their silver wedding journey v3-第44章

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call　it。〃　　Over　their　coffee　and　crackers　at　the　end　of　the　table　which
they　had　to　themselves；　he　resumed。　　〃I　was　thinking　all　the　time
we　seem　to　think　half　a　dozen　things　at　once；　and　this　was　one　of　them
about　a　piece　of　business　I've　got　to　settle　when　I　reach　home；　and
perhaps　you　can　advise　me　about　it；　you're　an　editor。　　I've　got　a
newspaper　on　my　hands；　I　reckon　it　would　be　a　pretty　good　thing；　if　it
had　a　chance；　but　I　don't　know　what　to　do　with　it：　I　got　it　in　trade　with
a　fellow　who　has　to　go　West　for　his　lungs；　but　he's　staying　till　I　get
back。　　What's　become　of　that　young　chapwhat's　his　name？that　went　out
with　us？〃

〃Burnamy？〃　prompted　March；　rather　breathlessly。

〃Yes。　　Couldn't　he　take　hold　of　it？　　I　rather　liked　him。　　He's　smart；
isn't　he？〃

〃Very；〃　said　March。　　〃But　I　don't　know　where　he　is。　　I　don't　know　that　he
would　go　into　the　country。　　But　he　might；　if〃

They　entered　provisionally　into　the　case；　and　for　argument's　sake
supposed　that　Burnamy　would　take　hold　of　the　major's　paper　if　he　could　be
got　at。　　It　really　looked　to　March　like　a　good　chance　for　him；　on
Eltwin's　showing；　but　he　was　not　confident　of　Burnamy's　turning　up　very
soon；　and　he　gave　the　major　a　pretty　clear　notion　why；　by　entering　into
the　young　fellow's　history　for　the　last　three　months。

〃Isn't　it　the　very　irony　of　fate？〃　he　said　to　his　wife　when　he　found　her
in　their　room　with　a　cup　of　the　same　mud　he　had　been　drinking；　and
reported　the　facts　to　her。

〃Irony？〃　she　said；　with　all　the　excitement　he　could　have　imagined　or
desired。　　〃Nothing　of　the　kind。　　It's　a　leading；　if　ever　there　was　one。
It　will　be　the　easiest　thing　in　the　world　to　find　Burnamy。　　And　out　there
she　can　sit　on　her　steps！〃

He　slowly　groped　his　way　to　her　meaning；　through　the　hypothesis　of
Burnamy's　reconciliation　and　marriage　with　Agatha　Triscoe；　and　their
settlement　in　Major　Eltwin's　town　under　social　conditions　that　implied　a
habit　of　spending　the　summer　evenings　on　their　front　porch。　　While　he　was
doing　this　she　showered　him　with　questions　and　conjectures　and
requisitions　in　which　nothing　but　the　impossibility　of　going　ashore　saved
him　from　the　instant　devotion　of　all　his　energies　to　a　world…wide；
inquiry　into　Burnamy's　whereabouts。

The　next　morning　he　was　up　before　Major　Eltwin　got　out；　and　found　the
second…cabin　passengers　free　of　the　first…cabin　promenade　at　an　hour　when
their　superiors　were　not　using　it。　　As　he　watched　these　inferiors；
decent…looking；　well…clad　men　and　women；　enjoying　their　privilege　with　a
furtive　air；　and　with　stolen　glances　at　him；　he　asked　himself　in　what
sort　he　was　their　superior；　till　the　inquiry　grew　painful。　　Then　he　rose
from　his　chair；　and　made　his　way　to　the　place　where　the　material　barrier
between　them　was　lifted；　and　interested　himself　in　a　few　of　them　who
seemed　too　proud　to　avail　themselves　of　his　society　on　the　terms　made。
A　figure　seized　his　attention　with　a　sudden　fascination　of　conjecture　and
rejection：　the　figure　of　a　tall　young　man　who　came　out　on　the　promenade
and　without　looking　round；　walked　swiftly　away　to　the　bow　of　the　ship；
and　stood　there；　looking　down　at　the　water　in　au　attitude　which　was
bewilderingly　familiar。　　His　movement；　his　posture；　his　dress；　even；　was
that　of　Burnamy；　and　March；　after　a　first　flush　of　pleasure；　felt　a
sickening　repulsion　in　the　notion　of　his　presence。　　It　would　have　been
such　a　cheap　performance　on　the　part　of　life；　which　has　all　sorts　of
chances　at　command；　and　need　not　descend　to　the　poor　tricks　of　second…
rate　fiction；　and　he　accused　Burnamy　of　a　complicity　in　the　bad　taste　of
the　affair；　though　he　realized；　when　he　reflected；　that　if　it　were　really
Burnamy　he　must　have　sailed　in　as　much　unconsciousness　of　the　Triscoes　as
he　himself　had　done。　　He　had　probably　got　out　of　money　and　had　hurried
home　while　he　had　still　enough　to　pay　the　second…cabin　fare　on　the　first
boat　back。　　Clearly　he　was　not　to　blame；　but　life　was　to　blame　for　such　a
shabby　device；　and　March　felt　this　so　keenly　that　he　wished　to　turn　from
the　situation；　and　have　nothing　to　do　with　it。　　He　kept　moving　toward
him；　drawn　by　the　fatal　attraction；　and　at　a　few　paces'　distance　the
young　man　whirled　about　and　showed　him　the　face　of　a　stranger。

