their silver wedding journey v3-第35节

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Hamburg；　you　know；　a　great　modern　commercial　centre。〃

〃Yes！　　Go　on！〃

〃Then　we　had　Leipsic；　the　academic。〃

〃Yes！〃

〃Then　Carlsbad；　the　supreme　type　of　a　German　health　resort；　then
Nuremberg；　the　mediaeval；　then　Anspach；　the　extinct　princely　capital；
then　Wurzburg；　the　ecclesiastical　rococo；　then　Weimar；　for　the　literature
of　a　great　epoch；　then　imperial　Berlin；　then　Frankfort；　the　memory　of　the
old　free　city；　then　Dusseldorf；　the　centre　of　the　most　poignant　personal
interest　in　the　worldI　don't　see　how　we　could　have　done　better；　if　we'd
planned　it　all；　and　not　acted　from　successive　impulses。〃

〃It's　been　grand；　it's　been　perfect！　　As　German…Silver　Wedding　Journey
it's　perfectit　seems　as　if　it　had　been　ordered！　But　I　will　never　let
you　give　up　Holland！　　No；　we　will　go　this　afternoon；　and　when　I　get　to
Schevleningen；　I'll　go　to　bed；　and　stay　there；　till　you've　completed　your
after…cure。〃

〃Do　you　think　that　will　be　wildly　gay　for　the　convalescent？〃

She　suddenly　began　to　cry。　　〃Oh；　dearest；　what　shall　we　do？　　I　feel
perfectly　broken　down。　　I'm　afraid　I'm　going　to　be　sickand　away　from
home！　　How　could　you　ever　let　me　overdo；　so？〃　She　put　her　handkerchief　to
her　eyes；　and　turned　her　face　into　the　sofa　pillow。

This　was　rather　hard　upon　him；　whom　her　vivid　energy　and　inextinguishable
interest　had　not　permitted　a　moment's　respite　from　pleasure　since　they
left　Carlsbad。　　But　he　had　been　married；　too　long　not　to　understand　that
her　blame　of　him　was　only　a　form　of　self…reproach　for　her　own　self…
forgetfulness。　　She　had　not　remembered　that　she　was　no　longer　young　till
she　had　come　to　what　he　saw　was　a　nervous　collapse。　　The　fact　had　its
pathos　and　its　poetry　which　no　one　could　have　felt　more　keenly　than　he。
If　it　also　had　its　inconvenience　and　its　danger　he　realized　these　too。

〃Isabel；〃　he　said；　〃we　are　going　home。〃

〃Very　well；　then　it　will　be　your　doing。〃

〃Quite。　　Do　you　think　you　could　stand　it　as　far　as　Cologne？　　We　get　the
sleeping…car　there；　and　you　can　lie　down　the　rest　of　the　way　to　Ostend。〃

〃This　afternoon？　　Why　I'm　perfectly　strong；　it's　merely　my　nerves　that
are　gone。〃　　She　sat　up；　and　wiped　her　eyes。　　〃But　Basil！　　If　you're　doing
this　for　me〃

