their silver wedding journey v3-第20节

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smile；　that　she　did　not　require　from　him　any　explicit　defence。　　While
they　talked　she　was　righting　herself　in　an　undercurrent　of　drama　with
Miss　Triscoe；　and　explaining　to　her　that　they　could　not　possibly　wait
over　for　her　and　her　father　in　Weimar；　but　must　be　off　that　day　for
Berlin；　as　they　had　made　all　their　plans。　　It　was　not　easy；　even　in　drama
where　one　has　everything　one's　own　way；　to　prove　that　she　could　not
without　impiety　so　far　interfere　with　the　course　of　Providence　as　to
prevent　Miss　Triscoe's　coming　with　her　father　to　the　same　hotel　where
Burnamy　was　staying。　　She　contrived；　indeed；　to　persuade　her　that　she　had
not　known　he　was　staying　there　when　she　telegraphed　them　where　to　come；
and　that　in　the　absence　of　any　open　confidence　from　Miss　Triscoe　she　was
not　obliged　to　suppose　that　his　presence　would　be　embarrassing。

March　proposed　leaving　her　with　Burnamy　while　he　went　up　into　the　town
and　interviewed　the　house　of　Schiller；　which　he　had　not　done　yet；　and　as
soon　as　he　got　himself　away　she　came　to　business；　breaking　altogether
from　the　inner　drama　with　Miss　Triscoe　and　devoting　herself　to　Burnamy。
They　had　already　got　so　far　as　to　have　mentioned　the　meeting　with　the
Triscoes　in　Wurzburg；　and　she　said：　〃Did　Mr。　March　tell　you　they　were
coming　here？　　Or；　no！　　We　hadn't　heard　then。　　Yes；　they　are　coming　to…
morrow。　　They　may　be　going　to　stay　some　time。　　She　talked　of　Weimar　when
we　first　spoke　of　Germany　on　the　ship。〃　　Burnamy　said　nothing；　and　she
suddenly　added；　with　a　sharp　glance；　〃They　wanted　us　to　get　them　rooms；
and　we　advised　their　coming　to　this　house。〃　　He　started　very
satisfactorily；　and　〃Do　you　think　they　would　be　comfortable；　here？〃　she
pursued。

〃Oh；　yes；　very。　　They　can　have　my　room；　it's　southeast；　I　shall　be　going
into　other　quarters。〃　　She　did　not　say　anything；　and　〃Mrs。　March；〃　he
began　again；　〃what　is　the　use　of　my　beating　about　the　bush？　　You　must
know　what　I　went　back　to　Carlsbad　for；　that　night〃

〃No　one　ever　told〃

〃Well；　you　must　have　made　a　pretty　good　guess。　　But　it　was　a　failure。　　I
ought　to　have　failed；　and　I　did。　　She　said　that　unless　her　father　liked
it　And　apparently　he　hasn't　liked　it。〃　　Burnamy　smiled　ruefully。

〃How　do　you　know？　　She　didn't　know　where　you　were！〃

〃She　could　have　got　word　to　me　if　she　had　had　good　news　for　me。　　They've
forwarded　other　letters　from　Pupp's。　　But　it's　all　right；　I　had　no
business　to　go　back　to　Carlsbad。　　Of　course　you　didn't　know　I　was　in　this
house　when　you　told　them　to　come；　and　I　must　clear　out。　　I　had　better
clear　out　of　Weimar；　too。〃

〃No；　I　don't　think　so；　I　have　no　right　to　pry　into　your　affairs；　but〃

〃Oh；　they're　wide　enough　open！〃

〃And　you　may　have　changed　your　mind。　　I　thought　you　might；　when　I　saw　you
yesterday　at　Belvedere〃

〃I　was　only　trying　to　make　bad　worse。〃

〃Then　I　think　the　situation　has　changed　entirely　through　what　Mr。　Stoller
said　to　Mr。　March。〃

