their silver wedding journey v3-第41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！


happy；　summer；　won't　you？　　Oh；　it's　been　such　a　happy　summer！　　It　has
been　one　long　joy；　one　continued　triumph！　But　it　was　too　late；　we　were
too　old；　and　it's　broken　me。〃

The　time　had　been　when　he　would　have　attempted　comfort；　when　he　would
have　tried　mocking；　but　that　time　was　long　past；　he　could　only　pray
inwardly　for　some　sort　of　diversion；　but　what　it　was　to　be　in　their
barren　circumstance　he　was　obliged　to　leave　altogether　to　Providence。
He　ventured；　pending　an　answer　to　his　prayers　upon　the　question；　〃Don't
you　think　I'd　better　see　the　doctor；　and　get　you　some　sort　of　tonic？〃

She　suddenly　turned　and　faced　him。　　〃The　doctor！　　Why；　I'm　not　sick；
Basil！　　If　you　can　see　the　purser　and　get　our　rooms　changed；　or　do
something　to　stop　those　waves　from　slapping　against　that　horrible
blinking　one…eyed　window；　you　can　save　my　life；　but　no　tonic　is　going　to
help　me。〃

She　turned　her　face　from　him　again；　and　buried　it　in　the　bedclothes；
while　he　looked　desperately　at　the　racing　waves；　and　the　port　that　seemed
to　open　and　shut　like　a　weary　eye。

〃Oh；　go　away！〃　she　implored。　　〃I　shall　be　better　presently；　but　if　you
stand　there　like　that　Go　and　see　if　you　can't　get　some　other　room；
where　I　needn't　feel　as　if　I　were　drowning；　all　the　way　over。〃

He　obeyed；　so　far　as　to　go　away　at　once；　and　having　once　started；　he　did
not　stop　short　of　the　purser's　office。　　He　made　an　excuse　of　getting
greenbacks　for　some　English　bank…notes；　and　then　he　said　casually　that　he
supposed　there　would　be　no　chance　of　having　his　room　on　the　lower　deck
changed　for　something　a　little　less　intimate　with　the　sea。　　The　purser
was　not　there　to　take　the　humorous　view；　but　he　conceived　that　March
wanted　something　higher　up；　and　he　was　able　to　offer　him　a　room　of　those
on　the　promenade　where　he　had　seen　swells　going　in　and　out；　for　six
hundred　dollars。　　March　did　not　blench；　but　said　he　would　get　his　wife　to
look　at　it　with　him；　and　then　he　went　out　somewhat　dizzily　to　take
counsel　with　himself　how　he　should　put　the　matter　to　her。　　She　would　be
sure　to　ask　what　the　price　of　the　new　room　would　be；　and　he　debated
whether　to　take　it　and　tell　her　some　kindly　lie　about　it；　or　trust　to　the
bracing　effect　of　the　sum　named　in　helping　restore　the　lost　balance　of
her　nerves。　　He　was　not　so　rich　that　he　could　throw　six　hundred　dollars
away；　but　there　might　be　worse　things；　and　he　walked　up　and　down
thinking。　　All　at　once　it　flashed　upon　him　that　he　had　better　see　the
doctor；　anyway；　and　find　out　whether　there　were　not　some　last　hope　in
medicine　before　he　took　the　desperate　step　before　him。　　He　turned　in　half
his　course；　and　ran　into　a　lady　who　had　just　emerged　from　the　door　of　the
promenade　laden　with　wraps；　and　who　dropped　them　all　and　clutched　him　to
save　herself　from　falling。

〃Why；　Mr。　March！〃　she　shrieked。

〃Miss　Triscoe！〃　he　returned；　in　the　astonishment　which　he　shared　with　her
to　the　extent　of　letting　the　shawls　he　had　knocked　from　her　hold　lie
between　them　till　she　began　to　pick　them　up　herself。　　Then　he　joined　her
and　in　the　relief　of　their　common　occupation　they　contrived　to　possess
each　other　of　the　reason　of　their　presence　on；　the　same　boat。　　She　had
sorrowed　over　Mrs。　March's　sad　state；　and　he　had　grieved　to　hear　that　her
father　was　going　home　because　he　was　not　at　all　well；　before　they　found
the　general　stretched　out　in　his　steamer…chair；　and　waiting　with　a　grim
impatience　for　his　daughter。

〃But　how　is　it　you're　not　in　the　passenger…list？〃　he　inquired　of　them
both；　and　Miss　Triscoe　explained　that　they　had　taken　their　passage　at　the
last　moment；　too　late；　she　supposed；　to　get　into　the　list。　　They　were　in
London；　and　had　run　down　to　Liverpool　on　the　chance　of　getting　berths。
Beyond　this　she　was　not　definite；　and　there　was　an　absence　of　Burnamy　not
only　from　her　company　but　from　her　conversation　which　mystified　March
through　all　his　selfish　preoccupations　with　his　wife。　　She　was　a　girl　who
had　her　reserves；　but　for　a　girl　who　had　so　lately　and　rapturously
written　them　of　her　engagement；　there　was　a　silence　concerning　her
betrothed　that　had　almost　positive　quality。　　With　his　longing　to　try　Miss
Triscoe　upon　Mrs。　March's　malady　as　a　remedial　agent；　he　had　now　the
desire　to　try　Mrs。　March　upon　Miss　Triscoe's　mystery　as　a　solvent。　　She
stood　talking　to　him；　and　refusing　to　sit　down　and　be　wrapped　up　in　the
chair　next　her　father。　　She　said　that　if　he　were　going　to　ask　Mrs。　March
to　let　her　come　to　her；　it　would　not　be　worth　while　to　sit　down；　and　he
hurried　below。

