their silver wedding journey v3-第33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！


Some　sort　of　monument　to　the　national　victory　over　France　there　must　have
been；　but　it　must　have　been　unusually　inoffensive；　for　it　left　no　record
of　itself　in　the　travellers'　consciousness。　　They　were　aware　of　gardened
squares　and　avenues；　bordered　by　stately　dwellings；　of　dignified　civic
edifices；　and　of　a　vast　arid　splendid　railroad　station；　such　as　the　state
builds　even　in　minor　European　cities；　but　such　as　our　paternal
corporations　have　not　yet　given　us　anywhere　in　America。　　They　went　to　the
Zoological　Garden；　where　they　heard　the　customary　Kalmucks　at　their
public　prayers　behind　a　high　board　fence；　and　as　pilgrims　from　the　most
plutrocratic　country　in　the　world　March　insisted　that　they　must　pay　their
devoirs　at　the　shrine　of　the　Rothschilds；　whose　natal　banking…house　they
revered　from　the　outside。

It　was　a　pity；　he　said；　that　the　Rothschilds　were　not　on　his　letter　of
credit；　he　would　have　been　willing　to　pay　tribute　to　the　Genius　of
Finance　in　the　percentage　on　at　least　ten　pounds。　　But　he　consoled
himself　by　reflecting　that　he　did　not　need　the　money；　and　he　consoled
Mrs。　March　for　their　failure　to　penetrate　to　the　interior　of　the
Rothschilds'　birthplace　by　taking　her　to　see　the　house　where　Goethe　was
born。　　The　public　is　apparently　much　more　expected　there；　and　in　the
friendly　place　they　were　no　doubt　much　more　welcome　than　they　would　have
been　in　the　Rothschild　house。　　Under　that　roof　they　renewed　a　happy
moment　of　Weimar；　which　after　the　lapse　of　a　week　seemed　already　so
remote。　　They　wondered；　as　they　mounted　the　stairs　from　the　basement
opening　into　a　clean　little　court；　how　Burnamy　was　getting　on；　and
whether　it　had　yet　come　to　that　understanding　between　him　and　Agatha；
which　Mrs。　March；　at　least；　had　meant　to　be　inevitable。　　Then　they　became
part　of　some　such　sight…seeing　retinue　as　followed　the　custodian　about　in
the　Goethe　horse　in　Weimar；　and　of　an　emotion　indistinguishable　from　that
of　their　fellow　sight…seers。　　They　could　make　sure；　afterwards；　of　a
personal　pleasure　in　a　certain　prescient　classicism　of　the　house。　　It
somehow　recalled　both　the　Goethe　houses　at　Weimar；　and　it　somehow
recalled　Italy。　　It　is　a　separate　house　of　two　floors　above　the　entrance；
which　opens　to　a　little　court　or　yard；　and　gives　access　by　a　decent
stairway　to　the　living…rooms。　　The　chief　of　these　is　a　sufficiently
dignified　parlor　or　salon；　and　the　most　important　is　the　little　chamber
in　the　third　story　where　the　poet　first　opened　his　eyes　to　the　light
which　he　rejoiced　in　for　so　long　a　life；　and　which；　dying；　he　implored　to
be　with　him　more。　　It　is　as　large　as　his　death…chamber　in　Weimar；　where
he　breathed　this　prayer；　and　it　looks　down　into　the　Italian…looking
court；　where　probably　he　noticed　the　world　for　the　first　time；　and
thought　it　a　paved　enclosure　thirty　or　forty　feet　square。　　In　the　birth…
room　they　keep　his　puppet　theatre；　and　the　place　is　fairly　suggestive　of
his　childhood；　later；　in　his　youth；　he　could　look　from　the　parlor　windows
and　see　the　house　where　his　earliest　love　dwelt。　　So　much　remains　of
Goethe　in　the　place　where　he　was　born；　and　as　such　things　go；　it　is　not　a
little。　　The　house　is　that　of　a　prosperous　and　well…placed　citizen；　and
speaks　of　the　senatorial　quality　in　his　family　which　Heine　says　he　was
fond　of　recalling；　rather　than　the　sartorial　quality　of　the　ancestor　who；
again　as　Heine　says；　mended　the　Republic's　breeches。

