their silver wedding journey v3-第12节

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Burnamy's　mind。〃　　At　the　laugh　he　broke　into　she　hastened　to　say；　〃Or　if
you　won't；　I　hope　you'll　not　object　to　my　doing　so；　for　I　shall；　anyway！〃

She　rose　as　if　she　were　going　to　begin　at　once；　in　spite　of　his　laughing；
and　in　fact　she　had　already　a　plan　for　coming　to　Stoller's　assistance　by
getting　at　Burnamy　through　Miss　Triscoe；　whom　she　suspected　of　knowing
where　he　was。　　There　had　been　no　chance　for　them　to　speak　of　him　either
that　morning　or　the　evening　before；　and　after　a　great　deal　of　controversy
with　herself　in　her　husband's　presence　she　decided　to　wait　till　they　came
naturally　together　the　next　morning　for　the　walk　to　the　Capuchin　Church
on　the　hill　beyond　the　river；　which　they　had　agreed　to　take。　　She　could
not　keep　from　writing　a　note　to　Miss　Triscoe　begging　her　to　be　sure　to
come；　and　hinting　that　she　had　something　very　important　to　speak　of。

She　was　not　sure　but　she　had　been　rather　silly　to　do　this；　but　when　they
met　the　girl　confessed　that　she　had　thought　of　giving　up　the　walk；　and
might　not　have　come　except　for　Mrs。　March's　note。　　She　had　come　with
Rose；　and　had　left　him　below　with　March；　Mrs。　Adding　was　coming　later
with　Kenby　and　General　Triscoe。

Mrs。　March　lost　no　time　in　telling　her　the　great　news；　and　if　she　had
been　in　doubt　before　of　the　girl's　feeling　for　Burnamy　she　was　now　in
none。　　She　had　the　pleasure　of　seeing　her　flush　with　hope；　and　then　the
pain　which　was　also　a　pleasure；　of　seeing　her　blanch　with　dismay。

〃I　don't　know　where　he　is；　Mrs。　March。　　I　haven't　heard　a　word　from　him
since　that　night　in　Carlsbad。　　I　expectedI　didn't　know　but　you〃

Mrs。　March　shook　her　head。　　She　treated　the　fact　skillfully　as　something
to　be　regretted　simply　because　it　would　be　such　a　relief　to　Burnamy　to
know　how　Mr。　Stoller　now　felt。　　Of　course　they　could　reach　him　somehow；
you　could　always　get　letters　to　people　in　Europe；　in　the　end；　and；　in
fact；　it　was　altogether　probable　that　he　was　that　very　instant　in
Wurzburg；　for　if　the　New　York…Paris　Chronicle　had　wanted　him　to　write　up
the　Wagner　operas；　it　would　certainly　want　him　to　write　up　the
manoeuvres。　　She　established　his　presence　in　Wurzburg　by　such　an
irrefragable　chain　of　reasoning　that；　at　a　knock　outside；　she　was　just
able　to　kelp　back　a　scream；　while　she　ran　to　open　the　door。　　It　was　not
Burnamy；　as　in　compliance　with　every　nerve　it　ought　to　have　been；　but　her
husband；　who　tried　to　justify　his　presence　by　saying　that　they　were　all
waiting　for　her　and　Miss　Triscoe；　and　asked　when　they　were　coming。

She　frowned　him　silent；　and　then　shut　herself　outside　with　him　long
enough　to　whisper；　〃Say　she's　got　a　headache；　or　anything　you　please；
but　don't　stop　talking　here　with　me；　or　I　shall　go　wild。〃　　She　then　shut
herself　in　again；　with　the　effect　of　holding　him　accountable　for　the
whole　affair。




