their silver wedding journey v3-第37节

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betrothed　that　had　almost　positive　quality。　　With　his　longing　to　try　Miss
Triscoe　upon　Mrs。　March's　malady　as　a　remedial　agent；　he　had　now　the
desire　to　try　Mrs。　March　upon　Miss　Triscoe's　mystery　as　a　solvent。　　She
stood　talking　to　him；　and　refusing　to　sit　down　and　be　wrapped　up　in　the
chair　next　her　father。　　She　said　that　if　he　were　going　to　ask　Mrs。　March
to　let　her　come　to　her；　it　would　not　be　worth　while　to　sit　down；　and　he
hurried　below。

〃Did　you　get　it？〃　asked　his　wife；　without　looking　round；　but　not　so
apathetically　as　before。

〃Oh；　yes。　　That's　all　right。　　But　now；　Isabel；　there's　something　I've　got
to　tell　you。　　You'd　find　it　out；　and　you'd　better　know　it　at　once。〃

She　turned　her　face；　and　asked　sternly；　〃What　is　it？〃

Then　he　said；　with；　an　almost　equal　severity；　〃Miss　Triscoe　is　on　board。
Miss　Triscoe…and…her…father。　　She　wishes　to　come　down　and　see　you。〃

Mrs。　March　sat　up　and　began　to　twist　her　hair　into　shape。　　〃And　Burnamy？〃

〃There　is　no　Burnamy　physically；　or　so　far　as　I　can　make　out；
spiritually。　　She　didn't　mention　him；　and　I　talked　at　least　five　minutes
with　her。〃

〃Hand　me　my　dressing…sack；〃　said　Mrs。　March；　〃and　poke　those　things　on
the　sofa　under　the　berth。　　Shut　up　that　wash…stand；　and　pull　the　curtain
across　that　hideous　window。　　Stop！　　Throw　those　towels　into　your　berth。
Put　my　shoes；　and　your　slippers　into　the　shoe…bag　on　the　door。　　Slip　the
brushes　into　that　other　bag。　　Beat　the　dent　out　of　the　sofa　cushion　that
your　head　has　made。　　Now！〃

〃Thenthen　yon　will　see　her？〃

〃See　her！〃

Her　voice　was　so　terrible　that　he　fled　before　it；　and　he　returned　with
Miss　Triscoe　in　a　dreamlike　simultaneity。　　He　remembered；　as　he　led　the
way　into　his　corridor；　to　apologize　for　bringing　her　down　into　a　basement
room。

〃Oh；　we're　in　the　basement；　too；　it　was　all　we　could　get；〃　she　said　in
words　that　ended　within　the　state…room　he　opened　to　her。　　Then　he　went
back　and　took　her　chair　and　wraps　beside　her　father。

He　let　the　general　himself　lead　the　way　up　to　his　health；　which　he　was
not　slow　in　reaching；　and　was　not　quick　in　leaving。　　He　reminded　March　of
the　state　he　had　seen　him　in　at　Wurzburg；　and　he　said　it　had　gone　from
bad　to　worse　with　him。　　At　Weimar　he　had　taken　to　his　bed　and　merely
escaped　from　it　with　his　life。　　Then　they　had　tried　Schevleningen　for　a
week；　where；　he　said　in　a　tone　of　some　injury；　they　had　rather　thought
they　might　find　them；　the　Marches。　　The　air　had　been　poison　to　him；　and
they　had　come　over　to　England　with　some　notion　of　Bournemouth；　but　the
doctor　in　London　had　thought　not；　and　urged　their　going　home。　　〃All
Europe　is　damp；　you　know；　and　dark　as　a　pocket　in　winter；〃　he　ended。

