their silver wedding journey v2-第6部分

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come　and　be　paid　before　she　came。　　Then　she　said；　〃It　is　so　nice；　when
you　stay　a　little；〃　and　when　he　told　her　of　the　poor　Fraulein　who　had
broken　the　dishes　in　her　fall　near　them；　she　almost　wept　with　tenderness；
she　almost　winked　with　wickedness　when　he　asked　if　the　American　princess
was　still　in　her　place。

〃Do　go　and　see　who　it　can　be！〃　Mrs。　March　entreated。　　〃We'll　wait　here；〃
and　he　obeyed。　　〃I　am　not　sure　that　I　like　him；〃　she　said；　as　soon　as　he
was　out　of　hearing。　　〃I　don't　know　but　he's　coarse；　after　all。　　Do　you
approve　of　his　knowing　so　many　people's　'taches'　already？〃

〃Would　it　be　any　better　later？〃　he　asked　in　tern。　　〃He　seemed　to　find　you
interested。〃

〃It's　very　different　with　us；　we're　not　young；〃　she　urged；　only　half
seriously。

Her　husband　laughed。　　〃I　see　you　want　me　to　defend　him。　　Oh；　hello！〃
he　cried；　and　she　saw　Burnamy　coming　toward　them　with　a　young　lady；　who
was　nodding　to　them　from　as　far　as　she　could　see　them。　　〃This　is　the　easy
kind　of　thing　that　makes　you　Blush　for　the　author　if　you　find　it　in　a
novel。〃




XXX。

Mrs。　March　fairly　took　Miss　Triscoe　in　her　arms　to　kiss　her。　　〃Do　you
know　I　felt　it　must　be　you；　all　the　time！　　When　did　you　come？　　Where　is
your　father？　　What　hotel　are　you　staying　at？〃

It　appeared；　while　Miss　Triscoe　was　shaking　hands　with　March；　that　it　was
last　night；　and　her　father　was　finishing　his　breakfast；　and　it　was　one　of
the　hotels　on　the　hill。　　On　the　way　back　to　her　father　it　appeared　that
he　wished　to　consult　March's　doctor；　not　that　there　was　anything　the
matter。

The　general　himself　was　not　much　softened　by　the　reunion　with　his　fellow…
Americans；　he　confided　to　them　that　his　coffee　was　poisonous；　but　he
seemed；　standing　up　with　the　Paris…New　York　Chronicle　folded　in　his　hand；
to　have　drunk　it　all。　　Was　March　going　off　on　his　forenoon　tramp？　　He
believed　that　was　part　of　the　treatment；　which　was　probably　all　humbug；；
though　he　thought　of　trying　it；　now　he　was　there。　　He　was　told　the　walks
were　fine；　he　looked　at　Burnamy　as　if　he　had　been　praising　them；　and
Burnamy　said　he　had　been　wondering　if　March　would　not　like　to　try　a
mountain　path　back　to　his　hotel；　he　said；　not　so　sincerely；　that　he
thought　Mrs。　March　would　like　it。

〃I　shall　like　your　account　of　it；〃　she　answered。　　〃But　I'll　walk　back　on
a　level；　if　you　please。〃

〃Oh；　yes；〃　Miss　Triscoe　pleaded；　〃come　with　us！〃

She　played　a　little　comedy　of　meaning　to　go　back　with　her　father　so
gracefully　that　Mrs。　March　herself　could　scarcely　have　told　just　where
the　girl's　real　purpose　of　going　with　Burnamy　began　to　be　evident；　or
just　how　she　managed　to　make　General　Triscoe　beg　to　have　the　pleasure　of
seeing　Mrs。　March　back　to　her　hotel。

March　went　with　the　young　people　across　the　meadow　behind　the　Posthof　and
up　into　the　forest；　which　began　at　the　base　of　the　mountain。　　At　first
they　tried　to　keep　him　in　the　range　of　their　talk；　but　he　fell　behind
more　and　more；　and　as　the　talk　narrowed　to　themselves　it　was　less　and
less　possible　to　include　him　in　it。　　When　it　began　to　concern　their
common　appreciation　of　the　Marches；　they　even　tried　to　get　out　of　his
hearing。