From　the　Goethe　house；　one　drives　by　the　Goethe　monument　to　the　Romer；
the　famous　town…hall　of　the　old　free　imperial　city　which　Frankfort　once
was；　and　by　this　route　the　Marches　drove　to　it；　agreeing　with　their
coachman　that　he　was　to　keep　as　much　in　the　sun　as　possible。　　It　was
still　so　cold　that　when　they　reached　the　Romer；　and　he　stopped　in　a　broad
blaze　of　the　only　means　of　heating　that　they　have　in　Frankfort　in　the
summer；　the　travellers　were　loath　to　leave　it　for　the　chill　interior；
where　the　German　emperors　were　elected　for　so　many　centuries。　　As　soon　as
an　emperor　was　chosen；　in　the　great　hall　effigied　round　with　the
portraits　of　his　predecessors；　he　hurried　out　in　the　balcony；　ostensibly
to　show　himself　to　the　people；　but　really；　March　contended；　to　warm　up　a
little　in　the　sun。　　The　balcony　was　undergoing　repairs　that　day；　and　the
travellers　could　not　go　out　on　it；　but　under　the　spell　of　the　historic
interest　of　the　beautiful　old　Gothic　place；　they　lingered　in　the　interior
till　they　were　half…torpid　with　the　cold。　　Then　she　abandoned　to　him　the
joint　duty　of　viewing　the　cathedral；　and　hurried　to　their　carriage　where
she　basked　in　the　sun　till　he　came　to　her。　　He　returned　shivering；　after
a　half…hour's　absence；　and　pretended　that　she　had　missed　the　greatest
thing　in　the　world；　but　as　he　could　never　be　got　to　say　just　what　she　had
lost；　and　under　the　closest　cross…examination　could　not　prove　that　this
cathedral　was　memorably　different　from　hundreds　of　other　fourteenth…
century　cathedrals；　she　remained　in　a　lasting　content　with　the　easier
part　she　had　chosen。　　His　only　definite　impression　at　the　cathedral
seemed　to　be　confined　to　a　Bostonian　of　gloomily　correct　type；　whom　he
had　seen　doing　it　with　his　Baedeker；　and　not　letting　an　object　of
interest　escape；　and　his　account　of　her　fellow…townsman　reconciled　Mrs。
March　more　and　more　to　not　having　gone。

As　it　was　warmer　out…doors　than　in…doors　at　Frankfort；　and　as　the　breadth
of　sunshine　increased　with　the　approach　of　noon　they　gave　the　rest　of　the
morning　to　driving　about　and　ignorantly　enjoying　the　outside　of　many
Gothic　churches；　whose　names　even　they　did　not　trouble　themselves　to
learn。　　They　liked　the　river　Main　whenever　they　came　to　it；　because　it
was　so　lately　from　Wurzburg；　and　because　it　was　so　beautiful　with　its
bridges；　old　and　new；　and　its　boats　of　many　patterns。　　They　liked　the
market…place　in　front　of　the　Romer　not　only　because　it　was　full　of
fascinating　bargains　in　curious　crockery　and　wooden…ware；　but　because
there　was　scarcely　any　shade　at　all　in　it。　　They　read　from　their　Baedeker
that　until　the　end　of　the　last　century　no　Jew　was　suffered　to　enter　the
marketplace；　and　they　rejoiced　to　find　from　all　appearances　that　the　Jews
had　been　making　up　for　their　unjust　exclusion　ever　since。　　They　were
almost　as　numerous　there　as　the　Anglo…Saxons　were　everywhere　else　in
Frankfort。　　These；　both　of　the　English　and　American　branches　of　the　race；
prevailed　in　the　hotel　diningroom；　where　the　Marches　had　a　mid…day　dinner
so　good　that　it　almost　made　amends　for　the　steam…heating　and　electric…
lighting。

As　soon　as　possible　after　dinner　they　took　the　train　for　Mayence；　and　ran
Rhinewards　through　a　pretty　country　into　what　seemed　a　milder　climate。
It　grew　so　much　milder；　apparently；　that　a　lady　in　their　compartment　to
whom　March　offered　his　forward…looking　seat；　ordered　the　window　down　when
the　guard　came；　without　asking　their　leave。　　Then　the　climate　proved　much
colder；　and　Mrs。　March　cowered　under　her　shawls　the　rest　of　the　way；　and
would　not　be　entreated　to　look　at　the　pleasant　level　landscape　near；　or
the　hills　far　off。　　He　proposed　to　put　up　the　window　as　peremptorily　as
it　had　been　put　down；　but　she　stayed　him　with　a　hoarse　whisper；　〃She　may
be　another　Baroness！〃　　At　first　he　did　not　know　what　she　meant；　then　he
remembered　the　lady　whose　claims　to　rank　her　presence　had　so　poorly
enforced　on　the　way　to　Wurzburg；　and　he　perceived　that　his　wife　was
practising　a　wise　forbearance　with　their　fellow…passengers；　and　giving
her　a　chance　to　turn　out　any　sort　of　highhote　she　chose。　　She　failed　to
profit　by　the　opportunity；　she　remained　simply　a　selfish；　disagreeable
woman；　of　no　more　perceptible　distinction　than　their　other　fellow…
passenger；　a　little　commercial　traveller　from　Vienna　（they　resolved　from
his　appearance　and　the　lettering　on　his　valise　that　he　was　no　other）；　who
slept　with　a　sort　of　passionate　intensity　all　the　way　to　Mayence。




LXX。

The　Main　widened　and　swam　fuller　as　they　approached　the　Rhine；　and
flooded　the　low…lying　fields　in…places　with　a　pleasant　effect　under　a　wet
sunset。　　When　they　reached　the　station　in　Mayence　they　drove　interminably
to　the　hotel　they　had　chosen　on　the　river…shore；　through　a　city　hand