their silver wedding journey v3-第19节

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It　was　Sedan　Day；　but　there　was　apparently　no　official　observance　of　the
holiday；　perhaps　because　the　Grand…Duke　was　away　at　the　manoeuvres；　with
all　the　other　German　princes。　　Burnamy　had　hoped　for　some　voluntary
excitement　among　the　people；　at　least　enough　to　warrant　him　in　making　a
paper　about　Sedan　Day　in　Weimar；　which　he　could　sell　somewhere；　but　the
night　was　falling；　and　there　was　still　no　sign　of　popular　rejoicing　over
the　French　humiliation　twenty…eight　years　before；　except　in　the　multitude
of　Japanese　lanterns　which　the　children　were　everywhere　carrying　at　the
ends　of　sticks。　　Babies　had　them　in　their　carriages；　and　the　effect　of
the　floating　lights　in　the　winding；　up…and…down…hill　streets　was　charming
even　to　Burnamy's　lack…lustre　eyes。　　He　went　by　his　hotel　and　on　to　a
caf？with　a　garden；　where　there　was　a　patriotic；　concert　promised；　he
supped　there；　and　then　sat　dreamily　behind　his　beer；　while　the　music
banged　and　brayed　round　him　unheeded。

Presently　he　heard　a　voice　of　friendly　banter　saying　in　English；　〃May　I
sit　at　your　table？〃　and　he　saw　an　ironical　face　looking　down　on　him。
〃There　doesn't　seem　any　other　place。〃

〃Why；　Mr。　March！〃　Burnamy　sprang　up　and　wrung　the　hand　held　out　to　him；
but　he　choked　with　his　words　of　recognition；　it　was　so　good　to　see　this
faithful　friend　again；　though　he　saw　him　now　as　he　had　seen　him　last；
just　when　he　had　so　little　reason　to　be　proud　of　himself。

March　settled　his　person　in　the　chair　facing　Burnamy；　and　then　glanced
round　at　the　joyful　jam　of　people　eating　and　drinking；　under　a　firmament
of　lanterns。　　〃This　is　pretty；〃　he　said；　〃mighty　pretty。　　I　shall　make
Mrs。　March　sorry　for　not　coming；　when　I　go　back。〃

〃Is　Mrs。　Marchshe　iswith　youin　Weimar？〃　Burnamy　asked　stupidly。

March　forbore　to　take　advantage　of　him。　　〃Oh；　yes。　　We　saw　you　out　at
Belvedere　this　afternoon。　　Mrs。　March　thought　for　a　moment　that　you　meant
not　to　see　us。　　A　woman　likes　to　exercise　her　imagination　in　those　little
flights。〃

〃I　never　dreamed　of　your　being　thereI　never　saw〃　Burnamy　began。

〃Of　course　not。　　Neither　did　Mrs。　Etkins；　nor　Miss　Etkins；　she　was
looking　very　pretty。　　Have　you　been　here　some　time？〃

〃Not　long。　　A　week　or　so。　　I've　been　at　the　parade　at　Wurzburg。〃

〃At　Wurzburg！　Ah；　how　little　the　world　is；　or　how　large　Wurzburg　is！
We　were　there　nearly　a　week；　and　we　pervaded　the　place。　　But　there　was　a
great　crowd　for　you　to　hide　in　from　us。　　What　had　I　better　take？〃
A　waiter　had　come　up；　and　was　standing　at　March's　elbow。　　〃I　suppose　I
mustn't　sit　here　without　ordering　something？〃

〃White　wine　and　selters；〃　said　Burnamy　vaguely。

〃The　very　thing！　　Why　didn't　I　think　of　it？　　It's　a　divine　drink：　it
satisfies　without　filling。　　I　had　it　a　night　or　two　before　we　left　home；
in　the　Madison　Square　Roof　Garden。　　Have　you　seen　'Every　Other　Week'
lately？〃

