their silver wedding journey v2-第23部分

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over　the　pavements　in　handcarts；　a　certain　majesty　from　the　long
procession　of　yellow　mail…wagons；　with　drivers　in　the　royal　Bavarian
blue；　trooping　by　in　the　cold　small　rain；　impassibly　dripping　from　their
glazed　hat…brims　upon　their　uniforms。　　But　he　could　not　feel　that　these
things　were　any　of　them　very　poignantly　significant；　and　he　covered　his
retreat　from　the　actualities　of　Nuremberg　by　visiting　the　chief　book…
store　and　buying　more　photographs　of　the　architecture　than　he　wanted；　and
more　local　histories　than　be　should　ever　read。　　He　made　a　last　effort　for
the　contemporaneous　life　by　asking　the　English…speaking　clerk　if　there
were　any　literary　men　of　distinction　living　in　Nuremberg；　and　the　clerk
said　there　was　not　one。

He　went　home　to　breakfast　wondering　if　be　should　be　able　to　make　his
meagre　facts　serve　with　his　wife；　but　he　found　her　far　from　any　wish　to
listen　to　them。　　She　was　intent　upon　a　pair　of　young　lovers；　at　a　table
near　her　own；　who　were　so　absorbed　in　each　other　that　they　were　proof
against　an　interest　that　must　otherwise　have　pierced　them　through。　　The
bridegroom；　as　he　would　have　called　himself；　was　a　pretty　little　Bavarian
lieutenant；　very　dark　and　regular；　and　the　bride　was　as　pretty　and　as
little；　but　delicately　blond。　　Nature　had　admirably　mated　them；　and　if
art　had　helped　to　bring　them　together　through　the　genius　of　the　bride's
mother；　who　was　breakfasting　with　them；　it　had　wrought　almost　as　fitly。
Mrs。　March　queried　impartially　who　they　were；　where　they　met；　and　how；
and　just　when　they　were　going　to　be　married；　and　March　consented；　in　his
personal　immunity　from　their　romance；　to　let　it　go　on　under　his　eyes
without　protest。　　But　later；　when　they　met　the　lovers　in　the　street；
walking　arm　in　arm；　with　the　bride's　mother　behind　them　gloating　upon
their　bliss；　he　said　the　woman　ought；　at　her　time　of　life；　to　be　ashamed
of　such　folly。　　She　must　know　that　this　affair；　by　nine　chances　out　of
ten；　could　not　fail　to　eventuate　at　the　best　in　a　marriage　as　tiresome　as
most　other　marriages；　and　yet　she　was　abandoning　herself　with　those
ignorant　young　people　to　the　illusion　that　it　was　the　finest　and　sweetest
thing　in　life。

〃Well；　isn't　it？〃　his　wife　asked。

〃Yes；　that's　the　worst　of　it。　　It　shows　how　poverty…stricken　life　really
is。　　We　want　somehow　to　believe　that　each　pair　of　lovers　will　find　the
good　we　have　missed；　and　be　as　happy　as　we　expected　to　be。〃

〃I　think　we　have　been　happy　enough；　and　that　we've　had　as　much　good　as
was　wholesome　for　us；〃　she　returned；　hurt。

〃You're　always　so　concrete！　　I　meant　us　in　the　abstract。　　But　if　you　will
be　personal；　I'll　say　that　you've　been　as　happy　as　you　deserve；　and　got
more　good　than　you　had　any　right　to。〃

She　laughed　with　him；　and　then　they　laughed　again　to　perceive　that　they
were　walking　arm　in　arm　too；　like　the　lovers；　whom　they　were　insensibly
following。

He　proposed　that　while　they　were　in　the　mood　they　should　go　again　to　the
old　cemetery；　and　see　the　hinged　jaw　of　the　murdered　Paumgartner；　wagging
in　eternal　accusation　of　his　murderess。　　〃It's　rather　hard　on　her；　that
he　should　be　having　the　last　word；　that　way；〃　he　said。　　〃She　was　a　woman；
no　matter　what　mistakes　she　had　committed。〃

〃That's　what　I　call　'banale'；〃　said　Mrs。　March。

〃It　is；　rather；〃　he　confessed。　　〃It　makes　me　feel　as　if　I　must　go　to　see
the　house　of　Durer；　after　all。〃

