 had never seen Martin, but Martin had seen him, and recognised him, now
that they stood face to face, as the gentleman who had stuck his hands in his
pockets towards the end of the voyage, and walked the deck with his nostrils
dilated.
    Everybody looked at Martin. There was no help for it. The truth must out.
    »I came over in the same ship as the general,« said Martin, »but not in the
same cabin. It being necessary for me to observe strict economy, I took my
passage in the steerage.«
    If the general had been carried up bodily to a loaded cannon, and required
to let it off that moment, he could not have been in a state of greater
consternation than when he heard these words. He, Fladdock, Fladdock in full
militia uniform, Fladdock the General, Fladdock the caressed of foreign
noblemen, expected to know a fellow who had come over in the steerage of a
line-of-packet ship, at the cost of four pound ten! And meeting that fellow in
the very sanctuary of New York fashion, and nestling in the bosom of the New
York aristocracy! He almost laid his hand upon his sword.
    A death-like stillness fell upon the Norrises. If this story should get
wind, their country relation had, by his imprudence, for ever disgraced them.
They were the bright particular stars of an exalted New York sphere. There were
other fashionable spheres above them, and other fashionable spheres below, and
none of the stars in any one of these spheres had anything to say to the stars
in any other of these spheres. But, through all the spheres it would go forth,
that the Norrises, deceived by gentlemanly manners and appearances, had, falling
from their high estate, received a dollarless and unknown man. O guardian eagle
of the pure Republic, had they lived for this!
    »You will allow me,« said Martin, after a terrible silence, »to take my
leave. I feel that I am the cause of at least as much embarrassment here, as I
have brought upon myself. But I am bound, before I go, to exonerate this
gentleman, who, in introducing me to such society, was quite ignorant of my
unworthiness, I assure you.«
    With that he made his bow to the Norrises, and walked out like a man of
snow: very cool externally, but pretty hot within.
    »Come, come,« said Mr. Norris the father, looking with a pale face on the
assembled circle as Martin closed the door