〃They're　so　young　in　their　thoughts；〃　said　Burnamy；　〃and　they　seem　as
much　interested　in　everything　as　they　could　have　been　thirty　years　ago。
They　belong　to　a　time　when　the　world　was　a　good　deal　fresher　than　it　is
now；　don't　you　think？　　I　mean；　in　the　eighteen…sixties。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　I　can　see　that。〃

〃I　don't　know　why　we　shouldn't　be　born　older　in　each　generation　than
people　were　in　the　last。　　Perhaps　we　are；〃　he　suggested。

〃I　don't　know　how　you　mean；〃　said　the　girl；　keeping　vigorously　up　with
him；　she　let　him　take　the　jacket　she　threw　off；　but　she　would　not　have
his　hand　at　the　little　steeps　where　he　wanted　to　give　it。

〃I　don't　believe　I　can　quite　make　it　out　myself。　　But　fancy　a　man　that
began　to　act　at　twenty；　quite　unconsciously　of　course；　from　the　past
experience　of　the　whole　race〃

〃He　would　be　rather　a　dreadful　person；　wouldn't　he？〃

〃Rather　monstrous；　yes；〃　he　owned；　with　a　laugh。　　〃But　that's　where　the
psychological　interest　would　come　in。〃

As　if　she　did　not　feel　the　notion　quite　pleasant　she　turned　from　it。
〃I　suppose　you've　been　writing　all　sorts　of　things　since　you　came　here。〃

〃Well；　it　hasn't　been　such　a　great　while　as　it's　seemed；　and　I've　had　Mr。
Stoller's　psychological　interests　to　look　after。〃

〃Oh；　yes！　　Do　you　like　him？〃

〃I　don't　know。　　He's　a　lump　of　honest　selfishness。　　He　isn't　bad。　　You
know　where　to　have　him。　　He's　simple；　too。〃

〃You　mean；　like　Mr。　March？〃

〃I　didn't　mean　that；　but　why　not？　　They're　not　of　the　same　generation；
but　Stoller　isn't　modern。〃

〃I'm　very　curious　to　see　him；〃　said　the　girl。

〃Do　you　want　me　to　introduce　him？〃

〃You　can　introduce　him　to　papa。〃

They　stopped　and　looked　across　the　curve　of　the　mounting　path；　down　on
March；　who　had　sunk　on　a　way…side　seat；　and　was　mopping　his　forehead。　　He
saw　them；　and　called　up：　〃Don't　wait　for　me。　　I'll　join　you；　gradually。〃

〃I　don't　want　to　lose　you；〃　Burnamy　called　back；　but　he　kept　on　with　Miss
Triscoe。　　〃I　want　to　get　the　Hirschensprung　in；〃　he　explained。　　〃It's　the
cliff　where　a　hunted　deer　leaped　down　several　hundred　feet　to　get　away
from　an　emperor　who　was　after　him。〃