March　made　some　witless　remark　on　the　rapid　course　of　the　ship　as　it　cut
its　way　through　the　water　of　the　bow；　the　stranger　answered　with　a　strong
Lancashire　accent；　and　in　the　talk　which　followed；　he　said　he　was　going
out　to　see　the　cotton…mills　at　Fall　River　and　New　Bedford；　and　he　seemed
hopeful　of　some　advice　or　information　from　March；　then　he　said　he　must　go
and　try　to　get　his　Missus　out；　March　understood　him　to　mean　his　wife；　and
he　hurried　down　to　his　own；　to　whom　he　related　his　hair…breadth　escape
from　Burnamy。

〃I　don't　call　it　an　escape　at　all！〃　　she　declared。　　〃I　call　it　the
greatest　possible　misfortune。　　If　it　had　been　Burnamy　we　could　have
brought　them　together　at　once；　just　when　she　has　seen　so　clearly　that　she
was　in　the　wrong；　and　is　feeling　all　broken　up。　　There　wouldn't　have　been
any　difficulty　about　his　being　in　the　second…cabin。　　We　could　have
contrived　to　have　them　meet　somehow。　　If　the　worst　came　to　the　worst　you
could　have　lent　him　money　to　pay　the　difference；　and　got　him　into　the
first…cabin。〃

〃I　could　have　taken　that　six…hundred…dollar　room　for　him；〃　said　March；
〃and　then　he　could　have　eaten　with　the　swells。〃

She　answered　that　now　he　was　teasing；　that　he　was　fundamentally　incapable
of　taking　anything　seriously；　and　in　the　end　he　retired　before　the
stewardess　bringing　her　first　coffee；　with　a　well…merited　feeling　that　if
it　had　not　been　for　his　triviality　the　young　Lancashireman　would　really
have　been　Burnamy。




LXXV。

Except　for　the　first　day　and　night　out　from　Queenstown；　when　the　ship
rolled　and　pitched　with　straining　and　squeaking　noises；　and　a　thumping　of
the　lifted　screws；　there　was　no　rough　weather；　and　at　last　the　ocean　was
livid　and　oily；　with　a　long　swell；　on　which　she　swayed　with　no
perceptible　motion　save　from　her　machinery。

Most　of　the　seamanship　seemed　to　be　done　after　dark；　or　in　those　early
hours　when　March　found　the　stewards　cleaning　the　stairs；　and　the　sailors
scouring　the　promenades。　　He　made　little　acquaintance　with　his　fellow…
passengers。　　One　morning　he　almost　spoke　with　an　old　Quaker　lady　whom　he
joined　in　looking　at　the　Niagara　flood　which　poured　from　the　churning
screws；　but　he　did　not　quite　get　the　words　out。　　On　the　contrary　he
talked　freely　with　an　American　who；　bred　horses　on　a　farm　near　Boulogne；
and　was　going　home　to　the　Horse　Show；　he　had　been　thirty…five　years　out
of　the　country；　but　he　had　preserved　his　Yankee　accent　in　all　its　purity；
and　was　the　most　typical…looking　American　on　board。　　Now　and　then　March
walked　up　and　down　with　a　blond　Mexican　whom　he　found　of　the　usual　well…
ordered　Latin　intelligence；　but　rather　flavorless；　at　times　he　sat　beside
a　nice　Jew；　who　talked　agreeably；　but　only　about　business；　and　he
philosophized　the　race　as　so　tiresome　often　because　it　seemed　so　often
without　philosophy。　　He　made　desperate　attempts　at　times　to　interest
himself　in　the　pool…selling　in　the　smoking…room　where　the　betting　on　the
ship's　wonderful　run　was　continual。

He　thought　that　people　talked　less　and　less　as　they　drew　nearer　home；　but
on　the　last　day　out　there　was　a　sudden　expansion；　and　some　whom　he　had
not　spoken　with　voluntarily　addressed　him。　　The　sweet；　soft　air　was　like
midsummer　the　water　rippled　gently；　without　a　swell；　blue　under　the　clear
sky；　and　the　ship　left　a　wide　track　that　was　silver　in　the　sun。　　There
were　more　sail；　the　first　and　second　class　baggage　was　got　up　and　piled
along　the　steerage　deck。

Some　people　dressed　a　little　more　than　usual　for　the　last　dinner　which
was　earlier　than　usual；　so　as　to　be　out　of　the　way　against　the　arrival
which　had　been　variously　predicted　at　from　five　to　seven…thirty。　　An
indescribable　nervousness　culminated　with　the　appearance　of　the　customs
officers　on　board；　who　spread　their　papers　on　cleared　spaces　of　the
dining…tables；　and　summoned　the　passengers　to　declare　that　they　had
nothing　to　declare；　as　a　preliminary　to　being　searched　like　thieves　at