〃Well；　I　knew　we　should　have　to；　sooner　or　later。〃

It　was　the　thing　that　they　had　said　would　not　do；　in　Nuremberg；　because
everybody　did　it；　but　now　they　hailed　a　fiacre；　and　ordered　it　driven　to
Durer's　house；　which　they　found　in　a　remote　part　of　the　town　near　a
stretch　of　the　city　wall；　varied　in　its　picturesqueness　by　the
interposition　of　a　dripping　grove；　it　was　raining　again　by　the　time　they
reached　it。　　The　quarter　had　lapsed　from　earlier　dignity；　and　without
being　squalid；　it　looked　worn　and　hard　worked；　otherwise　it　could　hardly
have　been　different　in　Durer's　time。　　His　dwelling；　in　no　way　impressive
outside；　amidst　the　environing　quaintness；　stood　at　the　corner　of　a
narrow　side…hill　street　that　sloped　cityward；　and　within　it　was　stripped
bare　of　all　the　furniture　of　life　below…stairs；　and　above　was　none　the
cozier　for　the　stiff　appointment　of　a　show…house。　　It　was　cavernous　and
cold；　but　if　there　had　been　a　fire　in　the　kitchen；　and　a　table　laid　in
the　dining…room；　and　beds　equipped　for　nightmare；　after　the　German
fashion；　in　the　empty　chambers；　one　could　have　imagined　a　kindly；　simple；
neighborly　existence　there。　　It　in　no　wise　suggested　the　calling　of　an
artist；　perhaps　because　artists　had　not　begun　in　Durer's　time　to　take
themselves　so　objectively　as　they　do　now；　but　it　implied　the　life　of　a
prosperous　citizen；　and　it　expressed　the　period。

The　Marches　wrote　their　names　in　the　visitors'　book；　and　paid　the
visitor's　fee；　which　also　bought　them　tickets　in　an　annual　lottery　for　a
reproduction　of　one　of　Durer's　pictures；　and　then　they　came　away；　by　no
means　dissatisfied　with　his　house。　　By　its　association　with　his　sojourns
in　Italy　it　recalled　visits　to　other　shrines；　and　they　had　to　own　that　it
was　really　no　worse　than　Ariosto's　house　at　Ferrara；　or　Petrarch's　at
Arqua；　or　Michelangelo's　at　Florence。　　〃But　what　I　admire；〃　he　said；　〃is
our　futility　in　going　to　see　it。　　We　expected　to　surprise　some　quality　of
the　man　left　lying　about　in　the　house　because　he　lived　and　died　in　it；
and　because　his　wife　kept　him　up　so　close　there；　and　worked　him　so　hard
to　save　his　widow　from　coming　to　want。〃

〃Who　said　she　did　that？〃

〃A　friend　of　his　who　hated　her。　　But　he　had　to　allow　that　she　was　a　God…
fearing　woman；　and　had　a　New　England　conscience。〃

〃Well；　I　dare　say　Durer　was　easy…going。〃

〃Yes；　but　I　don't　like　her　laying　her　plans　to　survive　him；　though　women
always　do　that。〃

They　were　going　away　the　next　day；　and　they　sat　down　that　evening　to　a
final　supper　in　such　good…humor　with　themselves　that　they　were　willing　to
include　a　young　couple　who　came　to　take　places　at　their　table；　though
they　would　rather　have　been　alone。　　They　lifted　their　eyes　for　their
expected　salutation；　and　recognized　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Leffers；　of　the
Norumbia。

The　ladies　fell　upon　each　other　as　if　they　had　been　mother　and　daughter；
March　and　the　young　man　shook　hands；　in　the　feeling　of　passengers
mutually　endeared　by　the　memories　of　a　pleasant　voyage。　　They　arrived　at
the　fact　that　Mr。　Leffers　had　received　letters　in　England　from　his
partners　which　allowed　him　to　prolong　his　wedding　journey　in　a　tour　of
the　continent；　while　their　wives　were　still　exclaiming　at　their　encounter
in　the　same　hotel　at　Nuremberg；　and　then　they　all　sat　down　to　have；　as
the　bride　said；　a　real　Norumbia　time。

