their silver wedding journey v3-第3章

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That　seems；　indeed；　to　have　been　rather　the　popular　and　historical
conception　of　him　than　the　impression　he　made　upon　his　exalted
contemporaries。　　The　Margravine　of　Baireuth　at　any　rate　could　so　far
excuse　her　poor　blood…stained　brother…in…law　as　to　say：　〃The　Margrave　of
Ansbach　。　　。　　。　　was　a　young　prince　who　had　been　very　badly　educated。
He　continually　ill…treated　my　sister；　they　led　the　life　of　cat　and　dog。
My　sister；　it　is　true；　was　sometimes　in　fault　。　　。　　。　　。　　Her　education
had　been　very　bad。　　。　　。　　She　was　married　at　fourteen。〃

At　parting；　the　custodian　told　the　Marches　that　he　would　easily　have
known　them　for　Americans　by　the　handsome　fee　they　gave　him；　they　came
away　flown　with　his　praise；　and　their　national　vanity　was　again　flattered
when　they　got　out　into　the　principal　square　of　Ansbach。　　There；　in　a
bookseller's　window；　they　found　among　the　pamphlets　teaching　different
languages　without　a　master；　one　devoted　to　the　Amerikanische　Sprache　as
distinguished　from　the　Englische　Sprache。　　That　there　could　be　no
mistake；　the　cover　was　printed　with　colors　in　a　German　ideal　of　the　star…
spangled　banner；　and　March　said　he　always　knew　that　we　had　a　language　of
our　own；　and　that　now　he　was　going　in　to　buy　that　pamphlet　and　find　out
what　it　was　like。　　He　asked　the　young　shop…woman　how　it　differed　from
English；　which　she　spoke　fairly　well　from　having　lived　eight　years　in
Chicago。　　She　said　that　it　differed　from　the　English　mainly　in　emphasis
and　pronunciation。　　〃For　instance；　the　English　say　'HALF　past'；　and　the
Americans　'Half　PAST'；　the　English　say　'laht'　and　the　Americans　say
'late'。〃

The　weather　had　now　been　clear　quite　long　enough；　and　it　was　raining
again；　a　fine；　bitter；　piercing　drizzle。　　They　asked　the　girl　if　it
always　rained　in　Ansbach；　and　she　owned　that　it　nearly　always　did。　　She
said　that　sometimes　she　longed　for　a　little　American　summer；　that　it　was
never　quite　warm　in　Ansbach；　and　when　they　had　got　out　into　the　rain；
March　said：　〃It　was　very　nice　to　stumble　on　Chicago　in　an　Ansbach　book…
store。　　You　ought　to　have　told　her　you　had　a　married　daughter　in　Chicago。
Don't　miss　another　such　chance。〃

〃We　shall　need　another　bag　if　we　keep　on　buying　books　at　this　rate；〃　said
his　wife　with　tranquil　irrelevance；　and　not　to　give　him　time　for　protest；
she　pushed　him　into　a　shop　where　the　valises　in　the　window　perhaps
suggested　her　thought。　　March　made　haste　to　forestall　her　there　by　saying
they　were　Americans；　but　the　mistress　of　the　shop　seemed　to　have　her
misgivings；　and　〃Born　Americans；　perhaps？〃　she　ventured。　　She　had
probably　never　met　any　but　the　naturalized　sort；　and　supposed　these　were
the　only　sort。　　March　re…assured　her；　and　then　she　said　she　had　a　son
living　in　Jersey　City；　and　she　made　March　take　his　address　that　he　might
tell　him　he　had　seen　his　mother；　she　had　apparently　no　conception　what　a
great　way　Jersey　City　is　from　New　York。

Mrs。　March　would　not　take　his　arm　when　they　came　out。　　〃Now；　that　is　what
I　never　can　get　used　to　in　you；　Basil；　and　I've　tried　to　palliate　it　for
twenty…seven　years。　　You　know　you　won't　look　up　that　poor　woman's　son！
Why　did　you　let　her　think　you　would？〃

〃How　could　I　tell　her　I　wouldn't？　　Perhaps　I　shall。〃

〃No；　no！　　You　never　will。　　I　know　you're　good　and　kind；　and　that's　why　I
can't　understand　your　being　so　cruel。　　When　we　get　back；　how　will　you
ever　find　time　to　go　over　to　Jersey　City？〃

He　could　not　tell；　but　at　last　he　said　：　〃I'll　tell　yon　what！　　You　must
keep　me　up　to　it。　　You　know　how　much　you　enjoy　making　me　do　my　duty；　and
this　will　be　such　a　pleasure！〃

She　laughed　forlornly；　but　after　a　moment　she　took　his　arm；　and　he　began；
from　the　example　of　this　good　mother；　to　philosophize　the　continuous
simplicity　and　sanity　of　the　people　of　Ansbach　under　all　their　civic
changes。　　Saints　and　soldiers；　knights　and　barons；　margraves；　princes；
kings；　emperors；　had　come　and　gone；　and　left　their　single…hearted；
friendly　subjectfolk　pretty　much　what　they　found　them。　　The　people　had
suffered　and　survived　through　a　thousand　wars；　and　apparently　prospered
on　under　all　governments　and　misgovernments。　　When　the　court　was　most
French；　most　artificial；　most　vicious；　the　citizen　life　must　have
remained　immutably　German；　dull；　and　kind。　　After　all；　he　said；　humanity
seemed　everywhere　to　be　pretty　safe；　and　pretty　much　the　same。

