their silver wedding journey v3-第6节

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in　the　country　back　of　it；　and　she　came　with　her　husband　for　the　shooting
in　the　autumn。　　By　a　natural　transition　she　spoke　of　her　children；　for
whom　she　had　an　English　governess；　she　said　she　had　never　been　in
England；　but　had　learnt　the　language　from　a　governess　in　her　own
childhood；　and　through　it　all　Mrs。　March　perceived　that　she　was　trying　to
impress　them　with　her　consequence。　　To　humor　her　pose；　she　said　they　had
been　looking　up　the　scene　of　Kaspar　Hauser's　death　at　Ansbach；　and　at
this　the　stranger　launched　into　such　intimate　particulars　concerning　him；
and　was　so　familiar　at　first　hands　with　the　facts　of　his　life；　that　Mrs。
March　let　her　run　on；　too　much　amused　with　her　pretensions　to　betray　any
doubt　of　her。　　She　wondered　if　March　were　enjoying　it　all　as　much；　and
from　time　to　time　she　tried　to　catch　his　eye；　while　the　lady　talked
constantly　and　rather　loudly；　helping　herself　out　with　words　from　them
both　when　her　English　failed　her。　　In　the　safety　of　her　perfect
understanding　of　the　case；　Mrs。　March　now　submitted　farther；　and　even
suffered　some　patronage　from　her；　which　in　another　mood　she　would　have
met　with　a　decided　snub。

As　they　drew　in　among　the　broad　vine…webbed　slopes　of　the　Wurzburg；
hills；　the　stranger　said　she　was　going　to　change　there；　and　take　a　train
on　to　Berlin。　　Mrs。　March　wondered　whether　she　would　be　able　to　keep　up
the　comedy　to　the　last；　and　she　had　to　own　that　she　carried　it　off　very
easily　when　the　friends　whom　she　was　expecting　did　not　meet　her　on　the
arrival　of　their　train。　　She　refused　March's　offers　of　help；　and　remained
quietly　seated　while　he　got　out　their　wraps　and　bags。　　She　returned　with
a　hardy　smile　the　cold　leave　Mrs。　March　took　of　her；　and　when　a　porter
came　to　the　door；　and　forced　his　way　by　the　Marches；　to　ask　with　anxious
servility　if　she；　were　the　Baroness　von…；　she　bade　the　man　get　them。
a　'traeger'；　and　then　come　back　for　her。　　She　waved　them　a　complacent
adieu　before　they　mixed　with　the　crowd　and　lost　sight　of　her。

〃Well；　my　dear；〃　said　March；　addressing　the　snobbishness　in　his　wife
which　he　knew　to　be　so　wholly　impersonal；　〃you've　mingled　with　one
highhote；　anyway。　　I　must　say　she　didn't　look　it；　any　more　than　the　Duke
and　Duchess　of　Orleans；　and　yet　she's　only　a　baroness。　　Think　of　our
being　three　hours　in　the　same　compartment；　and　she　doing　all　she　could　to
impress　us　and　our　getting　no　good　of　it！　　I　hoped　you　were　feeling　her
quality；　so　that　we　should　have　it　in　the　family；　anyway；　and　always　know
what　it　was　like。　　But　so　far；　the　highhotes　have　all　been　terribly
disappointing。〃

He　teased　on　as　they　followed　the　traeger　with　their　baggage　out　of　the
station；　and　in　the　omnibus　on　the　way　to　their　hotel；　he　recurred　to　the
loss　they　had　suffered　in　the　baroness's　failure　to　dramatize　her
nobility　effectually。　　〃After　all；　perhaps　she　was　as　much　disappointed
in　us。　　I　don't　suppose　we　looked　any　more　like　democrats　than　she　looked
like　an　aristocrat。〃

〃But　there's　a　great　difference；〃　Mrs。　March　returned　at　last。　　〃It　isn't
at　all　a　parallel　case。　　We　were　not　real　democrats；　and　she　was　a　real
aristocrat。〃

