their silver wedding journey v3-第14节

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！


the　courage　to　right　herself　when　Mrs。　Adding　met　her　with　the　appeal：

〃Oh；　Mrs。　March；　I'm　so　glad　you　approve　of　Mr。　Kenby's　plan。　　It　does
seem　the　only　thing　to　do。　　I　can't　trust　myself　alone　with　Rose；　and　Mr。
Kenby's　intending　to　go　to　Schevleningen　a　few　days　later　anyway。　　Though
it's　too　bad　to　let　him　give　up　the　manoeuvres。〃

〃I'm　sure　he　won't　mind　that；〃　Mrs。　March's　voice　said　mechanically；
while　her　thought　was　busy　with　the　question　whether　this　scandalous
duplicity　was　altogether　Kenby's；　and　whether　Mrs。　Adding　was　as
guiltless　of　any　share　in　it　as　she　looked。　　She　looked　pitifully
distracted；　she　might　not　have　understood　his　report；　or　Kenby　might
really　have　mistaken　Mrs。　March's　sympathy　for　favor。

〃No；　he　only　lives　to　do　good；〃　Mrs。　Adding　returned。　　〃He's　with　Rose；
won't　you　come　in　and　see　them？〃

Rose　was　lying　back　on　the　pillows　of　a　sofa；　from　which　they　would　not
let　him　get　up。　　He　was　full　of　the　trip　to　Holland；　and　had　already
pushed　Kenby；　as　Kenby　owned；　beyond　the　bounds　of　his　very　general
knowledge　of　the　Dutch　language；　which　Rose　had　plans　for　taking　up　after
they　were　settled　in　Schevleningen。　　The　boy　scoffed　at　the　notion　that
he　was　not　perfectly　well；　and　he　wished　to　talk　with　March　on　the　points
where　he　had　found　Kenby　wanting。

〃Kenby　is　an　encyclopaedia　compared　with　me；　Rose；〃　the　editor　protested；
and　he　amplified　his　ignorance　for　the　boy's　good　to　an　extent　which　Rose
saw　was　a　joke。　　He　left　Holland　to　talk　about　other　things　which　his
mother　thought　quite　as　bad　for　him。　　He　wished　to　know　if　March　did　not
think　that　the　statue　of　the　bishop　with　the　sparrow　on　its　finger　was　a
subject　for　a　poem；　and　March　said　gayly　that　if　Rose　would　write　it　he
would　print　it　in　'Every　Other　Week'。

The　boy　flushed　with　pleasure　at　his　banter。　　〃No；　I　couldn't　do　it。
But　I　wish　Mr。　Burnamy　had　seen　it。　　He　could。　　Will　you　tell　him　about
it？〃　　He　wanted　to　know　if　March　had　heard　from　Burnamy　lately；　and　in
the　midst　of　his　vivid　interest　he　gave　a　weary　sigh。

His　mother　said　that　now　he　had　talked　enough；　and　bade　him　say　good…by
to　the　Marches；　who　were　coming　so　soon　to　Holland；　anyway。　　Mrs。　March
put　her　arms　round　him　to　kiss　him；　and　when　she　let　him　sink　back　her
eyes　were　dim。

〃You　see　how　frail　he　is？〃　said　Mrs。　Adding。　　〃I　shall　not　let　him　out　of
my　sight；　after　this；　till　he's　well　again。〃

She　had　a　kind　of　authority　in　sending　Kenby　away　with　them　which　was　not
lost　upon　the　witnesses。　　He　asked　them　to　come　into　the　reading…room　a
moment　with　him；　and　Mrs。　March　wondered　if　he　were　going　to　make　some
excuse　to　her　for　himself；　but　he　said：　〃I　don't　know　how　we're　to　manage
about　the　Triscoes。　　The　general　will　have　a　room　to　himself；　but　if　Mrs。
Adding　takes　Rose　in　with　her；　it　leaves　Miss　Triscoe　out；　and　there
isn't　a　room　to　be　had　in　this　house　for　love　or　money。　　Do　you　think；〃
he　appealed　directly　to　Mrs。　March；　〃that　it　would　do　to　offer　her　my
room　at　the　Swan？〃

