"Dear Scott: I am at the Windsor Hotel. Can you call this evening? Windermere."
Scott lost no time in responding to the invitation. He was greeted with the greatest cordiality.
"I am delighted to see you," said the earl. "I missed you more than I anticipated after you left me. Now I have a favor to ask."
"What is it?" asked Scott.
"I have taken a suite2 of rooms here, and I have set aside a bedroom for you. I shall be in the city for four weeks, and I want you with me."
"I am afraid you have forgotten that I am only a boy working for my living."
"No; I don't forget it. I respect you more for it. In fact, Scott, I want your company. Will you come?"
"Thank you, Mr. Grant—I can't refuse. I seem to forget that you are an earl."
[Pg 280]
"That is what I wish."
Just then there was a knock at the door, and a hall boy entered with a card.
The person whose name it bore came up directly afterward3.
He brought a dinner invitation from a well-known social club. The earl good-naturedly accepted.
The visitor regarded Scott inquiringly.
"Is this young gentleman one of your party, my lord?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. It is my young friend, Mr. Scott Walton."
"Then I am authorized4 to include him in the invitation."
Scott looked at the earl inquiringly.
"I accept for him," said the earl, promptly5.
He smiled when his visitor left the room.
"You are in for it, Scott," he said. "I advise you to order a dress suit at once, if you are not provided with one."
"Won't the club think they are imposed upon when they find that I am only a humble6 business boy?"
"You are not invited on that ground, but as my intimate friend."
[Pg 281]
"Then, Mr. Grant, I will throw the whole responsibility upon you," said Scott, smiling.
"I will accept it. How will it do for me to dub7 you Sir Scott Walton?"
"It might embarrass me in my business."
"True. Then you shall be plain Mr. Walton. Mind that you get a handsome suit. It will be expected, as you belong to my party."
One of the leading New York dailies, a few days later, in describing the dinner, after giving the earl's modest little speech, continued thus: "The earl was accompanied by a handsome young gentleman, Mr. Scott Walton, who is understood to be a near relative. Mr. Walton was called upon for a speech, but modestly declined."
When Ezra Little read this paragraph, he was immensely surprised.
"Read that, Loammi," he said.
"What a humbug8 that boy is!" said Loammi, much disgusted.
"Humbug or not, he has got into the best society and his success reflects credit upon us, his cousins."
"The idea of his palming himself off as a relative of the earl!"
"Perhaps he didn't. It was probably a conjecture9 of the reporter."
[Pg 282]
"I don't believe it. I feel sure Scott put him up to it. I'd like to tell him it is all a mistake."
"I won't allow you to do anything of the sort. As the matter stands, it may lead to the supposition that we also are related to the earl."
This seemed such a clever idea that Ezra determined10 to act upon it.
When one of his business acquaintances inquired whether Scott was really a connection of the earl's, he answered: "He is related to me, and there may also be a distant relationship to the earl. Probably the earl authorized the statement."
"Why don't you invite the earl to dinner?"
"Egad, I will!" exclaimed the merchant.
The next day Scott received the following note from Mr. Little:
"Dear Scott: Can you induce your friend, the earl, to accept an invitation to dinner at our house any day next week? It would give me great pleasure, as an Englishman born, to pay some attention to so distinguished11 a representative of my native country. The choice of the day rests entirely12 with the earl. We shall be only too glad to receive him at any time.
"Sincerely, your cousin, Ezra Little."
[Pg 283]
Scott showed this letter to the earl.
The earl smiled.
"I am glad," he said, "that I have been the means of so cordially uniting your cousin and yourself. Of course, I know that I am only invited as your friend."
Scott laughed.
"That didn't occur to me," he said.
"But as to accepting the invitation," continued the earl, "I am afraid I cannot. Should I accept Mr. Little's invitation, I should be overwhelmed by similar invitations from other parties."
"He will be terribly disappointed."
"I can partially13 make it up to him. I will secure a box at one of the theatres for some evening next week, and invite your uncle's family to join our party. That will involve no embarrassment14."