She　was　one　of　those　young　wives　who　talk　always　with　their　eyes
submissively　on　their　husbands；　no　matter　whom　they　are　speaking　to；
but　she　was　already　unconsciously　ruling　him　in　her　abeyance。　　No　doubt
she　was　ruling　him　for　his　good；　she　had　a　livelier；　mind　than　he；　and
she　knew　more；　as　the　American　wives　of　young　American　business　men
always　do；　and　she　was　planning　wisely　for　their　travels。　　She　recognized
her　merit　in　this　devotion　with　an　artless　candor；　which　was　typical
rather　than　personal。　　March　was　glad　to　go　out　with　Leffers　for　a　little
stroll；　and　to　leave　Mrs。　March　to　listen　to　Mrs。　Leffers；　who　did　not
let　them　go　without　making　her　husband　promise　to　wrap　up　well；　and　not
get　his　feet　wet。　　She　made　March　promise　not　to　take　him　far；　and　to
bring　him　back　early；　which　he　found　himself　very　willing　to　do；　after　an
exchange　of　ideas　with　Mr。　Leffers。　　The　young　man　began　to　talk　about
his　wife；　in　her　providential；　her　almost　miraculous　adaptation　to　the
sort　of　man　he　was；　and　when　he　had　once　begun　to　explain　what　sort　of
man　he　was；　there　was　no　end　to　it；　till　they　rejoined　the　ladies　in　the
reading…room。




XLVII。

The　young　couple　came　to　the　station　to　see　the　Marches　off　after　dinner
the　next　day；　and　the　wife　left　a　bank　of　flowers　on　the　seat　beside　Mrs。
March；　who　said；　as　soon　as　they　were　gone；　〃I　believe　I　would　rather
meet　people　of　our　own　age　after　this。　　I　used　to　think　that　you　could
keep　young　by　being　with　young　people；　but　I　don't；　now。　　There　world　is
very　different　from　ours。　　Our　world　doesn't　really　exist　any　more；　but
as　long　as　we　keep　away　from　theirs　we　needn't　realize　it。　　Young
people；〃　she　went　on；　〃are　more　practical…minded　than　we　used　to　be；
they're　quite　as　sentimental；　but　I　don't　think　they　care　so　much　for　the
higher　things。　　They're　not　so　much　brought　up　on　poetry　as　we　were；〃　she
pursued。　　〃That　little　Mrs。　Leffers　would　have　read　Longfellow　in　our
time；　but　now　she　didn't　know　of　his　poem　on　Nuremberg；　she　was
intelligent　enough　about　the　place；　but　you　could　see　that　its　quaintness
was　not　so　precious　as　it　was　to　us；　not　so　sacred。〃　　Her　tone　entreated
him　to　find　more　meaning　in　her　words　than　she　had　put　into　them。　　〃They
couldn't　have　felt　as　we　did　about　that　old　ivied　wall　and　that　grassy；
flowery　moat　under　it；　and　the　beautiful　Damenthor　and　that　pile…up　of
the　roofs　from　the　Burg；　and　those　winding　streets　with　their　Gothic
facades　all；　cobwebbed　with　trolley　wires；　and　that　yellow；　aguish…
looking　river　drowsing　through　the　town　under　the　windows　of　those
overhanging　houses；　and　the　market…place；　and　the　squares　before　the
churches；　with　their　queer　shops　in　the　nooks　and　corners　round　them！〃

〃I　see　what　you　mean。　　But　do　you　think　it's　as　sacred　to　us　as　it　would
have　been　twenty…five　years　ago？　　I　had　an　irreverent　feeling　now　and
then　that　Nuremberg　was　overdoing　Nuremberg。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　so　had　I。　　We're　that　modern；　if　we're　not　so　young　as　we
were。〃

〃We　were　very　simple；　in　those　days。〃

〃Well；　if　we　were　simple；　we　knew　it！〃

〃Yes；　we　used　to　like　taking　our　unconsciousness　to　pieces　and　looking　at
it。〃

〃We　had　a　good　time。〃

〃Too　good。　　Sometimes　it　seems　as　if　it　would　have　lasted　longer　if　it
had　not　been　so　good。　　We　might　have　our　cake　now　if　we　hadn't　eaten　it。〃

〃It　would　be　mouldy；　though。〃

〃I　wonder；〃　he　said；　recurring　to　the　Lefferses；　〃how　we　really　struck
them。〃

〃Well；　I　don't　believe　they　thought　we　ought　t