their silver wedding journey v3-第6章

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commemorates　the　assassination　on　the　spot　where　it　befell。　　Here　the
hapless　youth；　whose　mystery　will　never　be　fathomed　on　earth；　used　to
come　for　a　little　respite　from　his　harsh　guardian　in　Ansbach；　homesick
for　the　kindness　of　his　Nuremberg　friends；　and　here　his　murderer　found
him　and　dealt　him　the　mortal　blow。

March　lingered　upon　the　last　sad　circumstance　of　the　tragedy　in　which　the
wounded　boy　dragged　himself　home；　to　suffer　the　suspicion　and　neglect　of
his　guardian　till　death　attested　his　good　faith　beyond　cavil。　　He　said
this　was　the　hardest　thing　to　bear　in　all　his　story；　and　that　he　would
like　to　have　a　look　into　the　soul　of　the　dull；　unkind　wretch　who　had　so
misread　his　charge。　　He　was　going　on　with　an　inquiry　that　pleased　him
much；　when　his　wife　pulled　him　abruptly　away。

〃Now；　I　see；　you　are　yielding　to　the　fascination　of　it；　and　you　are
wanting　to　take　the　material　from　Burnamy！〃

〃Oh；　well；　let　him　have　the　material；　he　will　spoil　it。　　And　I　can　always
reject　it；　if　he　offers　it　to　'Every　Other　Week'。〃

〃I　could　believe；　after　your　behavior　to　that　poor　woman　about　her　son　in
Jersey　City；　you're　really　capable　of　it。〃

〃What　comprehensive　inculpation！　　I　had　forgotten　about　that　poor　woman。〃




LI。

The　letters　which　March　had　asked　his　Nuremberg　banker　to　send　them　came
just　as　they　were　leaving　Ansbach。　　The　landlord　sent　them　down　to　the
station；　and　Mrs。　March　opened　them　in　the　train；　and　read　them　first　so
that　she　could　prepare　him　if　there　were　anything　annoying　in　them；　as
well　as　indulge　her　livelier　curiosity。

〃They're　from　both　the　children；〃　she　said；　without　waiting　for　him　to
ask。　　〃You　can　look　at　them　later。　　There's　a　very　nice　letter　from　Mrs。
Adding　to　me；　and　one　from　dear　little　Rose　for　you。〃　　Then　she
hesitated；　with　her　hand　on　a　letter　faced　down　in　her　lap。　　〃And　there's
one　from　Agatha　Triscoe；　which　I　wonder　what　you'll　think　of。〃　　She
delayed　again；　and　then　flashed　it　open　before　him；　and　waited　with　a
sort　of　impassioned　patience　while　he　read　it。

He　read　it；　and　gave　it　back　to　her。　　〃There　doesn't　seem　to　be　very　much
in　it。〃

〃That's　it！　　Don't　you　think　I　had　a　right　to　there　being　something　in
it；　after　all　I　did　for　her？〃

〃I　always　hoped　you　hadn't　done　anything　for　her；　but　if　you　have；　why
should　she　give　herself　away　on　paper？　　It's　a　very　proper　letter。〃

〃It's　a　little　too　proper；　and　it's　the　last　I　shall　have　to　do　with　her。
She　knew　that　I　should　be　on　pins　and　needles　till　I　heard　how　her　father
had　taken　Burnamy's　being　there；　that　night；　and　she　doesn't　say　a　word
about　it。〃

〃The　general　may　have　had　a　tantrum　that　she　couldn't　describe。　　Perhaps
she　hasn't　told　him；　yet。〃

〃She　would　tell　him　instantly！〃　　cried　Mrs。　March　who　began　to　find
reason　in　the　supposition；　as　well　as　comfort　for　the　hurt　which　the
girl's　reticence　had　given　her。　　〃Or　if　she　wouldn't；　it　would　be　because
she　was　waiting　for　the　best　chance。〃

〃That　would　be　like　the　wise　daughter　of　a　difficult　father。　　She　may　be
waiting　for　the　best　chance　to　say　how　he　took　it。　　No；　I'm　all　for　Miss
Triscoe；　and　I　hope　that　now；　if　she's　taken　herself　off　our　hands；
she'll　keep　off。〃

〃It's　altogether　likely　that　he's　made　her　promise　not　to　tell　me
anything　about　it；〃　Mrs。　March　mused　aloud。

〃That　would　be　unjust　to　a　person　who　had　behaved　so　discreetly　as　you
have；〃　said　her　husband。