〃I'm　doing　it　for　myself；〃　said　March；　as　he　went　out　of　the　room。

She　stood　the　journey　perfectly　well；　and　in　the　passage　to　Dover　she
suffered　so　little　from　the　rough　weather　that　she　was　an　example　to　many
robust　matrons　who　filled　the　ladies'　cabin　with　the　noise　of　their
anguish　during　the　night。　　She　would　have　insisted　upon　taking　the　first
train　up　to　London；　if　March　had　not　represented　that　this　would　not
expedite　the　sailing　of　the　Cupania；　and　that　she　might　as　well　stay　the
forenoon　at　the　convenient　railway　hotel；　and　rest。　　It　was　not　quite　his
ideal　of　repose　that　the　first　people　they　saw　in　the　coffee…room　when
they　went　to　breakfast　should　be　Kenby　and　Rose　Adding；　who　were　having
their　tea　and　toast　and　eggs　together　in　the　greatest　apparent　good…
fellowship。　　He　saw　his　wife　shrink　back　involuntarily　from　the
encounter；　but　this　was　only　to　gather　force　for　it；　and　the　next　moment
she　was　upon　them　in　all　the　joy　of　the　surprise。　　Then　March　allowed
himself　to　be　as　glad　as　the　others　both　seemed；　and　he　shook　hands　with
Kenby　while　his　wife　kissed　Rose；　and　they　all　talked　at　once。　　In　the
confusion　of　tongues　it　was　presently　intelligible　that　Mrs。　Kenby　was
going　to　be　down　in　a　few　minutes；　and　Kenby　took　March　into　his
confidence　with　a　smile　which　was；　almost　a　wink　in　explaining　that　he
knew　how　it　was　with　the　ladies。　　He　said　that　Rose　and　he　usually　got
down　to　breakfast　first；　and　when　he　had　listened　inattentively　to　Mrs。
March's　apology　for　being　on　her　way　home；　he　told　her　that　she　was　lucky
not　to　have　gone　to　Schevleningen；　where　she　and　March　would　have　frozen
to　death。　　He　said　that　they　were　going　to　spend　September　at　a　little
place　on　the　English　coast；　near　by；　where　he　had　been　the　day　before
with　Rose　to　look　at　lodgings；　and　where　you　could　bathe　all　through　the
month。　　He　was　not　surprised　that　the　Marches　were　going　home；　and　said；
Well；　that　was　their　original　plan；　wasn't　it？

Mrs。　Kenby；　appearing　upon　this；　pretended　to　know　better；　after　the
outburst　of　joyful　greeting　with　the　Marches；　and　intelligently　reminded
Kenby　that　he　knew　the　Marches　had　intended　to　pass　the　winter　in　Paris。
She　was　looking　extremely　pretty；　but　she　wished　only　to　make　them　see
how　well　Rose　was　looking；　and　she　put　her　arm　round　his　shoulders　as　she
spoke；　Schevleningen　had　done　wonders　for　him；　but　it　was　fearfully　cold
there；　and　now　they　were　expecting　everything　from　Westgate；　where　she
advised　March　to　come；　too；　for　his　after…cure：　she　recollected　in　time
to　say；　She　forgot　they　were　on　their　way　home。　　She　added　that　she　did
not　know　when　she　should　return；　she　was　merely　a　passenger；　now；　she
left　everything　to　the　men　of　the　family。　　She　had；　in　fact；　the　air　of
having　thrown　off　every　responsibility；　but　in　supremacy；　not　submission。
She　was　always　ordering　Kenby　about；　she　sent　him　for　her　handkerchief；
and　her　rings　which　she　had　left　either　in　the　tray　of　her　trunk；　or　on
the　pin…cushion；　or　on　the　wash…stand　or　somewhere；　and　forbade　him　to
come　back　without　them。　　He　asked　for　her　keys；　and　then　with　a　joyful
scream　she　owned　that　she　had　left　the　door…key　in　the　door　and　the　whole
bunch　of　trunk…keys　in　her　trunk；　and　Kenby　treated　it　all　as　the
greatest　joke；　Rose；　too；　seemed　to　think　that　Kenby　would　make
everything　come　right；　and　he　had　lost　that　look　of　anxiety　which　he　used
to　have；　at　the　most　he　showed　a　friendly　sympathy　for　Kenby；　for　whose
sake　he　seemed　mortified　at　her。　　He　was　unable　to　regard　his　mother　as
the　delightful　joke　which　she　appeared　to　Kenby；　but　that　was　merely
temperamental；　and　he　was　never　distressed　except　when　she　behaved　with
unreasonable　caprice　at　Kenby's　cost。