〃Yes；　that　is　all　very　well；〃　she　returned；　〃and　you　can　theorize
interestingly　enough；　but　I'm　afraid　that　poor　mother；　there；　had　no　more
reality　for　you　than　those　people　in　the　past。　　You　appreciate　her　as　a
type；　and　you　don't　care　for　her　as　a　human　being。　　You're　nothing　but　a
dreamer；　after　all。　　I　don't　blame　you；〃　she　went　on。　　〃It's　your
temperament；　and　you　can't　change；　now。〃

〃I　may　change　for　the　worse；〃　he　threatened。　　〃I　think　I　have；　already。
I　don't　believe　I　could　stand　up　to　Dryfoos；　now；　as　I　did　for　poor　old
Lindau；　when　I　risked　your　bread　and　butter　for　his。　　I　look　back　in
wonder　and　admiration　at　myself。　　I've　steadily　lost　touch　with　life
since　then。　　I'm　a　trifler；　a　dilettante；　and　an　amateur　of　the　right　and
the　good　as　I　used　to　be　when　I　was　young。　　Oh；　I　have　the　grace　to　be
troubled　at　times；　now；　and　once　I　never　was。　　It　never　occurred　to　me
then　that　the　world　wasn't　made　to　interest　me；　or　at　the　best　to
instruct　me；　but　it　does；　now；　at　times。〃

She　always　came　to　his　defence　when　he　accused　himself；　it　was　the　best
ground　he　could　take　with　her。　　〃I　think　you　behaved　very　well　with
Burnamy。　　You　did　your　duty　then。〃

〃Did　I？　　I'm　not　so　sure。　　At　any　rate；　it's　the　last　time　I　shall　do　it。
I've　served　my　term。　　I　think　I　should　tell　him　that　he　was　all　right　in
that　business　with　Stoller；　if　I　were　to　meet　him；　now。〃

〃Isn't　it　strange；〃　she　said；　provisionally；　〃that　we　don't　come　upon　a
trace　of　him　anywhere　in　Ansbach？〃

〃Ah；　you've　been　hoping　he　would　turn　up！〃

〃Yes。　　I　don't　deny　it。　　I　feel　very　unhappy　about　him。〃

〃I　don't。　　He's　too　much　like　me。　　He　would　have　been　quite　capable　of
promising　that　poor　woman　to　look　up　her　son　in　Jersey　City。　　When　I
think　of　that；　I　have　no　patience　with　Burnamy。〃

〃I　am　going　to　ask　the　landlord　about　him；　now　he's　got　rid　of　his
highhotes；〃　said　Mrs。　March。




XLIX。

They　went　home　to　their　hotel　for　their　midday　dinner；　and　to　the　comfort
of　having　it　nearly　all　to　themselves。　　Prince　Leopold　had　risen　early；
like　all　the　hard…working　potentates　of　the　continent；　and　got　away　to
the　manoeuvres　somewhere　at　six　o'clock；　the　decorations　had　been
removed；　and　the　court…yard　where　the　hired　coach　and　pair　of　the　prince
had　rolled　in　the　evening　before　had　only　a　few　majestic　ducks　waddling
about　in　it　and　quacking　together；　indifferent　to　the　presence　of　a
yellow　mail…wagon；　on　which　the　driver　had　been　apparently　dozing　till
the　hour　of　noon　should　sound。　　He　sat　there　immovable；　but　at　the　last
stroke　of　the　clock　he　woke　up　and　drove　vigorously　away　to　the　station。

The　dining…room　which　they　had　been　kept　out　of　by　the　prince　the　night
before　was　not　such　as　to　embitter　the　sense　of　their　wrong　by　its
splendor。　　After　all；　the　tastes　of　royalty　must　be　simple；　if　the　prince
might　have　gone　to　the　Schloss　and　had　chosen　rather　to　stay　at　this
modest　hotel；　but　perhaps　the　Schloss　was　reserved　for　more　immediate
royalty　than　the　brothers　of　prince…regents；　and　in　that　case　he　could
not　have　done　better　than　dine　at　the　Golden　Star。　　If　he　paid　no　more
than　two　marks；　he　dined　as　cheaply　as　a　prince　could　wish；　and　as
abundantly。　　The　wine　at　Ansbach　was　rather　thin　and　sour；　but　the　bread；
March　declared；　was　the　best　bread　in　the　whole　world；　not　excepting　the
bread　of　Carlsbad。

After　dinner　the　Marches　had　some　of　the　local　pastry；　not　so
incomparable　as　the　bread；　with　their　coffee；　which　they　had　served　them
in　a　pavilion　of　the　beautiful　garden　remaining　to　the　hotel　from　the
time　when　it　was　a　patrician　mansion。　　The　garden　had　roses　in　it　and
several　sorts　of　late　summer　flowers；　as　well　as　ripe　cherries；　currants；
grapes；　and　a　Virginia…creeper　red　with　autumn；　all　harmoniously
contemporaneous；　as　they　might　easily　be　in　a　climate　where