"I am sure Cousin Ezra will be delighted to accept."
"Then I will make out an invitation which I will send by you. I will also invite Mr. Tower, your senior employer, as it may help you with him."
"It will, I am sure."
When Scott called at his uncle's house, Ezra inquired, eagerly: "Did you receive my note?"
[Pg 284]
"Yes, Cousin Ezra."
"Will the earl accept my invitation?"
"He would be glad to do so, but it would bring upon him so many others that it would prove embarrassing."
Mr. Little's face fell.
"Can't you influence him to accept?" he asked, with a degree of deference15 that was new to Scott.
"No, but he sends you an invitation."
Scott put in Mr. Little's hands this missive:
"The Earl of Windermere will be glad to have Mr. Ezra Little and family join him at the Star Theatre next Wednesday evening to see Henry Irving in 'Hamlet.'
"R. S. V. P."
"Tell the earl I shall be delighted, and so will Mrs. Little and Loammi," said the gratified merchant.
"I think, Cousin Ezra, etiquette16 requires a written acceptance."
"Tell me what to write, and I will copy it."
Scott did so, and succeeded in toning down the exuberant17 terms in which Mr. Little was at first inclined to couch his acceptance.
Mr. Tower, though a more sensible man, was[Pg 285] undeniably flattered by the invitation which Scott brought him. The earl had called at the store, so that the invitation was en règle.
"Really, Scott," he said, "I shall feel obliged to raise your pay, since, in addition to your services here, you are introducing me into such distinguished society."
"I have no objection to that, Mr. Tower," said Scott, smiling.
"And you are really the guest of the earl at the Windsor Hotel? It is most extraordinary."
"I hope, Mr. Tower, you will appreciate me as much as the earl does."
"I do already, Scott, but for business reasons."
Mr. Little sent for reporters on two of the daily papers, and managed to have his presence in the earl's box prominently mentioned. Loammi was immensely gratified, and contrived18 to make himself conspicuous19, while Scott modestly withdrew into the background.
Seth Lawton happened to reach New York on the morning following the theatre party. He read in amazement20 the paragraph which served to indicate the intimacy21 of his relatives with the earl.
"My young cousin is getting on," he said. "Well, he deserves it."
[Pg 286]
Mr. Lawton himself was modest, and was considerably22 surprised when Scott brought him a cordial invitation to dine at the Windsor with the earl.
"I don't know, Scott," he said. "I am an old-fashioned fellow. I am not used to stylish23 company."
"The earl will like you all the better on that account."
Scott was right. The Earl of Windermere could see the sterling24 gold in Cousin Seth's character, and treated him with a cordiality that pleased the old man.
"I never thought I should like an earl," he said afterward to Scott, "but your friend is a trump25. He ought to be an American citizen."
Ezra Little was rather disgusted when he heard that Seth Lawton had been the earl's guest.
"You ought to have prevented it, Scott," he said. "What will the earl think of us when such a homely26 old fellow is introduced as a cousin?"
"Cousin Seth and the earl are great friends," replied Scott.
"Humph! I suppose he felt obliged to be polite to him. Seth is a mere1 clodhopper."
He would have been surprised to learn that the earl rated the "clodhopper" higher than himself.
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1
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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2
suite
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| n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员 | |
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3
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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4
authorized
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| a.委任的，许可的 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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6
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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7
dub
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| vt.（以某种称号）授予，给...起绰号，复制 | |
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8
humbug
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| n.花招，谎话，欺骗 | |
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9
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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10
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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11
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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12
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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13
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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14
embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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15
deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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16
etiquette
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| n.礼仪，礼节；规矩 | |
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17
exuberant
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| adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的 | |
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18
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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19
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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20
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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21
intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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22
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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23
stylish
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| adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的 | |
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24
sterling
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| adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑) | |
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25
trump
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| n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭 | |
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26
homely
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| adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的 | |
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