"No other cause can be assigned for the rash act,"
pursued the paragraph, "Mrs. V---- being, in all other respects than as
regarded this unfortunate weakness, blessed beyond the average. She was
at the moment, it is understood, contemplating immediate departure for a
lengthened sojourn in Europe, taking with her an only son, a young man
of fine attainments, and a recent graduate of one of our first
theological seminaries, who desired to seek, among the European
capitals, at once for the recreation and culture, which the arduous
preparation for and the enlightened prosecution of his exalted calling
rendered respectively necessary and desirable. It is not known whether
this sad casualty will cause him to relinquish his design."
After finishing this paragraph, which discreetly suppressed any further
personality than to remark that the deceased bore one of those quaint
old Knickerbocker surnames which are in New York synonymous with _haut
ton_ and gentility, Bressant folded up the paper, and, resting his arms
upon the back of the seat in front of him, made them a pillow for his
forehead. This position he maintained so long, that his neighbor with
the wig came to the conclusion that he must be either asleep or drunk;
and, by way of arriving at some solution of the question, abstracted
from his hand the rolled-up newspaper which protruded out of it.
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