their silver wedding journey v3-第27章

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and　they　visited　the　room　of　the　Smoking　Parliament　where　he　ruled　his
convives　with　a　rod　of　iron；　and　made　them　the　victims　of　his　bad　jokes。
The　measuring…board　against　which　he　took　the　stature　of　his　tall
grenadiers　is　there；　and　one　room　is　devoted　to　those　masterpieces　which
he　used　to　paint　in　the　agonies　of　gout。　　His　chef　d'oeuvre　contains　a
figure　with　two　left　feet；　and　there　seemed　no　reason　why　it　might　not。
have　had　three。　　In　another　room　is　a　small　statue　of　Carlyle；　who　did　so
much　to　rehabilitate　the　house　which　the　daughter　of　it；　Wilhelmina；　did
so　much　to　demolish　in　the　regard　of　men。

The　palace　is　now　mostly　kept　for　guests；　and　there　is　a　chamber　where
Napoleon　slept；　which　is　not　likely　to　be　occupied　soon　by　any　other
self…invited　guest　of　his　nation。　　It　is　perhaps　to　keep　the　princes　of
Europe　humble　that　hardly　a　palace　on　the　Continent　is　without　the
chamber　of　this　adventurer；　who；　till　he　stooped　to　be　like　them；　was
easily　their　master。　　Another　democracy　had　here　recorded　its　invasion　in
the　American　stoves　which　the　custodian　pointed　out　in　the　corridor　when
Mrs；　March；　with　as　little　delay　as　possible；　had　proclaimed　their
country。　　The　custodian　professed　an　added　respect　for　them　from　the
fact；　and　if　he　did　not　feel　it；　no　doubt　he　merited　the　drink　money
which　they　lavished　on　him　at　parting。

Their　driver　also　was　a　congenial　spirit；　and　when　he　let　them　out　of　his
carriage　at　the　station；　he　excused　the　rainy　day　to　them。　　He　was　a
merry　fellow　beyond　the　wont　of　his　nation；　and　he…laughed　at　the　bad
weather；　as　if　it　had　been　a　good　joke　on　them。

His　gayety；　and　the　red　sunset　light；　which　shone　on　the　stems　of　the
pines　on　the　way　back　to　Berlin；　contributed　to　the　content　in　which　they
reviewed　their　visit　to　Potsdam。　　They　agreed　that　the　place　was
perfectly　charming；　and　that　it　was　incomparably　expressive　of　kingly
will　and　pride。　　These　had　done　there　on　the　grand　scale　what　all　the
German　princes　and　princelings　had　tried　to　do　in　imitation　and　emulation
of　French　splendor。　　In　Potsdam　the　grandeur；　was　not　a　historical　growth
as　at　Versailles；　but　was　the　effect　of　family　genius；　in　which　there　was
often　the　curious　fascination　of　insanity。

They　felt　this　strongly　again　amidst　the　futile　monuments　of　the
Hohenzollern　Museum；　in　Berlin；　where　all　the　portraits；　effigies；
personal　belongings　and　memorials　of　that　gifted；　eccentric　race　are
gathered　and　historically　disposed。　　The　princes　of　the　mighty　line　who
stand　out　from　the　rest　are　Frederick　the　Great　and　his　infuriate。
father；　and　in　the　waxen　likeness　of　the　son；　a　small　thin　figure；
terribly　spry；　and　a　face　pitilessly　alert；　appears　something　of　the
madness　which　showed　in　the　life　of　the　sire。

They　went　through　many　rooms　in　which　the　memorials　of　the　kings　and
queens；　the　emperors　and　empresses　were　carefully　ordered；　and　felt　no
kindness　except　before　the　relics　relating　to　the　Emperor　Frederick　and
his　mother。　　In　the　presence　of　the　greatest　of　the　dynasty　they
experienced　a　kind　of　terror　which　March　expressed；　when　they　were　safely
away；　in　the　confession　of　his　joy　that　those　people　were　dead。





LXVI。

The　rough　weather　which　made　Berlin　almost　uninhabitable　to　Mrs。　March
had　such　an　effect　with　General　Triscoe　at　Weimar　that　under　the　orders
of　an　English…speaking　doctor　he　retreated　from　it　altogether　and　went　to
bed。　　Here　he　escaped　the　bronchitis　which　had　attacked　him；　and　his
convalesence　left　him　so　little　to　complain　of　that　he　could　not　always
keep　his　temper。　　In　the　absence　of　actual　offence；　either　from　his
daughter　or　from　Burnamy；　his　sense　of　injury　took　a　retroactive　form；　it
centred　first　in　Stoller　and　the　twins；　then　it　diverged　toward　Rose
Adding；　his　mother　and　Kenby；　and　finally　involved　the　Marches　in　the
same　measure　of　inculpation；　for　they　had　each　and　all　had　part；　directly
or　indirectly；　in　the　chances　that　brought　on　his　cold。

