their silver wedding journey v2-第4部分

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the　diet；　too。　　I've　e't　more　cooked　fruit　since　I　been　here　than　I　ever
did　in　my　life　before。　　Prunes？　　My　Lord；　I'm　full　o'　prunes！　　Well；　it
does　me　good　to　see　an　American；　to　know　him。　　I　couldn't　'a'　told　you；
it　you　hadn't　have　spoken。〃

〃Well；〃　said　March；　〃I　shouldn't　have　been　so　sure　of　you；　either；　by
your　looks。〃

〃Yes；　we　can't　always　tell　ourselves　from　these　Dutch。　　But　they　know　us；
and　they　don't　want　us；　except　just　for　one　thing；　and　that's　our　money。
I　tell　you；　the　Americans　are　the　chumps　over　here。　　Soon's　they　got　all
our　money；　or　think　they　have；　they　say；　〃Here；　you　Americans；　this　is　my
country；　you　get　off；　and　we　got　to　get。　　Ever　been　over　before？〃

〃A　great　while　ago；　so　long　that　I　can　hardly　believe　it。〃

It's　my　first　time。　　My　name's　Otterson：　I'm　from　out　in　Iowa。〃

March　gave　him　his　name；　and　added　that　he　was　from　New　York。

〃Yes。　　I　thought　you　was　Eastern。　　But　that　wasn't　an　Eastern　man　you　was
just　with？〃

〃No；　he's　from　Chicago。　　He's　a　Mr。　Stoller。〃

〃Not　the　buggy　man？〃

〃I　believe　he　makes　buggies。〃

〃Well；　you　do　meet　everybody　here。〃　　The　Iowan　was　silent　for　a　moment；
as　if；　hushed　by　the　weighty　thought。　　〃I　wish　my　wife　could　have　seen
him。　　I　just　want　her　to　see　the　man　that　made　our　buggy。　　I　don't　know
what's　keeping　her；　this　morning；〃　he　added；　apologetically。　　〃Look　at
that　fellow；　will　you；　tryin'　to　get　away　from　those　women！〃　　A　young
officer　was　doing　his　best　to　take　leave　of　two　ladies；　who　seemed　to　be
mother　and　daughter；　they　detained　him　by　their　united　arts；　and　clung　to
him　with　caressing　words　and　looks。　　He　was　red　in　the　face　with　his
polite　struggles　when　he　broke　from　them　at　last。　　〃How　they　do　hang　on
to　a　man；　over　here！〃　　the　Iowa　man　continued。　　〃And　the　Americans　are　as
bad　as　any。　　Why；　there's　one　ratty　little　Englishman　up　at　our　place；
and　our　girls　just　swarm　after　him；　their　mothers　are　worse。　　Well；　it's
so；　Jenny；〃　he　said　to　the　lady　who　had　joined　them　and　whom　March　turned
round　to　see　when　he　spoke　to　her。　　〃If　I　wanted　a　foreigner　I　should　go
in　for　a　man。　　And　these　officers！　　Put　their　mustaches　up　at　night　in
curl…papers；　they　tell　me。　　Introduce　you　to　Mrs。　Otterson；　Mr。　March。
Well；　had　your　first　glass；　yet；　Jenny？　　I'm　just　going　for　my　second
tumbler。〃

He　took　his　wife　back　to　the　spring；　and　began　to　tell　her　about　Stoller；
she　made　no　sign　of　caring　for　him；　and　March　felt　inculpated。　　She
relented　a　little　toward　him　as　they　drank　together；　when　he　said　he　must
be　going　to　breakfast　with　his　wife；　she　asked　where　he　breakfasted；　and
said；　〃Why；　we　go　to　the　Posthof；　too。〃　　He　answered　that　then　they
should　be　sure　some　time　to　meet　there；　he　did　not　venture　further；　he
reflected　that　Mrs。　March　had　her　reluctances　too；　she　distrusted　people
who　had　amused　or　interested　him　before　she　met　them。




XXIX。

Burnamy　had　found　the　Posthof　for　them；　as　he　had　found　most　of　the　other
agreeable　things　in　Carlsbad；　which　he　brought　to　their　knowledge　one　by
one；　with　such　forethought　that　March　said　he　hoped　he　should　be　cared
for　in　his　declining　years　as　an　editor　rather　than　as　a　father；　there
was　no　tenderness　like　a　young　contributor's。