LVI。

General　Triscoe　could　not　keep　his　irritation；　at　hearing　that　his
daughter　was　not　coming；　out　of　the　excuses　he　made　to　Mrs。　Adding；
he　said　again　and　again　that　it　must　seem　like　a　discourtesy　to　her。
She　gayly　disclaimed　any　such　notion；　she　would　not　hear　of　putting　off
their　excursion　to　another　day；　it　had　been　raining　just　long　enough　to
give　them　a　reasonable　hope　of　a　few　hours'　drought；　and　they　might　not
have　another　dry　spell　for　weeks。　　She　slipped　off　her　jacket　after　they
started；　and　gave　it　to　Kenby；　but　she　let　General　Triscoe　hold　her
umbrella　over　her；　while　he　limped　beside　her。　　She　seemed　to　March；　as
he　followed　with　Rose；　to　be　playing　the　two　men　off　against　each　other；
with　an　ease　which　he　wished　his　wife　could　be　there　to　see；　and　to　judge
aright。

They　crossed　by　the　Old　Bridge；　which　is　of　the　earliest　years　of　the
seventh　century；　between　rows　of　saints　whose　statues　surmount　the　piers。
Some　are　bishops　as　well　as　saints；　one　must　have　been　at　Rome　in　his
day；　for　he　wore　his　long　thick　beard　in　the　fashion　of　Michelangelo's
Moses。　　He　stretched　out　toward　the　passers　two　fingers　of　blessing　and
was　unaware　of　the　sparrow　which　had　lighted　on　them　and　was　giving　him
the　effect　of　offering　it　to　the　public　admiration。　　Squads　of　soldiers
tramping　by　turned　to　look　and　smile；　and　the　dull　faces　of　citizens
lighted　up　at　the　quaint　sight。　　Some　children　stopped　and　remained　very
quiet；　not　to　scare　away　the　bird；　and　a　cold…faced；　spiritual…looking
priest　paused　among　them　as　if　doubting　whether　to　rescue　the　absent…
minded　bishop　from　a　situation　derogatory　to　his　dignity；　but　he　passed
on；　and　then　the　sparrow　suddenly　flew　off。

Rose　Adding　had　lingered　for　the　incident　with　March；　but　they　now　pushed
on；　and　came　up　with　the　others　at　the　end　of　the　bridge；　where　they
found　them　in　question　whether　they　had　not　better　take　a　carriage　and
drive　to　the　foot　of　the　hill　before　they　began　their　climb。　　March
thanked　them；　but　said　he　was　keeping　up　the　terms　of　his　cure；　and　was
getting　in　all　the　walking　he　could。　　Rose　begged　his　mother　not　to
include　him　in　the　driving　party；　he　protested　that　he　was　feeling　so
well；　and　the　walk　was　doing　him　good。　　His　mother　consented；　if　he　would
promise　not　to　get　tired；　and　then　she　mounted　into　the　two…spanner　which
had　driven　instinctively　up　to　their　party　when　their　parley　began；　and
General　Triscoe　took　the　place　beside　her；　while　Kenby；　with　smiling
patience；　seated　himself　in　front。

Rose　kept　on　talking　with　March　about　Wurzburg　and　its　history；　which　it
seemed　he　had　been　reading　the　night　before　when　he　could　not　sleep。　　He
explained；　〃We　get　little　histories　of　the　places　wherever　we　go。　　That's
what　Mr。　Kenby　does；　you　know。〃

〃Oh；　yes；〃　said　March。

〃I　don't　suppose　I　shall　get　a　chance　to　read　much　here；〃　Rose　continued；
〃with　General　Triscoe　in　the　room。　　He　doesn't　like　the　light。〃

〃Well；　well。　　He's　rather　old；　you　know。　　And　you　musn't　read　too　much；
Rose。　　It　isn't　good　for　you。〃

〃I　know；　but　if　I　don't　read；　I　think；　and　that　keeps　me　awake　worse。　　Of
course；　I　respect　General　Triscoe　for　being　in　the　war；　and　getting
wounded；〃　the　boy　suggested。