He　owed　to　Burnamy　the　comfort　of　the　best　room　in　the　hotel；　and　he　was
constantly　dependent　upon　his　kindness；　but　he　made　it　evident　that　he
did　not　over…value　Burnamy's　sacrifice　and　devotion；　and　that　it　was　not
an　unmixed　pleasure；　however　great　a　convenience；　to　have　him　about。　　In
giving　up　his　room；　Burnamy　had　proposed　going　out　of　the　hotel
altogether；　but　General　Triscoe　heard　of　this　with　almost　as　great
vexation　as　he　had　accepted　the　room。　　He　besought　him　not　to　go；　but　so
ungraciously　that　his　daughter　was　ashamed；　and　tried　to　atone　for　his
manner　by　the　kindness　of　her　own。

Perhaps　General　Triscoe　would　not　have　been　without　excuse　if　he　were　not
eager　to　have　her　share　with　destitute　merit　the　fortune　which　she　had
hitherto　shared　only　with　him。　　He　was　old；　and　certain　luxuries　had
become　habits　if　not　necessaries　with　him。　　Of　course　he　did　not　say　this
to　himself；　and　still　less　did　he　say　it　to　her。　　But　he　let　her　see　that
he　did　not　enjoy　the　chance　which　had　thrown　them　again　in　such　close
relations　with　Burnamy；　and　he　did　pot　hide　his　belief　that　the　Marches
were　somehow　to　blame　for　it。　　This　made　it　impossible　for　her　to　write
at　once　to　Mrs。　March　as　she　had　promised；　but　she　was　determined　that　it
should　not　make　her　unjust　to　Burnamy。　　She　would　not　avoid　him；　she
would　not　let　anything　that　had　happened　keep　her　from　showing　that　she
felt　his　kindness　and　was　glad　of　his　help。

Of　course　they　knew　no　one　else　in　Weimar；　and　his　presence　merely　as　a
fellow…countryman　would　have　been　precious。　　He　got　them　a　doctor；
against　General　Triscoe's　will；　he　went　for　his　medicines；　he　lent　him
books　and　papers；　he　sat　with　him　and　tried　to　amuse　him。　　But　with　the
girl　he　attempted　no　return　to　the　situation　at　Carlsbad；　there　is
nothing　like　the　delicate　pride　of　a　young　man　who　resolves　to　forego
unfair　advantage　in　love。

The　day　after　their　arrival；　when　her　father　was　making　up　for　the　sleep
he　had　lost　by　night；　she　found　herself　alone　in　the　little　reading…room
of　the　hotel　with　Burnamy　for　the　first　time；　and　she　said：　〃I　suppose
you　must　have　been　all　over　Weimar　by　this　time。〃

〃Well；　I've　been　here；　off　and　on；　almost　a　month。　　It's　an　interesting
place。　　There's　a　good　deal　of　the　old　literary　quality　left。〃

〃And　you　enjoy　that！　　I　saw〃she　added　this　with　a　little　unnecessary
flush〃your　poem　in　the　paper　you　lent　papa。〃

〃I　suppose　I　ought　to　have　kept　that　back。　　But　I　couldn't。〃　　He　laughed；
and　she　said：

〃You　must　find　a　great　deal　of　inspiration　in　such　a　literary　place。〃

〃It　isn't　lying　about　loose；　exactly。〃　　Even　in　the　serious　and
perplexing　situation　in　which　he　found　himself　he　could　not　help　being
amused　with　her　unliterary　notions　of　literature；　her　conventional　and
commonplace　conceptions　of　it。　　They　had　their　value　with　him　as　those　of
a　more　fashionable　world　than　his　own；　which　he　believed　was　somehow　a
greater　world。　　At　the　same　time　he　believed　that　she　was　now　interposing
them　between　the　present　and　the　past；　and　forbidding　with　them　any
return　to　the　mood　of　their　last　meeting　in　Carlsbad。　　He　looked　at　her
ladylike　composure　and　unconsciousness；　and　wondered　if　she　could　be　the
same　person　and　the　same　person　as　they　who　lost　themselves　in　the　crowd
that　night　and　heard　and　said　words　palpitant　with　fate。　　Perhaps　there
had　been　no　such　words；　perhaps　it　was　all　a　hallucination。　　He　must
leave　her　to　recognize　that　it　was　reality；　till　she　did　so；　he　felt
bitterly　that　there　was　nothing　for　him　but　submission　and　patience；　if
she　never　did　so；　there　was　nothing　for　him　but　acquiescence。

In　this　talk　and　in　the　talks　they　had　afterwards　she　seemed　willing
enough　to　speak　of　what　had　happened　since：　of　coming　on　to　Wurzburg　with
the　Addings　and　of　finding　the　Marches　there；　of　Rose's　collapse；　and　of
his　mother's　flight　seaward　with　him　in　the　care　of　Kenby；　who　was　so
fortunately　going　to　Holland；　too。　　He　on　his　side　told　her　of　going　to
Wurzburg　for　the　manoeuvres；　and　they　agreed　that　it　was　very　strange
they　had　not　met。

She　did　not　try　to　keep　their　relations　from　taking　the　domestic
character　which　was　inevitable；　and　it　seemed　to　him　that　this　in