Many　people　from　the　hotels　on　the　hill　found　at　Pupp's　just　the　time　and
space　between　their　last　cup　of　water　and　their　first　cup　of　coffee　which
are　prescribed　at　Carlsbad；　but　the　Marches　were　aware　somehow　from　the
beginning　that　Pupp's　had　not　the　hold　upon　the　world　at　breakfast　which
it　had　at　the　mid…day　dinner；　or　at　supper　on　the　evenings　when　the
concert　was　there。　　Still　it　was　amusing；　and　they　were　patient　of
Burnamy's　delay　till　he　could　get　a　morning　off　from　Stoller　and　go　with
them　to　the　Posthof。　　He　met　Mrs。　March　in　the　reading…room；　where　March
was　to　join　them　on　his　way　from　the　springs　with　his　bag　of　bread。　　The
earlier　usage　of　buying　the　delicate　pink　slices　of　Westphalia　ham；　which
form　the　chief　motive　of　a　Carlsbad　breakfast；　at　a　certain　shop　in　the
town；　and　carrying　them　to　the　caf？with　you；　is　no　longer　of　such
binding　force　as　the　custom　of　getting　your　bread　at　the　Swiss　bakery。
You　choose　it　yourself　at　the　counter；　which　begins　to　be　crowded　by　half
past　seven；　and　when　you　have　collected　the　prescribed　loaves　into　the
basket　of　metallic　filigree　given　you　by　one　of　the　baker's　maids；　she
puts　it　into　a　tissue…paper　bag　of　a　gay　red　color；　and　you　join　the
other　invalids　streaming　away　from　the　bakery；　their　paper　bags　making　a
festive　rustling　as　they　go。

Two　roads　lead　out　of　the　town　into　the　lovely　meadow…lands；　a　good　mile
up　the　brawling　Tepl；　before　they　join　on　the　right　side　of　the　torrent；
where　the　Posthof　lurks　nestled　under　trees　whose　boughs　let　the　sun　and
rain　impartially　through　upon　its　army　of　little　tables。　　By　this　time
the　slow　omnibus　plying　between　Carlsbad　and　some　villages　in　the　valley
beyond　has　crossed　from　the　left　bank　to　the　right；　and　keeps　on　past
half　a　dozen　other　cafes；　where　patients　whose　prescriptions　marshal　them
beyond　the　Posthof　drop　off　by　the　dozens　and　scores。

The　road　on　the　left　bank　of　the　Tepl　is　wild　and　overhung　at　points　with
wooded　steeps；　when　it　leaves　the　town；　but　on　the　right　it　is　bordered
with　shops　and　restaurants　a　great　part　of　its　length。　　In　leafy　nooks
between　these；　uphill　walks　begin　their　climb　of　the　mountains；　from　the
foot　of　votive　shrines　set　round　with　tablets　commemorating　in　German；
French；　Russian；　Hebrew；　Magyar　and　Czech；　the　cure　of　high…well…borns　of
all　those　races　and　languages。　　Booths　glittering　with　the　lapidary's
work　in　the　cheaper　gems；　or　full　of　the　ingenious　figures　of　the　toy…
makers；　alternate　with　the　shrines　and　the　cafes　on　the　way　to　the
Posthof；　and　with　their　shoulders　against　the　overhanging　cliff；　spread
for　the　passing　crowd　a　lure　of　Viennese　jewelry　in　garnets；　opals；
amethysts；　and　the　like；　and　of　such　Bohemian　playthings　as　carrot…eating
rabbits；　worsted…working　cats；　dancing…bears；　and　peacocks　that　strut
about　the　feet　of　the　passers　and　expand　their　iridescent　tails　in　mimic
pride。

Burnamy　got　his　charges　with　difficulty　by　the　shrines　in　which　they　felt
the　far…reflected　charm　of　the　crucifixes　of　the　white…hot　Italian
highways　of　their　early　travel；　and　by　the　toyshops　where　they　had　a
mechanical；　out…dated　impulse　to　get　something　for　the　children；　ending
in　a　pang　for　the　fact　that　they　were　children　no　longer。　　He　waited
politely　while　Mrs。　March　made　up　her　mind　that　she　would　not　buy　any
laces　of　the　motherly　old　women　who　showed　them　under　pent…roofs　on　way…
side　tables；　and　he　waited　patiently　at　the　gate　of　the　flower…gardens
beyond　the　shops　where　March　bought　lavishly　of　sweetpease　from　the
businesslike　flower…woman；　and　feigned　a　grateful　joy　in　her　because　she
knew　no　English；　and　gave　him　a　chance　of　speaking　his　German。