〃I　can't　see　how　it　has。　　I　committed　an　act　of　shabby　treachery；　and　I'm
as　much　to　blame　as　if　he　still　wanted　to　punish　me　for　it。〃

〃Did　Mr。　March　say　that　to　you？〃

〃No；　I　said　that　to　Mr。　March；　and　he　couldn't　answer　it；　and　you　can't。
You're　very　good；　and　very　kind；　but　you　can't　answer　it。〃

〃I　can　answer　it　very　well；〃　she　boasted；　but　she　could　find　nothing
better　to　say　than；　〃It's　your　duty　to　her　to　see　her　and　let　her　know。〃

〃Doesn't　she　know　already？〃

〃She　has　a　right　to　know　it　from　you。　　I　think　you　are　morbid；　Mr。
Burnamy。　　You　know　very　well　I　didn't　like　your　doing　that　to　Mr。
Stoller。　　I　didn't　say　so　at　the　time；　because　you　seemed　to　feel　it
enough　yourself。　　But　I　did　like　your　owning　up　to　it；〃　and　here　Mrs。
March　thought　it　time　to　trot　out　her　borrowed　battle…horse　again。　　〃My
husband　always　says　that　if　a　person　owns　up　to　an　error；　fully　and
faithfully；　as　you've　always　done；　they　make　it　the　same　in　its
consequences　to　them　as　if　it　had　never　been　done。〃

〃Does　Mr。　March　say　that？〃　asked　Burnamy　with　a　relenting　smile。

〃Indeed　he　does！〃

Burnamy　hesitated；　then　he　asked；　gloomily　again：

〃And　what　about　the　consequences　to　the；　other　fellow？〃

〃A　woman；〃　said　Mrs。　March；　〃has　no　concern　with　them。　　And　besides；　I
think　you've　done　all　you　could　to　save　Mr。　Stoller　from　the
consequences。〃

〃I　haven't　done　anything。〃

〃No　matter。　　You　would　if　you　could。　　I　wonder；〃　she　broke　off；　to
prevent　his　persistence　at　a　point　where　her　nerves　were　beginning　to
give　way；　〃what　can　be　keeping　Mr。　March？〃

Nothing　much　more　important；　it　appeared　later；　than　the　pleasure　of
sauntering　through　the　streets　on　the　way　to　the　house　of　Schiller；　and
looking　at　the　pretty　children　going　to　school；　with　books　under　their
arms。　　It　was　the　day　for　the　schools　to　open　after　the　long　summer
vacation；　and　there　was　a　freshness　of　expectation　in　the　shining　faces
which；　if　it　could　not　light　up　his　own　graybeard　visage；　could　at　least
touch　his　heart：

When　he　reached　the　Schiller　house　he　found　that　it　was　really　not　the
Schiller　house；　but　the　Schiller　flat；　of　three　or　four　rooms；　one　flight
up；　whose　windows　look　out　upon　the　street　named　after　the　poet。　　The
whole　place　is　bare　and　clean；　in　one　corner　of　the　large　room　fronting
the　street　stands　Schiller's　writing…table；　with　his　chair　before　it；
with　the　foot　extending　toward　this　there　stands；　in　another　corner；　the
narrow　bed　on　which　he　died；　some　withered　wreaths　on　the　pillow　frame　a
picture　of　his　deathmask；　which　at　first　glance　is　like　his　dead　face
lying　there。　　It　is　all　rather　tasteless；　and　all　rather　touching；　and
the　place　with　its　meagre　appointments；　as　compared　with　the　rich　Goethe
house；　suggests　that　personal　competition　with　Goethe　in　which　Schiller
is　always　falling　into　the　second　place。　　Whether　it　will　be　finally　so
with　him　in　literature　it　is　too　early　to　ask　of　time；　and　upon　other
points　eternity　will　not　be　interrogated。　　〃The　great；　Goethe　and　the
good　Schiller；〃　they　remain；　and　yet；　March　reasoned；　there　was　something
good　in　Goethe　and　something　great；　in　Schiller。