〃No；〃　said　Burnamy；　with　more　spirit　than　he　had　yet　shown。

〃We've　just　got　our　mail　from　Nuremberg。　　The　last　number　has　a　poem　in
it　that　I　rather　like。〃　　March　laughed　to　see　the　young　fellow's　face
light　up　with　joyful　consciousness。　　〃Come　round　to　my　hotel；　after
you're　tired　here；　and　I'll　let　you　see　it。　　There's　no　hurry。　　Did　you
notice　the　little　children　with　their　lanterns；　as　you　came　along？　　It's
the　gentlest　effect　that　a　warlike　memory　ever　came　to。　　The　French
themselves　couldn't　have　minded　those　innocents　carrying　those　soft
lights　on　the　day　of　their　disaster。　　You　ought　to　get　something　out　of
that；　and　I've　got　a　subject　in　trust　for　you　from　Rose　Adding。　　He　and
his　mother　were　at　Wurzburg；　I'm　sorry　to　say　the　poor　little　chap　didn't
seem　very　well。　　They've　gone　to　Holland　for　the　sea　air。〃　　March　had
been　talking　for　quantity　in　compassion　of　the　embarrassment　in　which
Burnamy　seemed　bound；　but　he　questioned　how　far　he　ought　to　bring　comfort
to　the　young　fellow　merely　because　he　liked　him。　　So　far　as　he　could　make
out；　Burnamy　had　been　doing　rather　less　than　nothing　to　retrieve　himself
since　they　had　met；　and　it　was　by　an　impulse　that　he　could　not　have
logically　defended　to　Mrs。　March　that　he　resumed。　　〃We　found　another
friend　of　yours　in　Wurzburg：　Mr。　Stoller。〃

〃Mr。　Stoller？〃　Burnamy　faintly　echoed。

〃Yes；　he　was　there　to　give　his　daughters　a　holiday　during　the　manoeuvres；
and　they　made　the　most　of　it。　　He　wanted　us　to　go　to　the　parade　with　his
family　　but　we　declined。　　The　twins　were　pretty　nearly　the　death　of
General　Triscoe。〃

Again　Burnamy　echoed　him。　　〃General　Triscoe？〃

〃Ah；　yes：　I　didn't　tell　you。　　General　Triscoe　and　his　daughter　had　come
on　with　Mrs。　Adding　and　Rose。　　Kenbyyou　remember　Kenby；　On　the
Norumbia？Kenby　happened　to　be　there；　too；　we　were　quite　a　family　party；
and　Stoller　got　the　general　to　drive　out　to　the　manoeuvres　with　him　and
his　girls。〃

Now　that　he　was　launched；　March　rather　enjoyed　letting　himself　go。　　He
did　not　know　what　he　should　say　to　Mrs。　March　when　he　came　to　confess
having　told　Burnamy　everything　before　she　got　a　chance　at　him；　he　pushed
on　recklessly；　upon　the　principle；　which　probably　will　not　hold　in
morals；　that　one　may　as　well　be　hung　for　a　sheep　as　a　lamb。　　〃I　have　a
message　for　you　from　Mr。　Stoller。〃

〃For　me？〃　Burnamy　gasped。

〃I've　been　wondering　how　I　should　put　it；　for　I　hadn't　expected　to　see
you。　　But　it's　simply　this：　he　wants　you　to　knowand　he　seemed　to　want
me　to　knowthat　he　doesn't　hold　you　accountable　in　the　way　he　did。　　He's
thought　it　all　over；　and　he's　decided　that　he　had　no　right　to　expect　you
to　save　him　from　his　own　ignorance　where　he　was　making　a　show　of
knowledge。　　As　he　said；　he　doesn't　choose　to　plead　the　baby　act。　　He　says
that　you're　all　right；　and　your　place　on　the　paper　is　open　to　you。〃

Burnamy　had　not　been　very　prompt　before；　but　now　he　seemed　braced　for
instant　response。　　〃I　think　he's　wrong；〃　he　said；　so　harshly　that　the
people　at　the　next　table　looked　round。　　〃His　feeling　as　he　does　has
nothing　to　do　with　the　fact；　and　it　doesn't　let　me　out。〃

