An Ambitious Man

"I think your language quite too strong, mother," he said, with a

reproving tone in his voice. "Miss Irving is good, gifted, amiable,

beautiful, beside being young and full of health. I am sure there

could be nothing shocking or dreadful in any man's uniting his

destiny with such a being, in case he was fortunate enough to win

her. The fact that she is poor, and not of illustrious lineage, is

but a very worldly consideration. Mr Irving was a most intelligent

and excellent man, even if he was a grocer. The American idea of

aristocracy is grotesquely absurd at the best. A man may spend his

time and strength in buying and selling things wherewith to clothe

the body, and, if he succeeds, his children are admitted to the

intimacy of princes; but no success can open that door to the

children of a man who trades in food, wherewith to sustain the body.

We can none of us afford to put on airs here in America, with

butchers and Dutch peasant traders only three or four generations

back of our 'best families.' As for me, mother, remember my loved

father was a broker. That would damn him in the eyes of some people,

you know, cultured gentleman as he was."

Mrs Stuart sat very still, breathing hard and trying to gain control

of herself for some moments after her son ceased speaking. He, too,

had said more than he intended, and he was sorry that he had hurt his

mother's feelings as he saw her evident agitation. But as he rose to

go forward and beg her pardon, she spoke.

"The person of whom we were speaking has nothing whatever to do with

Mr Irving," she said. "Joy Irving was born before her mother was

married. Mrs Irving has a most infamous past, and I would rather see

you dead than the husband of her child. You certainly would not want

your children to inherit the propensities of such a grandmother? And

remember the curse descends to the third and fourth generations. If

you doubt my words, go to the Baroness. She knows the whole story,

but has revealed it to no one but me."

Mrs Stuart left the room, closing the door behind her as she went.

She did not want to be obliged to go over the details of the story

which she had heard; she had made her statement, one which she knew

must startle and horrify her son, with his high ideals of womanly

purity, and she left him to review the situation in silence. It was

several hours before the rector left his room.