He　was　so　full　of　the　pathos　of　their　inequality　before　the　world　that　he
did　not　heed　the　warning　on　the　door　of　the　pastry…shop　near　the　Schiller
house；　and　on　opening　it　he　bedaubed　his　hand　with　the　fresh　paint　on　it。
He　was　then　in　such　a　state；　that　he　could　not　bring　his　mind　to　bear
upon　the　question　of　which　cakes　his　wife　would　probably　prefer；　and　he
stood　helplessly　holding　up　his　hand　till　the　good　woman　behind　the
counter　discovered　his　plight；　and　uttered　a　loud　cry　of　compassion。
She　ran　and　got　a　wet　napkin；　which　she　rubbed　with　soap；　and　then　she
instructed　him　by　word　and　gesture　to　rub　his　hand　upon　it；　and　she　did
not　leave　him　till　his　rescue　was　complete。　　He　let　her　choose　a　variety
of　the　cakes　for　him；　and　came　away　with　a　gay　paper　bag　full　of　them；
and　with　the　feeling　that　he　had　been　in　more　intimate　relations　with　the
life　of　Weimar　than　travellers　are　often　privileged　to　be。　　He　argued
from　the　instant　and　intelligent　sympathy　of　the　pastry　woman　a　high
grade　of　culture　in　all　classes；　and　he　conceived　the　notion　of
pretending　to　Mrs。　March　that　he　had　got　these　cakes　from；　a　descendant
of　Schiller。

His　deceit　availed　with　her　for　the　brief　moment　in　which　she　always；
after　so　many　years'　experience　of　his　duplicity；　believed　anything　he
told　her。　　They　dined　merrily　together　at　their　hotel；　and　then　Burnamy
came　down　to　the　station　with　them　and　was　very　comfortable　to　March　in
helping　him　to　get　their　tickets　and　their　baggage　registered。　　The　train
which　was　to　take　them　to　Halle；　where　they　were　to　change　for　Berlin；
was　rather　late；　and　they　had　but　ten　minutes　after　it　came　in　before　it
would　start　again。　　Mrs。　March　was　watching　impatiently　at　the　window　of
the　waiting…room　for　the　dismounting　passengers　to　clear　the　platform　and
allow　the　doors　to　be　opened；　suddenly　she　gave　a　cry；　and　turned　and　ran
into　the　passage　by　which　the　new　arrivals　were　pouring　out　toward　the
superabundant　omnibuses。　　March　and　Burnamy；　who　had　been　talking　apart；
mechanically　rushed　after　her　and　found　her　kissing　Miss　Triscoe　and
shaking　hands　with　the　general　amidst　a　tempest　of　questions　and　answers；
from　which　it　appeared　that　the　Triscoes　had　got　tired　of　staying　in
Wurzburg；　and　had　simply　come　on　to　Weimar　a　day　sooner　than　they　had
intended。

The；　general　was　rather　much　bundled　up　for　a　day　which　was　mild　for　a
German　summer　day；　and　he　coughed　out　an　explanation　that　he　had　taken　an
abominable　cold　at　that　ridiculous　parade；　and　had　not　shaken　it　off　yet。
He　had　a　notion　that　change　of　air　would　be　better　for　him；　it　could　not
be　worse。

He　seemed　a　little　vague　as　to　Burnamy；　rather　than　inimical。　　While　the
ladies　were　still　talking　eagerly　together　in　proffer　and　acceptance　of
Mrs。　March's　lamentations　that　she　should　be　going　away　just　as　Miss
Triscoe　was　coming；　he　asked　if　the　omnibus　for　their　hotel　was　there。
He　by　no　means　resented　Burnamy's　assurance　that　it　was；　and　he　did　not
refuse　to　let　him　order　their　baggage；　little　and　large；　loaded　upon　it。
By　the　time　this　was　done；　Mrs。　March　and　Miss　Triscoe　had　so　far
detached　them