They　were　on　their　way　to　Wurzburg；　and　at　the　first　station；　which　was　a
junction；　a　lady　mounted　to　their　compartment　just　before　the　train　began
to　move。　　She　was　stout　and　middle…aged；　and　had　never　been　pretty；　but
she　bore　herself　with　a　kind　of　authority　in　spite　of　her　thread　gloves；
her　dowdy　gray　travelling…dress；　and　a　hat　of　lower　middle…class　English
tastelessness。　　She　took　the　only　seat　vacant；　a　backward…riding　place
beside　a　sleeping　passenger　who　looked　like　a　commercial　traveller；　but
she　seemed　ill　at　ease　in　it；　and　March　offered　her　his　seat。　　She
accepted　it　very　promptly；　and　thanked　him　for　it　in　the　English　of　a
German；　and　Mrs。　March　now　classed　her　as　a　governess　who　had　been
teaching　in　England　and　had　acquired　the　national　feeling　for　dress。
But　in　this　character　she　found　her　interesting；　and　even　a　little
pathetic；　and　she　made　her　some　overtures　of　talk　which　the　other　met
eagerly　enough。　　They　were　now　running　among　low　hills；　not　so
picturesque　as　those　between　Eger　and　Nuremberg；　but　of　much　the　same
toylike　quaintness　in　the　villages　dropped　here　and　there　in　their
valleys。　　One　small　town；　completely　walled；　with　its　gray　houses　and　red
roofs；　showed　through　the　green　of　its　trees　and　gardens　so　like　a
colored　print　in　a　child's　story…book　that　Mrs。　March　cried　out　for　joy
in　it；　and　then　accounted　for　her　rapture　by　explaining　to　the　stranger
that　they　were　Americans　and　had　never　been　in　Germany　before。　　The　lady
was　not　visibly　affected　by　the　fact；　she　said　casually　that　she　had
often　been　in　that　little　town；　which　she　named；　her　uncle　had　a　castle
in　the　country　back　of　it；　and　she　came　with　her　husband　for　the　shooting
in　the　autumn。　　By　a　natural　transition　she　spoke　of　her　children；　for
whom　she　had　an　English　governess；　she　said　she　had　never　been　in
England；　but　had　learnt　the　language　from　a　governess　in　her　own
childhood；　and　through　it　all　Mrs。　March　perceived　that　she　was　trying　to
impress　them　with　her　consequence。　　To　humor　her　pose；　she　said　they　had
been　looking　up　the　scene　of　Kaspar　Hauser's　death　at　Ansbach；　and　at
this　the　stranger　launched　into　such　intimate　particulars　concerning　him；
and　was　so　familiar　at　first　hands　with　the　facts　of　his　life；　that　Mrs。
March　let　her　run　on；　too　much　amused　with　her　pretensions　to　betray　any
doubt　of　her。　　She　wondered　if　March　were　enjoying　it　all　as　much；　and
from　time　to　time　she　tried　to　catch　his　eye；　while　the　lady　talked
constantly　and　rather　loudly；　helping　herself　out　with　words　from　them
both　when　her　English　failed　her。　　In　the　safety　of　her　perfect
understanding　of　the　case；　Mrs。　March　now　submitted　farther；　and　even
suffered　some　patronage　from　her；　which　in　another　mood　she　would　have
met　with　a　decided　snub。

As　they　drew　in　among　the　broad　vine…webbed　slopes　of　the　Wurzburg；
hills；　the　stranger　said　she　was　going　to　change　there；　and　take　a　train
on　to　Berlin。　　Mrs。　March　wondered　whether　she　would　be　able　to　keep　up
the　comedy　to　the　last；　and　she　had　to　own　that　she　carried　it　off　very
easily　when　the　friends　whom　she　was　expecting　did　not　meet　her　on　the
arrival　of　their　train。　　She　refused　March's　offers　of　help；　and　remained
quietly　seated　while　he　got　out　their　wraps　and　bags。　　She　returned　with
a　hardy　smile　the　cold　leave　Mrs。　March　took　of　her；　and　when　a　porter
came　to　the　door；　and　forced　his　way　by　the　Marches；　to　ask　with　anxious
servility　if　she；　were　the　Baroness　von…；　she　bade　the　man　get　them。
a　'traeger'；　and　then　come　back　for　her。　　She　waved　them　a　complacent
adieu　before　they　mixed　with　the　crowd　and　lost　sight　of　her。

〃Well；　my　dear；〃　said　March；　addressing　the　snobbishness　in　his　wife
which　he　knew　to　be　so　wholly　impersonal；　〃you've　mingled　with　one
highhote；　anyway。　　I　must　say　she　didn't　look　it；　any　more　than　the　Duke
and　Duchess　of　Orleans；　and　yet　she's　only　a　baroness。　　Think　of　our
being　three　hours　in　the　same　compartment；　and　she　doing　all　she　could　to
impress　us　and　our　getting　no　good　of　it！　　I　hoped　you　were　feeling　her
quality；　so　that　we　should　have　it　in　the　family；　anyway；　and　always　know
what　it　was　like。　　But　so　far；　the　highhotes　have　all　been　terribly
disappointing。〃

He　teased　on　as　they　followed　the　traeger　with　their　baggage　out　of　the
station；　and　in　the　omnibus　on　the　way　to　their　hotel；　he　recurred　to　the
loss　they　had　suffered　in　the　baroness's　failure　to　dramatize　her
nobility　effectually。　　〃After　all；　perhaps　she　was　as　much　disappointed
in　us。　　I　don't　suppose　we　looked　any　more　like　democrats　than　she　looked
like　an　aristocrat。〃

〃But　there's　a　great　difference；〃　Mrs。　March　returned　at　last。　　〃It　isn't
at　all　a　parallel　case。　　We　were　not　real　democrats；　and　she　was　a　real
aristocrat。〃

〃To　be　sure。