〃Why；　yes；〃　she　assented；　with　a　reluctance　rather　for　the　complicity　in
which　he　had　already　involved　her；　and　for　which　he　was　still　unpunished；
than　for　what　he　was　now　proposing。　　〃Or　she　could　come　in　with　me；　and
Mr。　March　could　take　it。〃

〃Whichever　you　think；〃　said　Kenby　so　submissively　that　she　relented；　to
ask：

〃And　what　will　you　do？〃

He　laughed。　　〃Well；　people　have　been　known　to　sleep　in　a　chair。　　I　shall
manage　somehow。〃

〃You　might　offer　to　go　in　with　the　general；〃　March　suggested；　and　the　men
apparently　thought　this　was　a　joke。　　Mrs。　March　did　not　laugh　in　her
feminine　worry　about　ways　and　means。

〃Where　is　Miss　Triscoe？〃　she　asked。　　〃We　haven't　seen　them。〃

〃Didn't　Mrs。　Adding　tell　you？　　They　went　to　supper　at　a　restaurant；　the
general　doesn't　like　the　cooking　here。　　They　ought　to　have　been　back
before　this。〃

He　looked　up　at　the　clock　on　the　wall；　and　she　said；　〃I　suppose　you　would
like　us　to　wait。〃

〃It　would　be　very　kind　of　you。〃

〃Oh；　it's　quite　essential；〃　she　returned　with　an　airy　freshness　which
Kenby　did　not　seem　to　feel　as　painfully　as　he　ought。

They　all　sat　down；　and　the　Triscoes　came　in　after　a　few　minutes；　and　a
cloud　on　the　general's　face　lifted　at　the　proposition　Kenby　left　Mrs。
March　to　make。

〃I　thought　that　child　ought　to　be　in　his　mother's　charge；〃　he　said。　　With
his　own　comfort　provided　for；　he　made　no　objections　to　Mrs。　March's　plan；
and　Agatha　went　to　take　leave　of　Rose　and　his　mother。　　〃By…the…way；〃　the
general　turned　to　March；　〃I　found　Stoller　at　the　restaurant　where　we
supped。　　He　offered　me　a　place　in　his　carriage　for　the　manoeuvres。　　How
are　you　going？〃

〃I　think　I　shall　go　by　train。　　I　don't　fancy　the　long　drive。〃

〃Well；　I　don't　know　that　it's　worse　than　the　long　walk　after　you　leave
the　train；〃　said　the　general　from　the　offence　which　any　difference　of
taste　was　apt　to　give　him。　　〃Are　you　going　by　train；　too？〃　he　asked　Kenby
with　indifference。

〃I'm　not　going　at　all；〃　said　Kenby。　　〃I'm　leaving　Wurzburg　in　the
morning。〃

〃Oh；　indeed；〃　said　the　general。

Mrs。　March　could　not　make　out　whether　he　knew　that　Kenby　was　going　with
Rose　and　Mrs。　Adding；　but　she　felt　that　there　must　be　a　full　and　open
recognition　of　the　fact　among　them。　　〃Yes；〃　she　said；　〃isn't　it　fortunate
that　Mr。　Kenby　should　be　going　to　Holland；　too！　　I　should　have　been　so
unhappy　about　them　if　Mrs。　Adding　had　been　obliged　to　make　that　long
journey　with　poor　little　Rose　alone。〃

