their silver wedding journey v3-第13章

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out　for　you；　Mr。　Stoller；　and　I　am　glad　to　know　that　he　saw　it　in　the
same　light。〃

〃I　know　he　did；〃　said　Stoker　with　a　blaze　as　from　a　long…smouldering
fury；　〃and　damn　him；　I'm　not　going　to　have　it。　　I'm　not　going　to；　plead
the　baby　act　with　him；　or　with　any　man。　　You　tell　him　so；　when　you　get
the　chance。　　You　tell　him　I　don't　hold　him　accountable　for　anything　I
made　him　do。　　That　ain't　business；　I　don't　want　him　around　me；　any　more；
but　if　he　wants　to　go　back　to　the　paper　he　can　have　his　place。　　You　tell
him　I　stand　by　what　I　done；　and　it's　all　right　between　him　and　me。
I　hain't　done　anything　about　it；　the　way　I　wanted　him　to　help　me　to；　I've
let　it　lay；　and　I'm　a…going　to。　　I　guess　it　ain't　going　to　do　me　any
harm；　after　all；　our　people　hain't　got　very　long　memories；　but　if　it　is；
let　it。　　You　tell　him　it's　all　right。〃

〃I　don't　know　where　he　is；　Mr。　Stoller；　and　I　don't　know　that　I　care　to
be　the　bearer　of　your　message；〃　said　March。

〃Why　not？〃

〃Why；　for　one　thing；　I　don't　agree　with　you　that　it's　all　right。　　Your
choosing　to　stand　by　the　consequences　of　Burnamy's　wrong　doesn't　undo　it。
As　I　understand；　you　don't　pardon　it〃

Stoller　gulped　and　did　not　answer　at　once。　　Then　he　said；　〃I　stand　by
what　I　done。　　I'm　not　going　to　let　him　say　I　turned　him　down　for　doing
what　I　told　him　to；　because　I　hadn't　the　sense　to　know　what　I　was　about。〃

〃Ah；　I　don't　think　it's　a　thing　he'll　like　to　speak　of　in　any　case；〃　said
March。

Stoller　left　him；　at　the　corner　they　had　reached；　as　abruptly　as　he　had
joined　him；　and　March　hurried　back　to　his　wife；　and　told　her　what　had
just　passed　between　him　and　Stoller。

She　broke　out；　〃Well；　I　am　surprised　at　you；　my　dear！　　You　have　always
accused　me　of　suspecting　people；　and　attributing　bad　motives；　and　here
you've　refused　even　to　give　the　poor　man　the　benefit　of　the　doubt。　　He
merely　wanted　to　save　his　savage　pride　with　you；　and　that's　all　he　wants
to　do　with　Burnamy。　　How　could　it　hurt　the　poor　boy　to　know　that　Stoller
doesn't　blame　him？　　Why　should　you　refuse　to　give　his　message　to　Burnamy？
I　don't　want　you　to　ridicule　me　for　my　conscience　any　more；　Basil；　you're
twice　as　bad　as　I　ever　was。　　Don't　you　think　that　a　person　can　ever
expiate　an　offence？　　I've　often　heard　you　say　that　if　any　one　owned　his
fault；　he　put　it　from　him；　and　it　was　the　same　as　if　it　hadn't　been；　and
hasn't　Burnamy　owned　up　over　and　over　again？　　I'm　astonished　at　you；
dearest。〃

March　was　in　fact　somewhat　astonished　at　himself　in　the　light　of　her
reasoning；　but　she　went　on　with　some　sophistries　that　restored　him　to　his
self…righteousness。

〃I　suppose　you　think　he　has　interfered　with　Stoller's　political　ambition；
and　injured　him　in　that　way。　　Well；　what　if　he　has？　　Would　it　be　a　good
thing　to　have　a　man　like　that　succeed　in　politics？　　You're　always　saying
that　the　low　character　of　our　politicians　is　the　ruin　of　the　country；　and
I'm　sure；〃　she　added；　with　a　prodigious　leap　over　all　the　sequences；
〃that　Mr。　Stoller　is　acting　nobly；　and　it's　your　duty　to　help　him　relieve
Burnamy's　mind。〃　　At　the　laugh　he　broke　into　she　hastened　to　say；　〃Or　if
you　won't；　I　hope　you'll　not　object　to　my　doing　so；　for　I　shall；　anyway！〃

She　rose　as　if　she　were　going　to　begin　at　once；　in　spite　of　his　laughing；
and　in　fact　she　had　already　a　plan　for　coming　to　Stoller's　assistance　by
getting　at　Burnamy　through　Miss　Triscoe；　whom　she　suspected　of　knowing
where　he　was。　　There　had　been　no　chance　for　them　to　speak　of　him　either
that　morning　or　the　evening　before；　and　after　a　great　deal　of　controversy
with　herself　in　her　husband's　presence　she　decided　to　wait　till　they　came
naturally　together　the　next　morning　for　the　walk　to　the　Capuchin　Church
on　the　hill　beyond　the　river；　which　they　had　agreed　to　take。　　She　could
not　keep　from　writing　a　note　to　Miss　Triscoe　begging　her　to　be　sure　to
come；　and　hinting　that　she　had　something　very　important　to　speak　of。