〃To　be　sure。　　There　is　that　way　of　looking　at　it。　　That's　rather　novel；　I
wish　I　had　thought　of　that　myself。　　She　was　certainly　more　to　blame　than
we　were。〃




LII。

The　square　in　front　of　the　station　was　planted　with　flag…poles　wreathed
in　evergreens；　a　triumphal　arch　was　nearly　finished；　and　a　colossal
allegory　in　imitation　bronze　was　well　on　the　way　to　completion；　in　honor
of　the　majesties　who　were　coming　for　the　manoeuvres。　　The　streets　which
the　omnibus　passed　through　to　the　Swan　Inn　were　draped　with　the　imperial
German　and　the　royal　Bavarian　colors；　and　the　standards　of　the　visiting
nationalities　decked　the　fronts　of　the　houses　where　their　military
attaches　were　lodged；　but　the　Marches　failed　to　see　our　own　banner；　and
were　spared　for　the　moment　the　ignominy　of　finding　it　over　an　apothecary
shop　in　a　retired　avenue。　　The　sun　had　come　out；　the　sky　overhead　was　of
a　smiling　blue；　and　they　felt　the　gala…day　glow　and　thrill　in　the　depths
of　their　inextinguishable　youth。

The　Swan　Inn　sits　on　one　of　the　long　quays　bordering　the　Main；　and　its
windows　look　down　upon　the　bridges　and　shipping　of　the　river；　but　the
traveller　reaches　it　by　a　door　in　the　rear；　through　an　archway　into　a
back　street；　where　an　odor　dating　back　to　the　foundation　of　the　city　is
waiting　to　welcome　him。

The　landlord　was　there；　too；　and　he　greeted　the　Marches　so　cordially　that
they　fully　partook　his　grief　in　being　able　to　offer　them　rooms　on　the
front　of　the　house　for　two　nights　only。　　They　reconciled　themselves　to
the　necessity　of　then　turning　out　for　the　staff　of　the　King　of　Saxony；
the　more　readily　because　they　knew　that　there　was　no　hope　of　better
things　at　any　other　hotel。

The　rooms　which　they　could　have　for　the　time　were　charming；　and　they　came
down　to　supper　in　a　glazed　gallery　looking　out　on　the　river　picturesque
with　craft　of　all　fashions：　with　row…boats；　sail…boats；　and　little
steamers；　but　mainly　with　long　black　barges　built　up　into　houses　in　the
middle；　and　defended　each　by　a　little　nervous　German　dog。　　Long　rafts　of
logs　weltered　in　the　sunset　red　which　painted　the　swift　current；　and
mantled　the　immeasurable　vineyards　of　the　hills　around　like　the　color　of
their　ripening　grapes。　　Directly　in　face　rose　a　castled　steep；　which　kept
the　ranging　walls　and　the　bastions　and　battlements　of　the　time　when　such
a　stronghold　could　have　defended　the　city　from　foes　without　or　from
tumult　within。　　The　arches　of　a　stately　bridge　spanned　the　river
sunsetward；　and　lifted　a　succession　of　colossal　figures　against　the
crimson　sky。

〃I　guess　we　have　been　wasting　our　time；　my　dear；〃　said　March；　as　they；
turned　from　this　beauty　to　the　question　of　supper。　　〃I　wish　we　had　always
been　here！〃

Their　waiter　had　put　them　at　a　table　in　a　division　of　the　gallery　beyond
that　which　they　entered；　where　some　groups　of　officers　were　noisily
supping。　　There　was　no　one　in　their　room　but　a　man　whose　face　was
indistinguishable　against　the　light；　and　two　young　girls　who　glanced　at
them　with　looks　at　once　quelled　and　defiant；　and　then　after　a　stare　at
the　officers　in　the　gallery　beyond；　whispered　together　with　suppressed
giggling。　　The　man　fed　on　without　noticing　them；　except　now　and　then　to
utter　a　growl　that　silenced　the　whispering　and　giggling　for　a　moment。
The　Marches；　from　no　positive　evidence　of　any　sense；　decided　that　they
were　Americans。

