their silver wedding journey v3-第17章

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recreance　to　his　wife。　　This　did　alloy　the　pleasure　with　which　he　began；
after　an　excellent　breakfast　at　a　neighboring　caf？　to　stroll　about　the
streets；　though　he　had　them　almost　to　himself；　so　many　citizens　had
followed　the　soldiers　to　the　manoeuvres。

It　was　not　till　the　soldiers　began　returning　from　the　manoeuvres；　dusty…
footed；　and　in　white　canvas　overalls　drawn　over　their　trousers　to　save
them；　that　he　went　back　to　Mrs。　March　and　Miss　Triscoe　at　the　Swan。　　He
had　given　them　time　enough　to　imagine　him　at　the　review；　and　to　wonder
whether　he　had　seen　General　Triscoe　and　the　Stollers　there；　and　they　met
him　with　such　confident　inquiries　that　he　would　not　undeceive　them　at
once。　　He　let　them　divine　from　his　inventive　answers　that　he　had　not　gone
to　the　manoeuvres；　which　put　them　in　the　best　humor　with　themselves；　and
the　girl　said　it　was　so　cold　and　rough　that　she　wished　her　father　had　not
gone；　either。　　The　general　appeared　just　before　dinner　and　frankly　avowed
the　same　wish。　　He　was　rasping　and　wheezing　from　the　dust　which　filled
his　lungs；　he　looked　blown　and　red；　and　he　was　too　angry　with　the　company
he　had　been　in　to　have　any　comments　on　the　manoeuvres。　　He　referred　to
the　military　chiefly　in　relation　to　the　Miss　Stollers'　ineffectual
flirtations；　which　he　declared　had　been　outrageous。　　Their　father　had
apparently　no　control　over　them　whatever；　or　else　was　too　ignorant　to
know　that　they　were　misbehaving。　　They　were　without　respect　or　reverence
for　any　one；　they　had　talked　to　General　Triscoe　as　if　he　were　a　boy　of
their　own　age；　or　a　dotard　whom　nobody　need　mind；　they　had　not　only　kept
up　their　foolish　babble　before　him；　they　had　laughed　and　giggled；　they
had　broken　into　snatches　of　American　song；　they　had　all　but　whistled　and
danced。　　They　made　loud　comments　in　Illinois　Englishon　the　cuteness　of
the　officers　whom　they　admired；　and　they　had　at　one　time　actually　got　out
their　handkerchiefs。　　He　supposed　they　meant　to　wave　them　at　the
officers；　but　at　the　look　he　gave　them　they　merely　put　their　hats
together　and　snickered　in　derision　of　him。　　They　were　American　girls　of
the　worst　type；　they　conformed　to　no　standard　of　behavior；　their　conduct
was　personal。　　They　ought　to　be　taken　home。

Mrs。　March　said　she　saw　what　he　meant；　and　she　agreed　with　him　that　they
were　altogether　unformed；　and　were　the　effect　of　their　own　ignorant
caprices。　　Probably；　however；　it　was　too　late　to　amend　them　by　taking
them　away。

〃It　would　hide　them；　at　any　rate；〃　he　answered。　　〃They　would　sink　back
into　the　great　mass　of　our　vulgarity；　and　not　be　noticed。　　We　behave　like
a　parcel　of　peasants　with　our　women。　　We　think　that　if　no　harm　is　meant
or　thought；　we　may　risk　any　sort　of　appearance；　and　we　do　things　that　are
scandalously　improper　simply　because　they　are　innocent。　　That　may　be　all
very　well　at　home；　but　people　who　prefer　that　sort　of　thing　had　better
stay　there；　where　our　peasant　manners　won't　make　them　conspicuous。〃

As　their　train　ran　northward　out　of　Wurzburg　that　afternoon；　Mrs。　March
recurred　to　the　general's　closing　words。　　〃That　was　a　slap　at　Mrs。　Adding
for　letting　Kenby　go　off　with　her。〃

She　took　up　the　history　of　the　past　twenty…four　hours；　from　the　time
March　had　left　her　with　Miss　Triscoe　when　he　went　with　her　father　and　the
Addings　and　Kenby　to　see　that　church。　　She　had　had　no　chance　to　bring　up
these　arrears　until　now；　and　she　atoned　to　herself　for　the　delay　by
making　the　history　very　full；　and　going　back　and　adding　touches　at　any
point　where　she　thought　she　had　scanted　it。　　After　all；　it　consisted
mainly　of　fragmentary　intimations　from　Miss　Triscoe　and　of　half…uttered
questions　which　her　own　art　now　built　into　a　coherent　statement。

March　could　not　find　that　the　general　had　much　resented　Burnamy's
clandestine　visit　to　Carlsbad　when　his　daughter　told　him　of　it；　or　that
he　had　done　more　than　make　her　promise　that　she　would　not　keep　up　the
acquaintance　upon　any　terms　unknown　to　him。

〃Probably；〃　Mrs。　March　said；　〃as　long　as　he　had　any　hopes　of　Mrs。　Adding；
he　was　a　little　too　self…conscious　to　be　very　up　and　down　about　Burnamy。〃