〃You'll　find；〃　he　said；　as　they　crossed　the　road　again；　〃that　it's　well
to　trifle　a　good　deal；　it　makes　the　time　pass。　　I　should　still　be　lagging
along　in　my　thirties　if　it　hadn't　been　for　fooling；　and　here　I　am　well　on
in　my　fifties；　and　Mrs。　March　is　younger　than　ever。〃

They　were　at　the　gate　of　the　garden　and　grounds　of　the　caf？at　last；　and
a　turn　of　the　path　brought　them　to　the　prospect　of　its　tables；　under　the
trees；　between　the　two　long　glazed　galleries　where　the　breakfasters　take
refuge　at　other　tables　when　it　rains；　it　rains　nearly　always；　and　the
trunks　of　the　trees　are　as　green　with　damp　as　if　painted；　but　that
morning　the　sun　was　shining。　　At　the　verge　of　the　open　space　a　group　of
pretty　serving…maids；　each　with　her　name　on　a　silver　band　pinned　upon　her
breast；　met　them　and　bade　them　a　'Guten　Morgen'　of　almost　cheerful　note；
but　gave　way；　to　an　eager　little　smiling　blonde；　who　came　pushing　down
the　path　at　sight　of　Burnamy；　and　claimed　him　for　her　own。

〃Ah；　Lili！　　We　want　an　extra　good　table；　this　morning。　　These　are　some
American　Excellencies；　and　you　must　do　your　best　for　them。〃

〃Oh；　yes；〃　the　girl　answered　in　English；　after　a　radiant　salutation　of
the　Marches；　〃　I　get　you　one。

〃You　are　a　little　more　formerly；　to…day；　and　I　didn't　had　one　already。〃

She　ran　among　the　tables　along　the　edge　of　the　western　edge　of　the
gallery；　and　was　far　beyond　hearing　his　protest　that　he　was　not　earlier
than　usual　when　she　beckoned　him　to　the　table　she　had　found。　　She　had
crowded　it　in　between　two　belonging　to　other　girls；　and　by　the　time　her
breakfasters　came　up　she　was　ready　for　their　order；　with　the　pouting
pretence　that　the　girls　always　tried　to　rob　her　of　the　best　places。
Burnamy　explained　proudly；　when　she　went；　that　none　of　the　other　girls
ever　got　an　advantage　of　her；　she　had　more　custom　than　any　three　of　them；
and　she　had　hired　a　man　to　help　her　carry　her　orders。　　The　girls　were　all
from　the　neighboring　villages；　he　said；　and　they　lived　at　home　in　the
winter　on　their　summer　tips；　their　wages　were　nothing；　or　less；　for
sometimes　they　paid　for　their　places。

〃What　a　mass　of　information！〃　said　March。　　〃How　did　you　come　by　it？〃

〃Newspaper　habit　of　interviewing　the　universe。〃

〃It's　not　a　bad　habit；　if　one　doesn't　carry　it　too　far。　　How　did　Lili
learn　her　English？〃

〃She　takes　lessons　in　the　winter。　　She's　a　perfect　little　electric　motor。
I　don't　believe　any　Yankee　girl　could　equal　her。〃

〃She　would　expect　to　marry　a　millionaire　if　she　did。　　What　astonishes　one
over　here　is　to　see　how　contentedly　people　prosper　along　on　their　own
level。　　And　the　women　do　twice　the　work　of　the　men　without　expecting　to
equal　them　in　any　other　way。　　At　Pupp's；　if　we　go　to　one　end　of　the　out…
door　restaurant；　it　takes　three　men　to　wait　on　us：　one　to　bring　our
coffee　or　tea；　another　to　bring　our　bread　and　meat；　and　another　to　make
out　our　bill；　and　I　have　to　tip　all　three　of　them。　　If　we　go　to　the　other
end；　one　girl　serves　us；　and　I　have　to　give　only　one　fee；　I　make　it　less
than　the　least　I　give　any　three　of　the　men　waiters。〃

〃You　ought　to　be　ashamed　of　that；〃　said　his　wife。

〃I'm　not。　　I'm　simply　proud　of　your　sex；　my　dear。〃

〃Women　do　nearly　everything；　here；〃　said　Burnamy；　impartially。　　〃They
built　that　big　new　Kaiserbad　building：　mixed　the　mortar；