She　was　not　sure　but　she　had　been　rather　silly　to　do　this；　but　when　they
met　the　girl　confessed　that　she　had　thought　of　giving　up　the　walk；　and
might　not　have　come　except　for　Mrs。　March's　note。　　She　had　come　with
Rose；　and　had　left　him　below　with　March；　Mrs。　Adding　was　coming　later
with　Kenby　and　General　Triscoe。

Mrs。　March　lost　no　time　in　telling　her　the　great　news；　and　if　she　had
been　in　doubt　before　of　the　girl's　feeling　for　Burnamy　she　was　now　in
none。　　She　had　the　pleasure　of　seeing　her　flush　with　hope；　and　then　the
pain　which　was　also　a　pleasure；　of　seeing　her　blanch　with　dismay。

〃I　don't　know　where　he　is；　Mrs。　March。　　I　haven't　heard　a　word　from　him
since　that　night　in　Carlsbad。　　I　expectedI　didn't　know　but　you〃

Mrs。　March　shook　her　head。　　She　treated　the　fact　skillfully　as　something
to　be　regretted　simply　because　it　would　be　such　a　relief　to　Burnamy　to
know　how　Mr。　Stoller　now　felt。　　Of　course　they　could　reach　him　somehow；
you　could　always　get　letters　to　people　in　Europe；　in　the　end；　and；　in
fact；　it　was　altogether　probable　that　he　was　that　very　instant　in
Wurzburg；　for　if　the　New　York…Paris　Chronicle　had　wanted　him　to　write　up
the　Wagner　operas；　it　would　certainly　want　him　to　write　up　the
manoeuvres。　　She　established　his　presence　in　Wurzburg　by　such　an
irrefragable　chain　of　reasoning　that；　at　a　knock　outside；　she　was　just
able　to　kelp　back　a　scream；　while　she　ran　to　open　the　door。　　It　was　not
Burnamy；　as　in　compliance　with　every　nerve　it　ought　to　have　been；　but　her
husband；　who　tried　to　justify　his　presence　by　saying　that　they　were　all
waiting　for　her　and　Miss　Triscoe；　and　asked　when　they　were　coming。

She　frowned　him　silent；　and　then　shut　herself　outside　with　him　long
enough　to　whisper；　〃Say　she's　got　a　headache；　or　anything　you　please；
but　don't　stop　talking　here　with　me；　or　I　shall　go　wild。〃　　She　then　shut
herself　in　again；　with　the　effect　of　holding　him　accountable　for　the
whole　affair。




LVI。

General　Triscoe　could　not　keep　his　irritation；　at　hearing　that　his
daughter　was　not　coming；　out　of　the　excuses　he　made　to　Mrs。　Adding；
he　said　again　and　again　that　it　must　seem　like　a　discourtesy　to　her。
She　gayly　disclaimed　any　such　notion；　she　would　not　hear　of　putting　off
their　excursion　to　another　day；　it　had　been　raining　just　long　enough　to
give　them　a　reasonable　hope　of　a　few　hours'　drought；　and　they　might　not
have　another　dry　spell　for　weeks。　　She　slipped　off　her　jacket　after　they
started；　and　gave　it　to　Kenby；　but　she　let　General　Triscoe　hold　her
umbrella　over　her；　while　he　limped　beside　her。　　She　seemed　to　March；　as
he　followed　with　Rose；　to　be　playing　the　two　men　off　against　each　other；
with　an　ease　which　he　wished　his　wife　could　be　there　to　see；　and　to　judge
aright。

They　crossed　by　the　Old　Bridge；　which　is　of　the　earliest　years　of　the
seventh　century；　between　rows　of　saints　whose　statues　surmount　the　piers。
Some　are　bishops　as　well　as　saints；　one　must　have　been　at　Rome　in　his
day；　for　he　wore　his　long　thick　beard　in　the　fashion　of　Michelangelo's
Moses。　　He　stretched　out　toward　the　passers　two　fingers　of　blessing　and
was　unaware　of　the　sparrow　which　had　lighted　on　them　and　was　giving　him
the　effect　of　offering　it　to　the　public　admiration。　　Squads　of　soldiers
tramping　by　turned　to　look　and　smile；　and　the　dull　faces　of　citizens
lighted　up　at　the　quaint　sight。　　Some　children　stopped　and　remained　very
quiet；　not　to　scare　away　the　bird；　and　a　cold…faced；　spiritual…looking
priest　paused　among　them　as　if　doubting　whether　to　rescue　the　absent…
minded　bishop　from　a　situation　derogatory　to　his　dignity；　but　he　passed
on；　and　then　the　sparrow　suddenly　flew　off。

Rose　Adding　had　lingered　for　the　incident　with　March；　but　they　now　pushed
on；　and　came　up　with　the　others　at　the　end　of　the　bridge；　where　they
found　them　in　question　whether　they　had　not　better　take　a　carriage　and
drive　to　the　foot　of　the　hill　before　they　began　their　climb。　　March
thanked　them；　but　said　he　was　keeping　up　the　terms　of　his　cure；　and　was
getting　in　all　the　walking　he　could。　　Rose　begged　his　mother　not　to
include　him　in　the　driving　party；　he　protested　that　he　was　feeling　so
well；　and　the　walk　was　doing　him　good。　　His　mother　consented；　if　he　would
promise　not　to　get　tired；　and　then　she　mounted