- end_line
- 9942
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:48:52.921Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 9892
- text
- a vast deal, as by negatively seeming rather ignorant. But here we press
upon the frontiers of that sort of wisdom, which it is very well to
possess, but not sagacious to show that you possess. Still, men there
are, who having quite done with the world, all its mere worldly contents
are become so far indifferent, that they care little of what mere
worldly imprudence they may be guilty.
Now, if it were not conscious considerations like the really benevolent
or neutral ones first mentioned above, it was certainly something akin
to them, which had induced Pierre to return a straightforward, manly,
and entire acceptance to his cousin of the offer of the house; thanking
him, over and over, for his most supererogatory kindness concerning the
pre-engagement of servants and so forth, and the setting in order of the
silver and china; but reminding him, nevertheless, that he had
overlooked all special mention of wines, and begged him to store the
bins with a few of the very best brands. He would likewise be obliged,
if he would personally purchase at a certain celebrated grocer's, a
small bag of undoubted Mocha coffee; but Glen need not order it to be
roasted or ground, because Pierre preferred that both those highly
important and flavor-deciding operations should be performed
instantaneously previous to the final boiling and serving. Nor did he
say that he would pay for the wines and the Mocha; he contented himself
with merely stating the remissness on the part of his cousin, and
pointing out the best way of remedying it.
He concluded his letter by intimating that though the rumor of a set
day, and a near one, for his nuptials, was unhappily but ill-founded,
yet he would not hold Glen's generous offer as merely based upon that
presumption, and consequently falling with it; but on the contrary,
would consider it entirely good for whatever time it might prove
available to Pierre. He was betrothed beyond a peradventure; and hoped
to be married ere death. Meanwhile, Glen would further oblige him by
giving the confidential clerk a standing notice to quit.
Though at first quite amazed at this letter,--for indeed, his offer
might possibly have proceeded as much from ostentation as any thing
else, nor had he dreamed of so unhesitating an acceptance,--Pierre's
cousin was too much of a precocious young man of the world, disclosedly
to take it in any other than a very friendly, and cousinly, and
humorous, and yet practical way; which he plainly evinced by a reply far
more sincere and every way creditable, apparently, both to his heart and
head, than any letter he had written to Pierre since the days of their
boyhood. And thus, by the bluffness and, in some sort,
uncompunctuousness of Pierre, this very artificial youth was well
betrayed into an act of effective kindness; being forced now to drop the
empty mask of ostentation, and put on the solid hearty features of a
genuine face. And just so, are some people in the world to be joked into
occasional effective goodness, when all coyness, and coolness, all
resentments, and all solemn preaching, would fail.
- title
- Chunk 7