Епоха невинності

           "MissJacksonglancedaroundthetable,caughtJaney’sbulginggaze,andtookrefugeinanunintelligiblemurmur."Likeherrivals,"saidMr.SillertonJackson,withtheairofproducinganepigram."Oh,—"theladiesmurmured;andMrs.Archeradded,partlytodistractherdaughter’sattentionfromforbiddentopics:"PoorRegina!HerThanksgivinghasn’tbeenaverycheerfulone,I’mafraid.HaveyouheardtherumoursaboutBeaufort’sspeculations,Sillerton?"Mr.Jacksonnoddedcarelessly.Everyonehadheardtherumoursinquestion,andhescornedtoconfirmatalethatwasalreadycommonproperty.Agloomysilencefellupontheparty.NoonereallylikedBeaufort,anditwasnotwhollyunpleasanttothinktheworstofhisprivatelife;buttheideaofhishavingbroughtfinancialdishonouronhiswife’sfamilywastooshockingtobeenjoyedevenbyhisenemies.Archer’sNewYorktoleratedhypocrisyinprivaterelations;butinbusinessmattersitexactedalimpidandimpeccablehonesty.Itwasalongtimesinceanywell-knownbankerhadfaileddiscreditably;buteveryonerememberedthesocialextinctionvisitedontheheadsofthefirmwhenthelasteventofthekindhadhappened.ItwouldbethesamewiththeBeauforts,inspiteofhispowerandherpopularity;notalltheleaguedstrengthoftheDallasconnectionwouldsavepoorReginaiftherewereanytruthinthereportsofherhusband’sunlawfulspeculations.Thetalktookrefugeinlessominoustopics;buteverythingtheytouchedonseemedtoconfirmMrs.Archer’ssenseofanacceleratedtrend.