〃A　good　many　did　it；〃　March　was　tempted　to　say。

The　boy　did　not　notice　his　insinuation。　　〃I　suppose　there　were　some
things　they　did　in　the　army；　and　then　they　couldn't　get　over　the　habit。
But　General　Grant　says　in　his　'Life'　that　he　never　used　a　profane
expletive。〃

〃Does　General　Triscoe　？〃

Rose　answered　reluctantly；　〃If　anything　wakes　him　in　the　night；　or　if　he
can't　make　these　German　beds　over　to　suit　him〃

〃I　see。〃　　March　turned　his　face　to　hide　the　smile　which　he　would　not　have
let　the　boy　detect。　　He　thought　best　not　to　let　Rose　resume　his
impressions　of　the　general；　and　in　talk　of　weightier　matters　they　found
themselves　at　that　point　of　the　climb　where　the　carriage　was　waiting　for
them。　　From　this　point　they　followed　an　alley　through　ivied；　garden
walls；　till　they　reached　the　first　of　the　balustraded　terraces　which
ascend　to　the　crest　of　the　hill　where　the　church　stands。　　Each　terrace　is
planted　with　sycamores；　and　the　face　of　the　terrace　wall　supports　a　bass…
relief　commemorating　with　the　drama　of　its　lifesize　figures　the　stations
of　the　cross。

Monks　and　priests　were　coming　and　going；　and　dropped　on　the　steps　leading
from　terrace　to　terrace　were　women　and　children　on　their　knees　in　prayer。
It　was　all　richly　reminiscent　of　pilgrim　scenes　in　other　Catholic　lands；
but　here　there　was　a　touch　of　earnest　in　the　Northern　face　of　the
worshipers　which　the　South　had　never　imparted。　　Even　in　the　beautiful
rococo　interior　of　the　church　at　the　top　of　the　hill　there　was　a　sense　of
something　deeper　and　truer　than　mere　ecclesiasticism；　and　March　came　out
of　it　in　a　serious　muse　while　the　boy　at　his　side　did　nothing　to
interrupt。　　A　vague　regret　filled　his　heart　as　he　gazed　silently　out　over
the　prospect　of　river　and　city　and　vineyard；　purpling　together　below　the
top　where　he　stood；　and　mixed　with　this　regret　was　a　vague　resentment　of
his　wife's　absence。　　She　ought　to　have　been　there　to　share　his　pang　and
his　pleasure；　they　had　so　long　enjoyed　everything　together　that　without
her　he　felt　unable　to　get　out　of　either　emotion　all　there　was　in　it。

The　forgotten　boy　stole　silently　down　the　terraces　after　the　rest　of　the
party　who　had　left　him　behind　with　March。　　At　the　last　terrace　they
stopped　and　waited；　and　after　a　delay　that　began　to　be　long　to　Mrs。
Adding；　she　wondered　aloud　what　could　have　become　of　them。

Kenby　promptly　offered　to　go　back　and　see；　and　she　consented　in　seeming
to　refuse：　〃It　isn't　worth　while。　　Rose　has　probably　got　Mr。　March　into
some　deep　discussion；　and　they've　forgotten　all　about　us。　　But　if　you
will　go；　Mr。　Kenby；　you　might　just　remind　Rose　of　my　existence。〃　　She　let
him　lay　her　jacket　on　her　shoulders　before　he　left　her；　and　then　she　sat
down　on　one　of　the　steps；　which　General　Triscoe　kept　striking　with　the
point　of　her　umbrella　as　he　stood　before　her。

〃I　really　shall　have　to　take　it　from　you　if　you　do　that　any　more；〃　she
said；　laughing　up　in　his　face。　　〃I'm　serious。〃

He　stopped。　　〃I　wish　I　could　believe　you　were　serious；　for　a　moment。〃

〃You　may；　if　you　think　it　will　do　you　any　good。　　But　I　don't　see　why。〃

The　general　smiled；　but　with　a　kind　of　tremulous