As　for　Kenby　himself　he　betrayed　no　dissatisfaction　with　his　fate　to
March。　　He　perhaps　no　longer　regarded　his　wife　as　that　strong　character
which　he　had　sometimes　wearied　March　by　celebrating；　but　she　was　still
the　most　brilliant　intelligence；　and　her　charm　seemed　only　to　have　grown
with　his　perception　of　its　wilful　limitations。　　He　did　not　want　to　talk
about　her　so　much；　he　wanted　rather　to　talk　about　Rose；　his　health；　his
education；　his　nature；　and　what　was　best　to　do　for　him。　　The　two　were　on
terms　of　a　confidence　and　affection　which　perpetually　amused　Mrs。　Kenby；
but　which　left　the　sympathetic　witness　nothing　to　desire　in　their
relation。

They　all　came　to　the　train　when　the　Marches　started　up　to　London；　and
stood　waving　to　them　as　they　pulled　out　of　the　station。　　〃Well；　I　can't
see　but　that's　all　right；〃　he　said　as　he　sank　back　in　his　seat　with　a
sigh　of　relief。　　〃I　never　supposed　we　should　get　out　of　their　marriage
half　so　well；　and　I　don't　feel　that　you　quite　made　the　match　either；　my
dear。〃

She　was　forced　to　agree　with　him　that　the　Kenbys　seemed　happy　together；
and　that　there　was　nothing　to　fear　for　Rose　in　their　happiness。　　He　would
be　as　tenderly　cared　for　by　Kenby　as　he　could　have　been　by　his　mother；
and　far　more　judiciously。　　She　owned　that　she　had　trembled　for　him　till
she　had　seen　them　all　together；　and　now　she　should　never　tremble　again。

〃Well？〃　March　prompted；　at　a　certain　inconclusiveness　in　her　tone　rather
than　her　words。

〃Well；　you　can　see　that　it；　isn't　ideal。〃

〃Why　isn't　it　ideal？　　I　suppose　you　think　that　the　marriage　of　Burnamy
and　Agatha　Triscoe　will　be　ideal；　with　their　ignorances　and　inexperiences
and　illusions。〃

〃Yes！　It's　the　illusions：　no　marriage　can　be　perfect　without　them；　and　at
their　age　the　Kenbys　can't　have　them。〃

〃Kenby　is　a　solid　mass　of　illusion。　　And　I　believe　that　people　can　go　and
get　as　many　new　illusions　as　they　want；　whenever　they've　lost　their　old
ones。〃

〃Yes；　but　the　new　illusions　won't　wear　so　well；　and　in　marriage　you　want
illusions　that　will　last。　　No；　you　needn't　talk　to　me。　　It's　all　very
well；　but　it　isn't　ideal。〃

March　laughed。　　〃Ideal！　　What　is　ideal？〃

〃Going　home！〃　she　said　with　such　passion　that　he　had　not　the　heart　to
point　out　that　they　were　merely　returning　to　their　old　duties；　cares　and
pains；　with　the　worn…out　illusion　that　these　would　be　altogether
different　when　they　took　them　up　again。




LXXIII。

In　fulfilment　of　another　ideal　Mrs。　March　took　straightway　to　her　berth
when　she　got　on　board　the　Cupania；　and　to　her　husband's　admiration　she
remained　there　till　the　day　before　they　reached　New　York。　　Her　theory　was
that　the　complete　rest　would　do　more　than　anything　else　to　calm　her
shaken　nerves；　and　she　did　not　admit　into　her　calculations　the　chances　of
adverse　weather　which　March　would　not　suggest　as　probable　in　the　last
week　in　September。　　The　event　justified　her　unconscious　faith。　　The
ship's　run　was　of　unparalled　swiftness；　even　for　the　Cupania；　and　of
unparalled　smoothness。　　For　days　the　sea　was　as　sleek　as　oil；　the　racks
were　never　on　the　tables　once；　the　voyage　was　of　the　sort　which　those　who
make　it　no　more　believe　in　at　the　time　than　those　whom　they　afterwards
weary　in　boasting　of　it。

The　ship　was　v