There　had　been　nothing　about　Burnamy；　and　March　decided　that　he　must　wait
to　see　his　wife　if　he　wished　to　know　anything；　when　the　general；　who　had
been　silent；　twisted　his　head　towards　him；　and　said　without　regard　to　the
context；　〃It　was　complicated；　at　Weimar；　by　that　young　man　in　the　most
devilish　way。　　Did　my　daughter　write　to　Mrs。　March　about　Well　it　came
to　nothing；　after　all；　and　I　don't　understand　how；　to　this　day。　　I　doubt
if　they　do。　　It　was　some　sort　of　quarrel；　I　suppose。　　I　wasn't　consulted
in　the　matter　either　way。　　It　appears　that　parents　are　not　consulted　in
these　trifling　affairs；　nowadays。〃　　He　had　married　his　daughter's　mother
in　open　defiance　of　her　father；　but　in　the　glare　of　his　daughter's
wilfulness　this　fact　had　whitened　into　pious　obedience。　　〃I　dare　say　I
shall　be　told；　by…and…by；　and　shall　be　expected　to　approve　of　the
result。〃

A　fancy　possessed　March　that　by　operation　of　temperamental　laws　General
Triscoe　was　no　more　satisfied　with　Burnamy's　final　rejection　than　with
his　acceptance。　　If　the　engagement　was　ever　to　be　renewed；　it　might　be
another　thing；　but　as　it　stood；　March　divined　a　certain　favor　for　the
young　man　in　the　general's　attitude。　　But　the　affair　was　altogether　too
delicate　for　comment；　the　general's　aristocratic　frankness　in　dealing
with　it　might　have　gone　farther　if　his　knowledge　had　been　greater；　but　in
any　case　March　did　not　see　how　he　could　touch　it。　　He　could　only　say；　He
had　always　liked　Burnamy；　himself。

He　had　his　good　qualities；　the　general　owned。　　He　did　not　profess　to
understand　the　young　men　of　our　time；　but　certainly　the　fellow　had　the
instincts　of　a　gentleman。　　He　had　nothing　to　say　against　him；　unless　in
that　business　with　that　manwhat　was　his　name？

〃Stoller？〃　March　prompted。　　〃I　don't　excuse　him　in　that；　but　I　don't
blame　him　so　much；　either。　　If　punishment　means　atonement；　he　had　the
opportunity　of　making　that　right　very　suddenly；　and　if　pardon　means
expunction；　then　I　don't　see　why　that　offence　hasn't　been　pretty　well
wiped　out。

〃Those　things　are　not　so　simple　as　they　used　to　seem；〃　said　the　general；
with　a　seriousness　beyond　his　wont　in　things　that　did　not　immediately
concern　his　own　comfort　or　advantage。




LXXVI。

In　the　mean　time　Mrs。　March　and　Miss　Triscoe　were　discussing　another
offence　of　Burnamy's。

〃It　wasn't；〃　said　the　girl；　excitedly；　after　a　plunge　through　all　the
minor　facts　to　the　heart　of　the　matter；　〃that　he　hadn't　a　perfect　right
to　do　it；　if　he　thought　I　didn't　care　for　him。　　I　had　refused　him　at
Carlsbad；　and　I　had　forbidden　him　to　speak　to　me　abouton　the　subject。
But　that　was　merely　temporary；　and　he　ought　to　have　known　it。　He　ought　to
have　known　that　I　couldn't　accept　him；　on　the　spur　of　the　moment；　that
way；　and　when　he　had　come　back；　after　going　away　in　disgrace；　before　he
had　done　anything　to　justify　himself。　　I　couldn't　have　kept　my　self…
respect；　and　as　it　was　I　had　the　greatest　difficulty；　and　he　ought　to
have　seen　it。　　Of　course　he　said　afterwards　that　he　didn't　see　it。　　But
whenwhen　I　found　out　that　SHE　had　been　in　Weimar；　and　all　that　time；
while　I　had　been　suffering　in　Carlsbad　and　Wurzburg；　and　longing　to　see
himlet　him　know　how　I　was　really　feelinghe　was　flirting　with　that
that　girl；　then　I　saw　that　he　was　a　false　nature；　and　I　determined　to　put
an　end　to　everything。　　And　that　is　what　I　did；　and　I　shall　always　think
Idid　rightand〃