〃Yes；　yes；　very　fortunate；　certainly；〃　said　the　general　colorlessly。

Her　husband　gave　her　a　glance　of　intelligent　appreciation；　but　Kenby　was
too　simply；　too　densely　content　with　the　situation　to　know　the　value　of
what　she　had　done。　　She　thought　he　must　certainly　explain；　as　he　walked
back　with　her　to　the　Swan；　whether　he　had　misrepresented　her　to　Mrs。
Adding；　or　Mrs。　Adding　had　misunderstood　him。　　Somewhere　there　had　been
an　error；　or　a　duplicity　which　it　was　now　useless　to　punish；　and　Kenby
was　so　apparently　unconscious　of　it　that　she　had　not　the　heart　to　be
cross　with　him。　　She　heard　Miss　Triscoe　behind　her　with　March　laughing　in
the　gayety　which　the　escape　from　her　father　seemed　to　inspire　in　her。
She　was　promising　March　to　go　with　him　in　the　morning　to　see　the　Emperor
and　Empress　of　Germany　arrive　at　the　station；　and　he　was　warning　her　that
if　she　laughed　there；　like　that；　she　would　subject　him　to　fine　and
imprisonment。　　She　pretended　that　she　would　like　to　see　him　led　off
between　two　gendarmes；　but　consented　to　be　a　little　careful　when　he　asked
her　how　she　expected　to　get　back　to　her　hotel　without　him；　if　such　a
thing　happened。




LVIII。

After　all；　Miss　Triscoe　did　not　go　with　March；　she　preferred　to　sleep。
The　imperial　party　was　to　arrive　at　half　past　seven；　but　at　six　the　crowd
was　already　dense　before　the　station；　and　all　along　the　street　leading　to
the　Residenz。　　It　was　a　brilliant　day；　with　the　promise　of　sunshine；
through　which　a　chilly　wind　blew；　for　the　manoeuvres。　　The　colors　of　all
the　German　states　flapped　in　this　breeze　from　the　poles　wreathed　with
evergreen　which　encircled　the　square；　the　workmen　putting　the　last
touches　on　the　bronzed　allegory　hurried　madly　to　be　done；　and　they　had；
scarcely　finished　their　labors　when　two　troops　of　dragoons　rode　into　the
place　and　formed　before　the　station；　and　waited　as　motionlessly　as　their
horses　would　allow。

These　animals　were　not　so　conscious　as　lions　at　the　approach　of　princes；
they　tossed　and　stamped　impatiently　in　the　long　interval　before　the
Regent　and　his　daughter…in…law　came　to　welcome　their　guests。　　All　the
human　beings；　both　those　who　were　in　charge　and　those　who　were　under
charge；　were　in　a　quiver　of　anxiety　to　play　their　parts　well；　as　if　there
were　some　heavy　penalty　for　failure　in　the　least　point。　　The　policemen
keeping　the　people；　in　line　behind　the　ropes　which　restrained　them
trembled　with　eagerness；　the　faces　of　some　of　the　troopers　twitched。
An　involuntary　sigh　went　up　from　the　crowd　as　the　Regent's　carriage
appeared；　heralded　by　outriders；　and　followed　by　other　plain　carriages　of
Bavarian　blue　with　liveries　of　blue　and　silver。　　Then　the　whistle　of　the
Kaiser's　train　sounded；　a　trumpeter　advanced　and　began　to　blow　his
trumpet　as　they　do　in　the　theatre；　and　exactly　at　the　appointed　moment
the　Emperor　and　Empress　came　out　of　the　station　through　the　brilliant
human　alley　leading　from　it；　mounted　their　carriages；　with　the　stage
trumpeter　always　blowing；　and　whirled　swiftly　round　half　the　square　and
flashed　into　the　corner　toward　the　Residenz　out　of　sight。　　The　same
hollow　groans　of　Ho…o…o…ch　greeted　and　followed　them　from　the　spectators
as　had　welcomed　the　Regent　when　he　first　arrived　among　his　fellow…
townsmen；　with　the　same　effect　of　being　the　conventional　cries　of　a　stage
mob　behind　the　scenes。

The　Emperor　was　like　most　of　his　innumerable　pictures；　with　a　swarthy
face　from　which　his　blue　eyes　glanced　pleasantly；　he　looked　good…humored
if　not　good…natured；　the　Empress　smiled　amiably　beneath　her　deeply
fringed　white　parasol；　and　they　both　bowed　right　and　left　in
acknowledgment　of　those　hollow　groans；　but　again　it　seemed；　to　March　that
sovereignty；　gave　the　popular　curiosi