Talbot declared she would no
longer embarrass the new house-keeping by her presence. She had only
called to bid Mrs. Belcher welcome, and to assure her that if she had no
friends in the city, there were hundreds of hospitable hearts that were
ready to greet her. Then she and her husband went out, waved their
adieus from their snug little coupe, and drove away.
The call had diverted Mr. Belcher from his somber thoughts, and he
summoned his carriage, and drove down town, where he spent his day in
securing the revolution in his domestic service, already alluded to, in
talking business with his factor, and in making acquaintances on
'Change.
"I'm going to be in the middle of this thing, one of those days," said
he to Talbot as they strolled back to the counting-room of the latter,
after a long walk among the brokers and bankers of Wall street. "If
anybody supposes that I've come here to lie still, they don't know me.
They'll wake up some fine morning and find a new hand at the bellows."
Twilight found him at home again, where he had the supreme pleasure of
turning his very independent servants out of his house into the street,
and installing a set who knew, from the beginning, the kind of man they
had to deal with, and conducted themselves accordingly.
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