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Feathertop: A Moralized Legend
Hecursed,inhissecretsoul,theinsinuatingeleganceofFeathertop’smanners,asthisbrilliantpersonagebowed,smiled,puthishandonhisheart,inhaledalongwhifffromhispipe,andenrichedtheatmospherewiththesmokyvaporofafragrantandvisiblesigh.GladlywouldpoorMasterGookinhavethrusthisdangerousguestintothestreet;buttherewasaconstraintandterrorwithinhim.Thisrespectableoldgentleman,wefear,atanearlierperiodoflife,hadgivensomepledgeorothertotheevilprinciple,andperhapswasnowtoredeemitbythesacrificeofhisdaughter.
Itsohappenedthattheparlordoorwaspartlyofglass,shadedbyasilkencurtain,thefoldsofwhichhungalittleawry.Sostrongwasthemerchant’sinterestinwitnessingwhatwastoensuebetweenthefairPollyandthegallantFeathertopthat,afterquittingtheroom,hecouldbynomeansrefrainfrompeepingthroughthecreviceofthecurtain.
Buttherewasnothingverymiraculoustobeseen;nothing—exceptthetriflespreviouslynoticed—toconfirmtheideaofasupernaturalperilenvironingtheprettyPolly.Thestrangeritistruewasevidentlyathoroughandpractisedmanoftheworld,systematicandself-possessed,andthereforethesortofapersontowhomaparentoughtnottoconfideasimple,younggirlwithoutduewatchfulnessfortheresult.