〃I　don't　know　that　I　feel　responsible　for　them　as　their　fellow…
countryman；　I　should；　once；〃　he　said。

〃It　isn't　that。　　It's　the　worry　of　trying　to　make　out　why　they　are　just
what　they　are；〃　his　wife　returned。

The　girls　drew　the　man's　attention　to　them　and　he　looked　at　them　for　the
first　time；　then　after　a　sort　of　hesitation　he　went　on　with　his　supper。
They　had　only　begun　theirs　when　he　rose　with　the　two　girls；　whom　Mrs。
March　now　saw　to　be　of　the　same　size　and　dressed　alike；　and　came　heavily
toward　them。

〃I　thought　you　was　in　Carlsbad；〃　he　said　bluntly　to　March；　with　a　nod　at
Mrs。　March。　　He　added；　with　a　twist　of　his　head　toward　the　two　girls；
〃My　daughters；〃　and　then　left　them　to　her；　while　he　talked　on　with　her
husband。　　〃Come　to　see　this　foolery；　I　suppose。　　I'm　on　my　way　to　the
woods　for　my　after…cure；　but　I　thought　I　might　as　well　stop　and　give　the
girls　a　chance；　they　got　a　week's　vacation；　anyway。〃　　Stoller　glanced　at
them　with　a　sort　of　troubled　tenderness　in　his　strong　dull　face。

〃Oh；　yes。　　I　understood　they　were　at　school　here；〃　said　March；　and　he
heard　one　of　them　saying；　in　a　sweet；　high　pipe　to　his　wife：

〃Ain't　it　just　splendid？　　I　ha'n't　seen　anything　equal　to　it　since　the
Worrld's　Fairr。〃　　She　spoke　with　a　strong　contortion　of　the　Western　r；
and　her　sister　hastened　to　put　in：

〃I　don't　think　it's　to　be　compared　with　the　Worrld's　Fairr。　　But　these
German　girls；　here；　just　think　it's　great。　　It　just　does　me　good　to　laff
at　'em；　about　it。　　I　like　to　tell　'em　about　the　electric　fountain　and　the
Courrt　of　Iionorr　when　they　get　to　talkin'　about　the　illuminations
they're　goun'　to　have。　　You　goun'　out　to　the　parade？　　You　better　engage
your　carriage　right　away　if　you　arre。　　The　carrs'll　be　a　perfect　jam。
Father's　engaged　ourrs；　he　had　to　pay　sixty　marrks　forr　it。〃

They　chattered　on　without　shyness　and　on　as　easy　terms　with　a　woman　of
three　times　their　years　as　if　she　had　been　a　girl　of　their　own　age；　they
willingly　took　the　whole　talk　to　themselves；　and　had　left　her　quite
outside　of　it　before　Stoller　turned　to　her。

〃I　been　telling　Mr。　March　here　that　you　better　both　come　to　the　parade
with　us。　　I　guess　my　twospanner　will　hold　five；　or　if　it　won't；　we'll
make　it。　　I　don't　believe　there's　a　carriage　left　in　Wurzburg；　and　if　you
go　in　the　cars；　you'll　have　to　walk　three　or　four　miles　before　you　get　to
the　parade…ground。　　You　think　it　over；〃　he　said　to　March。　　〃Nobody　else
is　going　to　have　the　places；　anyway；　and　you　can　say　yes　at　the　last
minute　just　as　well　as　now。〃

He　moved　off　with　his　girls；　who　looked　over　their　shoulders　at　the
officers　as　they　passed　on　through　the　adjoining　room。

〃My　dear！〃　　cried　Mrs。　M