〃Then　you　think　he　was　really　serious　about　her？〃

〃Now　my　dear！　　He　was　so　serious　that　I　suppose　he　was　never　so
completely　taken　aback　in　his　life　as　when　he　met　Kenby　in　Wurzburg　and
saw　how　she　received　him。　　Of　course；　that　put　an　end　to　the　fight。〃

〃The　fight？〃

〃Yesthat　Mrs。　Adding　and　Agatha　were　keeping　up　to　prevent　his　offering
himself。〃

〃Oh！　And　how　do　you　know　that　they　were　keeping　up　the　fight　together？〃

〃How　do　I？　　Didn't　you　see　yourself　what　friends　they　were？　　Did　you　tell
him　what　Stoller　had；　said　about　Burnamy？〃

〃I　had　no　chance。　　I　don't　know　that　I　should　have　done　it；　anyway。　　It
wasn't　my　affair。〃

〃Well；　then；　I　think　you　might。　　It　would　have　been　everything　for　that
poor　child；　it　would　have　completely　justified　her　in　her　own　eyes。〃

〃Perhaps　your　telling　her　will　serve　the　same　purpose。〃

〃Yes；　I　did　tell　her；　and　I　am　glad　of　it。　　She　had　a　right　to　know　it。〃

〃Did　she　think　Stoller's　willingness　to　overlook　Burnamy's　performance
had　anything　to　do　with　its　moral　quality？〃

Mrs。　March　was　daunted　for　the　moment；　but　she　said；　〃I　told　her　you
thought　that　if　a　person　owned　to　a　fault　they　disowned　it；　and　put　it
away　from　them　just　as　if　it　had　never　been　committed；　and　that　if　a
person　had　taken　their　punishment　for　a　wrong　they　had　done；　they　had
expiated　it　so　far　as　anybody　else　was　concerned。　　And　hasn't　poor
Burnamy　done　both？〃

As　a　moralist　March　was　flattered　to　be　hoist　with　his　own　petard；　but　as
a　husband　he　was　not　going　to　come　down　at　once。　　〃I　thought　probably　you
had　told　her　that。　　You　had　it　pat　from　having　just　been　over　it　with　me。
When　has　she　heard　from　him？〃

〃Why；　that's　the　strangest　thing　about　it。　　She　hasn't　heard　at　all。　　She
doesn't　know　where　he　is。　　She　thought　we　must　know。　　She　was　terribly
broken　up。〃

〃How　did　she　show　it？〃

〃She　didn't　show　it。　　Either　you　want　to　tease；　or　you've　forgotten　how
such　things　are　with　young　peopleor　at　least　girls。〃

〃Yes；　it's　all　a　long　time　ago　with　me；　and　I　never　was　a　girl。　　Besides；
the　frank　and　direct　behavior　of　Kenby　and　Mrs。　Adding　has　been　very
obliterating　to　my　early　impressions　of　love…making。〃

〃It　certainly　hasn't　been　ideal；〃　said　Mrs。　March　with　a　sigh。

〃Why　hasn't　it　been　ideal？〃　he　asked。　　〃Kenby　is　tremendously　in　love
with　her；　and　I　believe　she's　had　a　fancy　for　him　from　the　beginning。
If　it　hadn't　been　for　Rose　she　would　have　accepted　him　at　once；　and　now
he's　essential　to　them　both　in　their　helplessness。　　As　for　Papa　Triscoe
and　his　Europeanized　scruples；　if　they　have　any　reality　at　all　they're
the　residuum　of　his　personal　resentment；　and　Kenby　and　Mrs。　Adding　have
nothing　to　do　with　their　unreality。　　His　being　in　love　with　her　is　no
reason　why　he　shouldn't　be　helpful　to　her　when　she　needs　him；　and　every
reason　why　he　should。　　I　call　it　a　poem；　such　as　very　few　people　have　the
luck　to　live　out　together。〃

Mrs。　March　listened　with　mounting　fervor；　and　when　he　stopped；　she　cried
out；　〃Well；　my　dear；　I　do　believe　you　are　right！　　It　is　ideal；　as　you
say；　it's　a　perfect　poem。　　And　I　shall　always　say〃

She　stopped　at　the　mocking　light　which　she　caught　in　his　look；　and
perceived　that　he　had　been　amusing　himself　with　her　perennial　enthusiasm
for　all　sorts　of　love…affairs。　　But　she　averred　that　she　did　not　care；
what　he　had　said　was　true；　and　she　should　always　hold　him　to　it。

They　were　again　in　the　wedding…journey　sentiment　in　which　they　had　left
Carlsbad；　when　they　found　themselves　alone　together　after　their　escape
from　the　pressure　of　others'　interests。　　The　tide　of　travel　was　towards
Frankfort；　where　the　grand　parade　was　to　take　place　some　days　later。
They　were　going　to　Weimar；　which　was　so　few　hours　out　of　their　way　that
they　simply　must　not　miss　it；　and　all　the　way　to　the　old　literary　capital
they　were　alone　in　their　compartment；　with　not　even　a　stranger；　much　less
a　friend　to　molest　them。　　The　flying　landscape　without　was　of　their　own
early　autumnal　mood；　and　when　the　vineyards　of　Wurzburg　ceased　to　purple
it；　the　heavy　after…math　of