their silver wedding journey v3-第32章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


something　so　charming　in　his　words　and　way；　that　she　would　have　been　glad
to　do　it。

But　she　governed　herself　against　the　temptation　and　said；　〃Women　are　not
good　at　forgetting；　at　least　till　they　know　what。〃

〃Oh；　I'll　tell　you；　if　you　want　to　know；〃　he　said　with　a　laugh；　and　at
the　words　shesank　provisionally　in　their　accustomed　seat。　　He　sat　down
beside　her；　but　not　so　near　as　usual；　and　he　waited　so　long　before　he
began　that　it　seemed　as　if　he　had　forgotten　again。　　〃Why；　it's　nothing。
Miss　Etkins　and　her　mother　were　here　before　you　came；　and　this　is　a
bouquet　that　I　meant　to　give　her　at　the　train　when　she　left。　　But　I
decided　I　wouldn't；　and　I　threw　it　onto　the　shelf　in　the　closet。〃

〃May　I　ask　why　you　thought　of　taking　a　bouquet　to　her　at　the　train？〃

〃Well；　she　and　her　motherI　had　been　with　them　a　good　deal；　and　I
thought　it　would　be　civil。〃

〃And　why　did　you　decide　not　to　be　civil？〃

〃I　didn't　want　it　to　look　like　more　than　civility。〃

〃Were　they　here　long？〃

〃About　a　week。　　They　left　just　after　the　Marches　came。〃

Agatha　seemed　not　to　heed　the　answer　she　had　exacted。　　She　sat　reclined
in　the　corner　of　the　seat；　with　her　head　drooping。　　After　an　interval
which　was　long　to　Burnamy　she　began　to　pull　at　a　ring　on　the　third　finger
of　her　left　hand；　absently；　as　if　she　did　not　know　what　she　was　doing；
but　when　she　had　got　it　off　she　held　it　towards　Burnamy　and　said　quietly；
〃I　think　you　had　better　have　this　again；〃　and　then　she　rose　and　moved
slowly　and　weakly　away。

He　had　taken　the　ring　mechanically　from　her；　and　he　stood　a　moment
bewildered；　then　he　pressed　after　her。

〃Agatha；　do　youyou　don't　mean〃

〃Yes；〃　she　said；　without　looking　round　at　his　face；　which　she　knew　was
close　to　her　shoulder。　　〃It's　over。　　It　isn't　what　you've　done。　　It's
what　you　are。　　I　believed　in　you；　in　spite　of　what　you　did　to　that　man
and　your　coming　back　when　you　said　you　wouldn'tand　But　I　see　now　that
what　you　did　was　you；　it　was　your　nature；　and　I　can't　believe　in　you　any
more。〃

〃Agatha！〃　he　implored。　　〃You're　not　going　to　be　so　unjust！　　There　was
nothing　between　you　and　me　when　that　girl　was　here！　　I　had　a　right　to〃

〃Not　if　you　really　cared　for　me！　　Do　you　think　I　would　have　flirted　with
any　one　so　soon；　if　I　had　cared　for　you　as　you　pretended　you　did　for　me
that　night　in　Carlsbad？　　Oh；　I　don't　say　you're　false。　　But　you're
fickle〃

〃But　I'm　not　fickle！　　From　the　first　moment　I　saw　you；　I　never　cared　for
any　one　but　you！〃

〃You　have　strange　ways　of　showing　your　devotion。　　Well；　say　you　are　not
fickle。　　Say；　that　I'm　fickle。　　I　am。　　I　have　changed　my　mind。　　I　see
that　it　would　never　do。　　I　leave　you　free　to　follow　all　the　turning　and
twisting　of　your　fancy。〃　　She　spoke　rapidly；　almost　breathlessly；　and　she
gave　him　no　chance　to　get　out　the　words　that　seemed　to　choke　him。　　She
began　to　run；　but　at　the　door　of　the　hotel　she　stopped　and　waited　till　he
came　stupidly　up。　　〃I　have　a　favor　to　ask；　Mr。　Burnamy。　　I　beg　you　will
not　see　me　again；　if　you　can　help　it　before　we　go　to…morrow。　　My　father
and　I　are　indebted　to　you　for　too　many　kindnesses；　and　you　mustn't　take
any　more　trouble　on　our　account。　　August　can　see　us　off　in　the　morning。〃

She　nodded　quickly；　and　was　gone　in…doors　while　he　was　yet　struggling
with　his　doubt　of　the　reality　of　what　had　all　so　swiftly　happened。

General　Triscoe　was　still　ignorant　of　any　change　in　the　status　to　which
he　had　reconciled　himself　with　so　much　difficulty；　when　he　came　down　to
get　into　the　omnibus　for　the　train。　　Till　then　he　had　been　too　proud　to
ask　what　had　become　of　Burnamy；　though　he　had　wondered；　but　now　he　looked
about　and　said　impatiently；　〃I　hope　that　young　man　isn't　going　to　keep　us
waiting。〃

Agatha　was　pale　and　worn　with　sleeplessness；　but　she　said　firmly；　〃He
isn't　going；　papa。　　I　will　tell　you　in　the　train。　　August　will　see　to　the
tickets　and　the　baggage。〃

