as the fact that her
own family had taken an historic part in the Revolutionary struggle. At
this very moment she was concocting a ball in memory of the evacuation
of New York, and she was firmly resolved that on this occasion no
upstart of an Astor or a Vanderbilt, much less any later comer, should
assist--nobody but those whose families were distinctly of Revolutionary
or colonial dignity. In truth, Mrs. Gouverneur had some feeling of
resentment that the capitalist families were of late disposed to take
themselves for leaders in society, and to treat the merely old families
as dispensable if necessary. This assembly to be made up exclusively of
antiques was her countermove.

It cost her something of a struggle. There were amiable people,
otherwise conspicuously eligible, whom she must omit if she adhered to
her plan, and there were some whom she despised that must be asked on
account of the illustriousness of their pedigree. But Mrs. Gouverneur
had set out to check the deterioration of society in New York, and she
was not the woman to draw back when principle demanded the sacrifice of
her feelings. She had taken the liveliest fancy to young Millard, who by
a charming address, obliging manners, and an endless stock of useful
information had made himself an intimate in the Gouverneur household. He
had come to dine with them informally almost every alternate Sunday
evening. To leave him out would be a dreadful cut; but what else could
she do? What would be said of her set of old china if she inserted such
a piece of new porcelain? What would Miss Lavinia Vandeleur, special
oracle on the genealogy of the exclusive families, think, if Mrs.
Gouverneur should be so recreant to right principles as to invite a
young man without a single grandfather to his back, only because he had
virtues of his own?

"I say, mother," said Philip, her son, when he came to look over the
list, "you haven't got Charley Millard down."

"Well, how can I invite Mr. Millard? He has no family."

"No family! Why, he is a descendant of old Governor Van Dam, and one of
his ancestors was an officer under Wayne at Stony Point."

"Are you sure, Philip?"

"Certainly: he has pictures of Stony Point and of Rip Van Dam hanging in
his room. No Revolutionary party would be complete without him."

Mrs. Gouverneur looked at Philip suspiciously; he had a way of quizzing
her; but his face did not flinch, and she was greatly relieved to think
she had missed ma