CHAPTER VIII. THE COLONEL IS WARNED
It is difficult to refrain from mention of the leave-taking of MissVirginia Carvel from the Monticello "Female Seminary," so called in the'Democrat'. Most young ladies did not graduate in those days. Therewere exercises. Stephen chanced to read in the 'Republican' about theseceremonies, which mentioned that Miss Virginia Carvel, "Daughter ofColonel Comyn Carvel, was without doubt the beauty of the day. Shewore--" but why destroy the picture? I have the costumes under my hand.The words are meaningless to all males, and young women might laugh ata critical time. Miss Emily Russell performed upon "that most superb ofall musical instruments the human voice." Was it 'Auld Robin Gray' thatshe sang? I am sure it was Miss Maude Catherwood who recited 'To MyMother', with such effect. Miss Carvel, so Stephen learned with alarm,was to read a poem by Mrs. Browning, but was "unavoidably prevented."The truth was, as he heard afterward from Miss Puss Russell, thatMiss Jinny had refused point blank. So the Lady Principal, to save herreputation for discipline, had been forced to deceive the press.
There was another who read the account of the exercises with intenseinterest, a gentleman of whom we have lately forborne to speak. This isMr. Eliphalet Hopper. Eliphalet has prospered. It is to be doubted ifthat somewhat easy-going gentleman, Colonel Carvel, realized thefull importance of Eliphalet to Carvel & Company. Mr. Hood had beensuperseded. Ephum still opened the store in the mornings, but Mr.Hopper was within the ground-glass office before the place was warm, andthrough warerooms and shipping rooms, rubbing his hands, to see if anywere late. Many of the old force were missed, and a new and greaterforce were come in. These feared Eliphalet as they did the devil, andworked the harder to please him, because Eliphalet had hired that kind.To them the Colonel was lifted high above the sordid affairs of theworld. He was at the store every day in the winter, and Mr. Hopperalways followed him obsequiously into the ground-glass office, called inthe book-keeper, and showed him the books and the increased earnings.
The Colonel thought of Mr. Hood and his slovenly management, and sighed,in spite of his doubled income. Mr. Hopper had added to the Company'slist of customers whole districts in the growing Southwest, and yet thehonest Colonel did not like him. Mr. Hopper, by a gradual process,had taken upon his own shoulders, and consequently off the Colonel's,responsibility after responsibility. There were some painful scenes,of course, such as the departure of Mr. Hood, which never would haveoccurred had not Eliphalet proved without question the incapacity ofthe ancient manager. Mr. Hopper only narrowed his lids when the Colonelpensioned Mr. Hood. But the Colonel had a will before which, whenroused, even Mr. Hopper trembled. So that Eliphalet was always politeto Ephum, and careful never to say anything in the darkey's presenceagainst incompetent clerks or favorite customers, who, by the charity ofthe Colonel, remained on his books.
One spring day, after the sober home-coming of Colonel Carvel from theDemocratic Convention at Charleston, Ephum accosted his master ashe came into the store of a morning. Ephum's face was working withexcitement.
"What's the matter with you, Ephum?" asked the Colonel, kindly. "Youhaven't been yourself lately."
"No, Marsa, I ain't 'zactly."
Ephum put down the duster, peered out of the door of the private office,and closed it softly.
"Marse Comyn?"
"Yes?"
"Marse Comyn, I ain't got no use fo' dat Misteh Hoppa', Ise kindersup'stitious 'bout him, Marsa."
The Colonel put down his newspaper.
"Has he treated you badly, Ephum?" he asked quietly.
The faithful negro saw another question in his master's face. He wellknew that Colonel Carvel would not descend to ask an inferior concerningthe conduct of a superior.
"Oh no, suh. And I ain't sayin' nuthin' gin his honesty. He straight,but he powerful sharp, Marse Comyn. An' he jus' mussiless down to acent."
The Colonel sighed. He realized that which was beyond the grasp of thenegro's mind. New and thriftier methods of trade from New England werefast replacing the old open-handedness of the large houses. Competitionhad begun, and competition is cruel. Edwards, James, & Company had takena Yankee into the firm. They were now Edwards, James, & Doddington, andMr. Edwards's coolness towards the Colonel was manifest since the riseof Eliphalet. They were rivals now instead of friends. But ColonelCarvel did not know until after years that Mr. Hopper had been offeredthe place which Mr. Doddington filled later.
As for Mr. Hopper, increase of salary had not changed him. He stilllived in the same humble way, in a single room in Miss Crane'sboarding-house, and he paid very little more for his board than he hadthat first week in which he swept out Colonel Carvel's store. Hewas superintendent, now, of Mr. Davitt's Sunday School, and a churchofficer. At night, when he came home from business, he would read thewidow's evening paper, and the Colonel's morning paper at the office. Oftrue Puritan abstemiousness, his only indulgence was chewing tobacco.It was as early as 1859 that the teller of the Boatman's Bank began topoint out Mr. Hopper's back to casual customers, and he was more thanonce seen to enter the president's room, which had carpet on the floor.