August　conspired　with　the　traeger　to　get　them　a　first…class　compartment
to　themselves。　　But　even　with　the　advantages　of　this　seclusion　Agatha's
confidences　to　her　father　were　not　full。　　She　told　her　father　that　her
engagement　was　broken　for　reasons　that　did　not　mean　anything　very　wrong
in　Mr。　Burnamy　but　that　convinced　her　they　could　never　be　happy　together。
As　she　did　not　give　the　reasons；　he　found　a　natural　difficulty　in
accepting　them；　and　there　was　something　in　the　situation　which　appealed
strongly　to　his　contrary…mindedness。　　Partly　from　this；　partly　from　his
sense　of　injury　in　being　obliged　so　soon　to　adjust　himself　to　new
conditions；　and　partly　from　his　comfortable　feeling　of　security　from　an
engagement　to　which　his　assent　had　been　forced；　he　said；　〃I　hope　you're
not　making　a　mistake。〃

〃Oh；　no；〃　she　answered；　and　she　attested　her　conviction　by　a　burst　of
sobbing　that　lasted　well　on　the　way　to　the　first　stop　of　the　train。




LXIX。

It　would　have　been　always　twice　as　easy　to　go　direct　from　Berlin　to　the
Hague　through　Hanover；　but　the　Marches　decided　to　go　by　Frankfort　and　the
Rhine；　because　they　wished　to　revisit　the　famous　river；　which　they
remembered　from　their　youth；　and　because　they　wished　to　stop　at
Dusseldorf；　where　Heinrich　Heine　was　born。　　Without　this　Mrs。　March；　who
kept　her　husband　up　to　his　early　passion　for　the　poet　with　a　feeling　that
she　was　defending　him　from　age　in　it；　said　that　their　silver　wedding
journey　would　not　be　complete；　and　he　began　himself　to　think　that　it
would　be　interesting。

They　took　a　sleeping…car　for　Frankfort　and　they　woke　early　as　people　do
in　sleeping…cars　everywhere。　　March　dressed　and　went　out　for　a　cup　of　the
same　coffee　of　which　sleeping…car　buffets　have　the　awful　secret　in　Europe
as　well　as　America；　and　for　a　glimpse　of　the　twilight　landscape。　　One
gray　little　town；　towered　and　steepled　and　red…roofed　within　its
mediaeval　walls；　looked　as　if　it　would　have　been　warmer　in　something
more。　　There　was　a　heavy　dew；　if　not　a　light　frost；　over　all；　and　in
places　a　pale　fog　began　to　lift　from　the　low　hills。　　Then　the　sun　rose
without　dispersing　the　cold；　which　was　afterwards　so　severe　in　their　room
at　the　Russischer　Hof　in　Frankfort　that　in　spite　of　the　steam…radiators
they　sat　shivering　in　all　their　wraps　till　breakfast…time。

There　was　no　steam　on　in　the　radiators；　of　course；　when　they　implored　the
portier　for　at　least　a　lamp　to　warm　their　hands　by　he　turned　on　all　the
electric　lights　without　raising　the　temperature　in　the　slightest　degree。
Amidst　these　modern　comforts　they　were　so　miserable　that　they　vowed　each
other　to　shun；　as　long　as　they　were　in　Germany；　or　at　least　while　the
summer　lasted；　all　hotels　which　were　steam…heated　and　electric…lighted。
They　heated　themselves　somewhat　with　their　wrath；　and　over　their
breakfast　they　relented　so　far　as　to　suffer　themselves　a　certain　interest
in　the　troops　of　all　arms　beginning　to　pass　the　hotel。　　They　were
fragments　of　the　great　parade；　which　had　ended　the　day　before；　and　they
were　now　drifting　back　to　their　several　quarters　of　the　empire。　　Many　of
them　were　very　picturesque；　and　they　had　for　the　boys　and　girls　running
before　and　beside　them；　the　charm　which　armies　and　circus　processions
have　for　children　everywhere。　　But　their　passage　filled　with　cruel
anxiety　a　large　old　dog　whom　his　master　had　left　harnessed　to　a　milk…cart
before　the　hotel　door；　from　time　to　time　he　lifted　up　his　voice；　and
called　to　the　absentee　with　hoarse；　deep　barks　that　almost　shook　him　from
his　feet。

The　day　continued　blue　and　bright　and　cold；　and　the　Marches　gave　the
morning　to　a　rapid　survey　of　the　city；　glad　that　it　was　at　least　not　wet。
What　afterwards　chiefly　remained　to　them　was　the　impression　of　an　old
town　as　quaint　almost　and　as　Gothic　as　old　Hamburg；　and　a　new　town；
handsome　and　regular；　and；　in　the　sudden　arrest　of　some　streets；
apparently　overbuilt。　　The　modern　architectural　taste　was　of　course
Parisian；　there　is　no　other　taste　for　the　Germans；　but　in　the　prevailing
absence　of　statues　there　was　a　relief　from　the　most　oppressive
characteristic　of　the　imperial　capital　which　was　a　positive　delight。
Some　sort　of　monument　to　the　national　victory　over　France　there　must　have
been；　but　it　must　have　been　unusually　inoffensive；　for　i