Эпоха невинности

           Therewerecertainthingsthathadtobedone,andifdoneatall,donehandsomelyandthoroughly;andoneofthese,intheoldNewYorkcode,wasthetribalrallyaroundakinswomanabouttobeeliminatedfromthetribe.TherewasnothingonearththattheWellandsandMingottswouldnothavedonetoproclaimtheirunalterableaffectionfortheCountessOlenskanowthatherpassageforEuropewasengaged;andArcher,attheheadofhistable,satmarvellingatthesilentuntiringactivitywithwhichherpopularityhadbeenretrieved,grievancesagainsthersilenced,herpastcountenanced,andherpresentirradiatedbythefamilyapproval.Mrs.vanderLuydenshoneonherwiththedimbenevolencewhichwashernearestapproachtocordiality,andMr.vanderLuyden,fromhisseatatMay’sright,castdownthetableglancesplainlyintendedtojustifyallthecarnationshehadsentfromSkuytercliff.Archer,whoseemedtobeassistingatthesceneinastateofoddimponderability,asifhefloatedsomewherebetweenchandelierandceiling,wonderedatnothingsomuchashisownshareintheproceedings.Ashisglancetravelledfromoneplacidwell-fedfacetoanotherhesawalltheharmless-lookingpeopleengageduponMay’scanvas-backsasabandofdumbconspirators,andhimselfandthepalewomanonhisrightasthecentreoftheirconspiracy.Andthenitcameoverhim,inavastflashmadeupofmanybrokengleams,thattoallofthemheandMadameOlenskawerelovers,loversintheextremesensepeculiarto"foreign"vocabularies.