　second；　as　if　they　had　never　seen
  them　surrounded　by　the　evidences　of　their　extravagance。
  But　the　crisis　was　at　hand；　and　the　truth　could　not　long　be　concealed。
  Eudosia　was　permitted　to　cloak　and　get　into　the　carriage　unaided　by
  any　beau；　a　thing　that　had　not　happened　to　her　since　speculation　had
  brought　her　father　into　notice。　The　circumstance；　more　than　any　other；
  attracted　her　attention；　and　the　carriage　no　sooner　started　than　the　poor
  girl　gave　vent　to　her　feelings。
  〃What　CAN　be　the　matter；　Ma？〃　Eudosia　said；　〃that　every　person　in
  Mrs。　Trotter's　rooms　should　stare　so　at　me；　this　evening？　I　am　sure　my
  dress　is　as　well　made　and　proper　as　that　of　any　other　young　lady　in　the
  rooms；　and　a