Eliphalet's suavity with certain delinquent customers from the Southwestwas A wording to Scripture. When they were profane, and invited himinto the street, he reminded them that the city had a police force and ajail. While still a young man, he had a manner of folding his handsand smiling which is peculiar to capitalists, and he knew the lawsconcerning mortgages in several different states.
But Eliphalet was content still to remain in the sphere in whichProvidence had placed him, and so to be an example for many of us.He did not buy, or even hire, an evening suit. He was pleased tosuperintend some of the details for a dance at Christmas-time beforeVirginia left Monticello, but he sat as usual on the stair-landing.There Mr. Jacob Cluyme (who had been that day in conversation withthe teller of the Boatman's Bank) chanced upon him. Mr. Cluyme was socharmed at the facility with which Eliphalet recounted the rise and fallof sugar and cotton and wheat that he invited Mr. Hopper to dinner. Andfrom this meal may be reckoned the first appearance of the family ofwhich Eliphalet Hopper was the head into polite society. If the Cluymehousehold was not polite, it was nothing. Eliphalet sat next to MissBelle, and heard the private history of many old families, which hecherished for future use. Mrs. Cluyme apologized for the dinner, which(if the truth were told) needed an apology. All of which is significant,but sordid and uninteresting. Jacob Cluyme usually bought stocks beforea rise.
There was only one person who really bothered Eliphalet as he rose intoprominence, and that person was Captain Elijah Brent. If, upon enteringthe ground-glass office, he found Eliphalet without the Colonel,Captain Lige would walk out again just as if the office were empty. Theinquiries he made were addressed always to Ephum. Once, when Mr. Hopperhad bidden him good morning and pushed a chair toward him, the honestCaptain had turned his back and marched straight to the house or TenthStreet, where he found the Colonel alone at breakfast. The Captain satdown opposite.
"Colonel," said he, without an introduction. "I don't like this herebusiness of letting Hopper run your store. He's a fish, I tell you."
The Colonel drank his coffee in silence.
"Lige," he said gently, "he's nearly doubled my income. It isn't the oldtimes, when we all went our own way and kept our old customers year inand year out. You know that."
The Captain took a deep draught of the coffee which Jackson had laidbefore him.
"Colonel Carvel," he said emphatically, "the fellow's a damned rascal,and will ruin you yet if you don't take advice."
The Colonel shifted uneasily.
"The books show that he's honest, Lige."
"Yes," cried Lige, with his fist on the table. "Honest to a mill. Butif that fellow ever gets on top of you, or any one else, he'll grind youinto dust."
"He isn't likely to get on top of me, Lige. I know the business, andkeep watch. And now that Jinny's coming home from Monticello, I feelthat I can pay more attention to her--kind of take her mother's p
lace,"said the Colonel, putting on his felt hat and tipping his chair. "Lige,I want that girl to have every advantage. She ought to go to Europe andsee the world. That trip East last summer did her a heap of good. Whenwe were at Calvert House, Dan read her something that my grandfather hadwritten about London, and she was regularly fired. First I must takeher to the Eastern Shore to see Carvel Hall. Dan still owns it. Now it'sLondon and Paris."
The Captain walked over to the window, and said nothing. He did not seethe searching gray eyes of his old friend upon him.
"Lige!" said the Colonel.
The Captain turned.
"Lige, why don't you give up steamboating and come along to Europe?You're not forty yet, and you have a heap of money laid by."
The Captain shook his head with the vigor that characterized him.
"This ain't no time for me to leave," he said. "Colonel; I tell youthere's a storm comin'."
The Colonel pulled his goatee uneasily. Here, at last, was a man in whomthere was no guile.
"Lige," he said, "isn't it about time you got married?"
Upon which the Captain shook his head again, even with more vigor. Hecould not trust himself to speak. After the Christmas holidays he haddriven Virginia across the frozen river, all the way to Monticello, in asleigh. It was night when they had reached the school, the light of itsmany windows casting long streaks on the snow under the trees. He hadhelped her out, and had taken her hand as she stood on the step.
"Be good, Jinny," he had said. "Remember what a short time it will beuntil June. And your Pa will come over to see you."
She had seized him by the buttons of his great coat, and said tearfully:"O Captain Lige! I shall be so lonely when you are away. Aren't yougoing to kiss me?"
He had put his lips to her forehead, driven madly back to Alton, andspent the night. The first thing he did the next day when he reachedSt. Louis was to go straight to the Colonel and tell him bluntly of thecircumstance.
"Lige, I'd hate to give her up," Mr. Carvel said; "but I'd rather you'dmarry her than any man I can think of."
The Crisis — Complete Page 21