The　rest　was　lost　in　Agatha's　handkerchief；　which　she　put　up　to　her　eyes。
Mrs。　March　watched　her　from　her　pillow　keeping　the　girl's　unoccupied　hand
in　her　own；　and　softly　pressing　it　till　the　storm　was　past　sufficiently
to　allow　her　to　be　heard。

Then　she　said；　〃Men　are　very　strangethe　best　of　them。　　And　from　the
very　fact　that　he　was　disappointed；　he　would　be　all　the　more　apt　to　rush
into　a　flirtation　with　somebody　else。〃

Miss　Triscoe　took　down　her　handkerchief　from　a　face　that　had　certainly
not　been　beautified　by　grief。　　〃I　didn't　blame　him　for　the　flirting；　or
not　so　much。　　It　was　his　keeping　it　from　me　afterwards。　　He　ought　to　have
told　me　the　very　first　instant　we　were　engaged。　　But　he　didn't。　　He　let
it　go　on；　and　if　I　hadn't　happened　on　that　bouquet　I　might　never　have
known　anything　about　it。　　That　is　what　I　mean　bya　false　nature。
I　wouldn't　have　minded　his　deceiving　me；　but　to　let　me　deceive　myself
Oh；　it　was　too　much！〃

Agatha　hid　her　face　in　her　handkerchief　again。　　She　was　perching　on　the
edge　of　the　berth；　and　Mrs。　March　said；　with　a　glance；　which　she　did　not
see；　toward　the　sofa；　〃I'm　afraid　that's　rather　a　hard　seat　for　you。

〃Oh；　no；　thank　you！　　I'm　perfectly　comfortableI　like　itif　you　don't
mind？〃

Mrs。　March　pressed　her　hand　for　answer；　and　after　another　little　delay；
sighed　and　said；　〃They　are　not　like　us；　and　we　cannot　help　it。　　They　are
more　temporizing。〃

〃How　do　you　mean？〃　Agatha　unmasked　again。

〃They　can　bear　to　keep　things　better　than　we　can；　and　they　trust　to　time
to　bring　them　right；　or　to　come　right　of　themselves。〃

〃I　don't　think　Mr。　March　would　trust　things　to　come　right　of　themselves！〃
said　Agatha　in　indignant　accusal　of　Mrs。　March's　sincerity。

〃Ah；　that's　just　what　he　would　do；　my　dear；　and　has　done；　all　along；　and
I　don't　believe　we　could　have　lived　through　without　it：　we　should　have
quarrelled　ourselves　into　the　grave！〃

〃Mrs。　March！〃

〃Yes；　indeed。　　I　don't　mean　that　he　would　ever　deceive　me。　　But　he　would
let　things　go　on；　and　hope　that　somehow　they　would　come　right　without　any
fuss。〃

〃Do　you　mean　that　he　would　let　anybody　deceive　themselves？〃

〃I'm　afraid　he　wouldif　he　thought　it　would　come　right。　　It　used　to　be　a
terrible　trial　to　me；　and　it　is　yet；　at　times　when　I　don't　remember　that
he　means　nothing　but　good　and　kindness　by　it。　　Only　the　other　day　in
Ansbachhow　long　ago　it　seems！he　let　a　poor　old　woman　give　him　her
son's　address　in　Jersey　City；　and　allowed　her　to　believe　he　would　look
him　up　when　we　got　back　and　tell　him　we　had　seen　her。　　I　don't　believe；
unless　I　keep　right　round　after　him；　as　we　say　in　New　England；　that　he'll
ever　go　near　the　man。〃

Agatha　looked　daunted；　but　she　said；　〃That　is　a　very　different　thing。〃

〃It　isn't　a　different　kind　of　thing。　　And　it　shows　what　men　are；the
sweetest　and　best　of　them；　that　is。　　They　are　terribly　apt　to　be
easy…going。〃

〃Then　you　think　I　was　all　wrong？〃　the　girl　asked　in　a　tremor。

〃No；　indeed！　　You　were　right；　because　you　really　expected　perfection　of
him。　　You　expected　the　ideal。　　And　that's　what　makes　all　the　trouble；　in
married