〃Did　you　get　it？〃　asked　his　wife；　without　looking　round；　but　not　so
apathetically　as　before。

〃Oh；　yes。　　That's　all　right。　　But　now；　Isabel；　there's　something　I've　got
to　tell　you。　　You'd　find　it　out；　and　you'd　better　know　it　at　once。〃

She　turned　her　face；　and　asked　sternly；　〃What　is　it？〃

Then　he　said；　with；　an　almost　equal　severity；　〃Miss　Triscoe　is　on　board。
Miss　Triscoe…and…her…father。　　She　wishes　to　come　down　and　see　you。〃

Mrs。　March　sat　up　and　began　to　twist　her　hair　into　shape。　　〃And　Burnamy？〃

〃There　is　no　Burnamy　physically；　or　so　far　as　I　can　make　out；
spiritually。　　She　didn't　mention　him；　and　I　talked　at　least　five　minutes
with　her。〃

〃Hand　me　my　dressing…sack；〃　said　Mrs。　March；　〃and　poke　those　things　on
the　sofa　under　the　berth。　　Shut　up　that　wash…stand；　and　pull　the　curtain
across　that　hideous　window。　　Stop！　　Throw　those　towels　into　your　berth。
Put　my　shoes；　and　your　slippers　into　the　shoe…bag　on　the　door。　　Slip　the
brushes　into　that　other　bag。　　Beat　the　dent　out　of　the　sofa　cushion　that
your　head　has　made。　　Now！〃

〃Thenthen　yon　will　see　her？〃

〃See　her！〃

Her　voice　was　so　terrible　that　he　fled　before　it；　and　he　returned　with
Miss　Triscoe　in　a　dreamlike　simultaneity。　　He　remembered；　as　he　led　the
way　into　his　corridor；　to　apologize　for　bringing　her　down　into　a　basement
room。

〃Oh；　we're　in　the　basement；　too；　it　was　all　we　could　get；〃　she　said　in
words　that　ended　within　the　state…room　he　opened　to　her。　　Then　he　went
back　and　took　her　chair　and　wraps　beside　her　father。

He　let　the　general　himself　lead　the　way　up　to　his　health；　which　he　was
not　slow　in　reaching；　and　was　not　quick　in　leaving。　　He　reminded　March　of
the　state　he　had　seen　him　in　at　Wurzburg；　and　he　said　it　had　gone　from
bad　to　worse　with　him。　　At　Weimar　he　had　taken　to　his　bed　and　merely
escaped　from　it　with　his　life。　　Then　they　had　tried　Schevleningen　for　a
week；　where；　he　said　in　a　tone　of　some　injury；　they　had　rather　thought
they　might　find　them；　the　Marches。　　The　air　had　been　poison　to　him；　and
they　had　come　over　to　England　with　some　notion　of　Bournemouth；　but　the
doctor　in　London　had　thought　not；　and　urged　their　going　home。　　〃All
Europe　is　damp；　you　know；　and　dark　as　a　pocket　in　winter；〃　he　ended。

There　had　been　nothing　about　Burnamy；　and　March　decided　that　he　must　wait
to　see　his　wife　if　he　wished　to　know　anything；　when　the　general；　who　had
been　silent；　twisted　his　head　towards　him；　and　said　without　regard　to　the
context；　〃It　was　complicated；　at　Weimar；　by　that　young　man　in　the　most
devilish　way。　　Did　my　daughter　write　to　Mrs。　March　about　Well　it　came
to　nothing；　after　all；　and　I　don't　understand　how；　to　this　day。　　I　doubt
if　they　do。　　It　was　some　sort　of　quarrel；　I　suppose。　　I　wasn't　consulted
in　the　matter　either　way。　　It　appears　that　parents　are　not　consulted　in
these　trifling　affairs；　nowadays。〃　　He　had　married　his　daughter's　mother
in　open　defiance　of　her　father；　but　in　the　glare　of　his　daughter's
wilfulness　this　fact　had　whitened　into　pious　obedience。　　〃I　dare　say　I
shall　be　told；　by…and…by；　and　shall　be　expected　to　approve　of　the
result。〃

A　fancy　possessed　March　that　by　operation　of　temperamental　laws　General
Triscoe　was　no　more　satisfied　with　Burnamy's　final　rejection　than　with
his　acceptance。　　If　the　engagement　was　ever　to　be　renewed；　it　might　be
another　thing；　but　as　it　stood；　March　divined　a　certain　favor　for　the
young　man　in　the　general's　attitude。　　But　the　affair　was　altogether　too
delicate　for　comment；　the　general's　aristocratic　frankness　in　dealing
with　it　might　have　gone　farther　if　his　knowledge　had　been　greater；　but　in
any　case　March　did　not　see　how　he　could　touch　it。　　He　cou