March　would　have　liked　to　take　him　in　his　arms；　he　merely　said；　〃I　think
you're　quite　right；　as　to　that。　　But　there's　such　a　thing　as　forgiveness；
you　know。　　It　doesn't　change　the　nature　of　what　you've　done；　but　as　far
as　the　sufferer　from　it　is　concerned；　it　annuls　it。〃

〃Yes；　I　understand　that。　　But　I　can't　accept　his　forgiveness　if　I　hate
him。〃

〃But　perhaps　you　won't　always　hate　him。　　Some　day　you　may　have　a　chance
to　do　him　a　good　turn。　　It's　rather　banale；　but　there　doesn't　seem　any
other　way。　　Well；　I　have　given　you　his　message。　　Are　you　going　with　me　to
get　that　poem？〃

When　March　had　given　Burnamy　the　paper　at　his　hotel；　and　Burnamy　had　put
it　in　his　pocket；　the　young　man　said　he　thought　he　would　take　some
coffee；　and　he　asked　March　to　join　him　in　the　dining…room　where　they　had
stood　talking。

〃No；　thank　you；〃　said　the　elder；　〃I　don't　propose　sitting　up　all　night；
and　you'll　excuse　me　if　I　go　to　bed　now。　　It's　a　little　informal　to　leave
a　guest〃

〃You're　not　leaving　a　guest！　　I'm　at　home　here。　　I'm　staying　in　this
hotel　too。〃

March　said；　〃Oh！〃　and　then　he　added　abruptly；　〃Good…night；〃　and　went　up
stairs　under　the　fresco　of　the　five　poets。

〃Whom　were　you　talking　with　below？〃　asked　Mrs。　March　through　the　door
opening　into　his　room　from　hers。

〃Burnamy；〃　he　answered　from　within。　　〃He's　staying　in　this　house。　　He　let
me　know　just　as　I　was　going　to　turn　him　out　for　the　night。　　It's　one　of
those　little　uncandors　of　his　that　throw　suspicion　on　his　honesty　in
great　things。〃

〃Oh！　Then　you've　been　telling　him；〃　she　said；　with　a　mental　bound　high
above　and　far　beyond　the　point。

〃Everything。〃

〃About　Stoller；　too？〃

〃About　Stoller　and　his　daughters；　and　Mrs。　Adding　and　Rose　and　Kenby　and
General　Triscoeand　Agatha。〃

〃Very　well。　　That's　what　I　call　shabby。　　Don't　ever　talk　to　me　again
about　the　inconsistencies　of　women。　　But　now　there's　something　perfectly
fearful。〃

〃What　is　it？〃

〃A　letter　from　Miss　Triscoe　came　after　you　were　gone；　asking　us　to　find
rooms　in　some　hotel　for　her　and　her　father　to…morrow。　　He　isn't　well；　and
they're　coming。　　And　I've　telegraphed　them　to　come　here。　　Now　what　do　you
say？〃




LXII。

They　could　see　no　way　out　of　the　trouble；　and　Mrs。　March　could　not　resign
herself　to　it　till　her　husband　suggested　that　she　should　consider　it
providential。　　This　touched　the　lingering　superstition　in　which　she　had
been　ancestrally　taught　to　regard　herself　as　a　means；　when　in　a　very
tight　place；　and　to　leave　the　responsibility　with　the　moral　government　of
the　universe。　　As　she　now　perceived；　it　had　been　the　same　as　ordered　that
they　should　see　Burnamy　under　such　conditions　in　the　afternoon　that　they
could　not　speak　to　him；　and　hear　where　he　was　staying；　and　in　an　inferior
degree　it　had　been　the　same　as　ordered　that　March　should　see　him　in　the
evening　and　tell　him　everything；　so　that　she　should　know　just　how　to　act
when　she　saw　him　in　the　morning。　　If　he　could　plausibly　account　for　the
renewal　of　his　flirtation　with　Miss　Elkins；　or　if　he　seemed　generally
worthy　apart　from　that；　she　could　forgive　him。

It　was　so　pleasant　when　he　came　in　at　breakfast　with　his　well…remembered
smile；　that　she　did　not　require　from　him　any　explicit