a man may have command of all the money necessary, and he may have plenty of knowledge and experience in regard to the various qualities of sea-going vessels, but even with these great advantages he may find it a very difficult thing to buy, ready to his hand, a suitable steam yacht. the truth of this statement was acknowledged by mr. burke after he had spent nearly a month in boston, new york, and various points between these[pg 157] cities, and, after advertising, inquiring, and investigating the subject in all possible ways, found nothing which he could recommend mrs. cliff to purchase.
he wrote to her a great many letters during this period, all of which were interesting, although there were portions of many of them which she did not quite understand, being expressed in a somewhat technical fashion. burke liked to write letters. it was a novel experience for him to have time to write and something to write about. he had been better educated than the ordinary sailor, and his intelligence and habits of observation enabled him to supplement to a considerable extent what he had learned at school. his spelling and grammar were sometimes at fault, but his handwriting was extremely plain and distinct, and willy croup, who always read his letters, declared that it was much better to write plainly than to be always correct in other respects, for what was the good of proper spelling and grammar if people could not make out what was written?
mrs. cliff was not at all disturbed by the delay in the purchase of a yacht; for, according to her idea, it would be a long time yet before it was pleasant to sail upon the sea, and if it was interesting to mr. burke to go from place to place and have interviews with ship-owners and sea-faring people, she was glad that she was able to give him an opportunity to do so.
as for herself, she was in a pleasant state of feminine satisfaction. without any sort of presumption or even effort on her part she had attained a high and unquestioned position among her fellow-citizens, and her mind[pg 158] was not set upon maintaining that position by worthy and unoffensive methods of using her riches.
she now had a definite purpose in life. if she could make herself happy and a great many other people happy, and only a few people envious or jealous, and, at the same time, feel that she was living and doing things as a person of good common sense and great wealth ought to live and do things, what more could be expected of her in this life?
thus backed up by her conscience and her check-book, she sat, morning after morning, before a cheerful fire of hickory logs and outlined her career. this was in the parlor of her old house, which she now determined to use as an office or business-room. she could afford the warmest fire of the best seasoned wood; her chimney was in perfect order, and she was but fifty-five years old and in excellent health;—why should she not enjoy the exhilarating blaze, and plan for years of exhilarating occupation.
soon after mr. burke left plainton mrs. cliff began work upon the new park. this she could do without his assistance, and it was work the mere contemplation of which delighted her. she had legal assistance in regard to the purchase of the grounds and buildings of the opposite block, and while this was in the hands of her lawyers, she was in daily consultation with an eminent landscape-constructor who had come to plainton for the purpose. he lodged at the hotel, and drew most beautiful plans of the proposed park.
in the happy morning hours during which mrs. cliff's[pg 159] mind wandered over the beautiful drives, or stood upon the rustic bridges which crossed the stream dashing among its rocks and spreading itself out into placid pools; or when, mentally, she sat in the shade of the great trees and looked out upon the wide stretches of verdant lawn, relieved by the brilliant colors of the flower-beds, she often felt it was almost the same thing as if it were actually summer, and that she really saw the beautiful grass and flowers, heard the babbling of the stream, and felt the refreshing breezes which rustled the great limbs of the trees.
she did not selfishly keep these pleasures to herself, but often on the stormy evenings, she and willy and the misses thorpedyke would go over the brilliantly colored plans of the incas' grove, admire what had been proposed, and suggest things which they thought would be desirable. miss thorpedyke, who had a vivid recollection of the gardens of luxemburg, spoke of many of their beautiful and classic features which she would recommend for the new park if it were not that they would cost so much money. all these were noted down with great care by mrs. cliff, and mentioned to the landscape-constructor the next day.
thus at home, in church circles, in the society of the town, and in the mental contemplation of the charming landscape which in consequence of her own will and command would soon spread itself out before her windows, mrs. cliff was very happy. but among all her sources of enjoyment there was nothing, perhaps, which pleased her better than to think on a cold winter's night,[pg 160] when the piercing winds were roaring about the house, that poor old nancy shott was lying warm and comfortable under two of the finest blankets which ever came from californian looms.
the great object of willy croup's thoughts at this time was not the park,—for she could not properly appreciate trees and grass in this shivery weather,—but the entertainment, the grand lunch, or the very high tea which was to be given to mrs. buskirk and daughters on the hill. this important event had been postponed because the sleighing had become rather bad and the buskirks had gone to the city.
but as soon as they returned, willy hoped with all her heart that mrs. cliff would be able to show them what may be done in the line of hospitable entertainment by people who had not only money but something more. there had been a time when willy thought that when people wished to entertain there was nothing needed but money, but then she had not lived in the house with the misses thorpedyke, and had not heard them and mrs. cliff discuss such matters.
the peace of mind of mrs. cliff was disturbed one day by the receipt of a letter from mr. burke, who wrote from new york and informed her that he had found a yacht which he believed would suit her, and he wished very much that she would come and look at it before he completed the purchase.
mrs. cliff did not wish to go to new york and look at yachts. she had then under consideration the plan of a semicircular marble terrace which was to overlook one[pg 161] end of a shaded lakelet, which mr. humphreys, her professional adviser, assured her she could have just as well as not, by means of a dam, and she did not wish to interrupt this most interesting occupation. mr. humphreys had procured photographs of some of the romantic spots of the luxemburg, and mrs. cliff felt within herself the gladdening impulses of a good magician as she planned the imitation of all this classic beauty.
besides, it was the middle of march, and cold, and not at all the season in which she would be able to properly appreciate the merits of a yacht. still, as mr. burke had found the vessel and wanted her to see it, and as there was a possibility, he had written, that delay might cause her to lose the opportunity of getting what she wanted, and as she was very desirous of pleasing him, she decided that she and willy would go to new york and look at the vessel.
it would not take long, because, of course, mr. burke had already found out everything that was necessary in regard to its sea-going qualities, and a great many other things of which she would not be a judge. in fact, it was not necessary for her to go at all; but as she was to pay for it, mr. burke would be better satisfied if first she saw it.
it was very pleasant to think that she could go away whenever she pleased and leave her house in the care of two such ladies as miss eleanor thorpedyke and her sister.