〃Oh；　yes。　　They　have　them　everywhere。〃

〃Do　they？　　Well；　anyway；　there's　a　noble　view　up　there。〃

There　was　no　view　on　the　way　up。　　The　Germans'　notion　of　a　woodland　is
everywhere　that　of　a　dense　forest　such　as　their　barbarous　tribes
primevally　herded　in。　　It　means　the　close…set　stems　of　trees；　with　their
tops　interwoven　in　a　roof　of　boughs　and　leaves　so　densely　that　you　may
walk　dry　through　it　almost　as　long　as　a　German　shower　lasts。　　When　the
sun　shines　there　is　a　pleasant　greenish　light　in　the　aisles；　shot　here
and　there　with　the　gold　that　trickles　through。　　There　is　nothing　of　the
accident　of　an　American　wood　in　these　forests；　which　have　been　watched
and　weeded　by　man　ever　since　they　burst　the　soil。　　They　remain　nurseries；
but　they　have　the　charm　which　no　human　care　can　alienate。　　The　smell　of
their　bark　and　their　leaves；　and　of　the　moist；　flowerless　earth　about
their　roots；　came　to　March　where　he　sat　rich　with　the　memories　of　his
country…bred　youth；　and　drugged　all　consciousness　of　his　long　life　in
cities　since；　and　made　him　a　part　of　nature；　with　dulled　interests　and
dimmed　perspectives；　so　that　for　the　moment　he　had　the　enjoyment　of
exemption　from　care。　　There　was　no　wild　life　to　penetrate　his　isolation；
no　birds；　not　a　squirrel；　not　an　insect；　an　old　man　who　had　bidden　him
good…morning；　as　he　came　up；　kept　fumbling　at　the　path　with　his　hoe；　and
was　less　intrusive　than　if　he　had　not　been　there。

March　thought　of　the　impassioned　existence　of　these　young　people　playing
the　inevitable　comedy　of　hide　and　seek　which　the　youth　of　the　race　has
played　from　the　beginning　of　time。　　The　other　invalids　who　haunted　the
forest；　and　passed　up　and　down　before　him　in　fulfilment　of　their　several
prescriptions；　had　a　thin　unreality　in　spite　of　the　physical　bulk　that
prevailed　among　them；　and　they　heightened　the　relief　that　the　forest…
spirit　brought　him　from　the　strenuous　contact　of　that　young　drama。　　He
had　been　almost　painfully　aware　that　the　persons　in　it　had　met；　however
little　they　knew　it；　with　an　eagerness　intensified　by　their　brief
separation；　and　he　fancied　it　was　the　girl　who　had　unconsciously　operated
their　reunion　in　response　to　the　young　man's　longing；　her　will　making
itself　electrically　felt　through　space　by　that　sort　of　wireless
telegraphy　which　love　has　long　employed；　and　science　has　just　begun　to
imagine。

He　would　have　been　willing　that　they　should　get　home　alone；　but　he　knew
that　his　wife　would　require　an　account　of　them　from　him；　and　though　he
could　have　invented　something　of　the　kind；　if　it　came　to　the　worst；　he
was　aware　that　it　would　not　do　for　him　to　arrive　without　them。　　The
thought　goaded　him　from　his　seat；　and　he　joined　the　upward　procession　of
his　fellow…sick；　as　it　met　another　procession　straggling　downward；　the
ways　branched　in　all　directions；　with　people　on　them　everywhere；　bent
upon　building　up　in　a　month　the　health　which　they　would　spend　the　rest　of
the　year　in　demolishing。

He　came　upon　his　charges　unexpectedly　at　a　turn　of　the　path；　and　Miss
Triscoe　told　him　that　he　ought　to　have　been　with　them　for　the　view　from
the　Hirschensprung。　　It　was　magnificent；　she　said；　and　she　made　Burnamy
corroborate　her　praise　of　it；　and　agree　with　her　that　it　was　worth　the
climb　a　thousand　times；　he　modestly　accepted　the　credit　she　appeared
willing　to　give　him；　of　inventing　the　Hirschensprung。




XXXI。

Between　his　work　for　Stoller　and　what　sometimes　seemed　the
obstructiveness　of　General　Triscoe；　Burnamy　was　not　very　much　with　Miss
Triscoe。　　He　was　not　devout；　but　he　went　every　Sunday　to　the　pretty
English　church　on　the　hill；　where　he　contributed　beyond　his　means　to　the
support　of　the　English　clergy　on　the　Continent；　for　the　sake　of　looking
at　her　back　hair　during　the　service；　and　losing　himself　in　the　graceful
lines　which　defined；　the　girl's　figure　from　the　slant　of　her　flowery　hat
to　the　point　where　the　pewtop　crossed　her　elastic　waist。　　One　happy
morning　the　general　did　not　come　to　church；　and　he　had　the　fortune　to
walk　home　with　her　to　her　pension；　where　she　lingered　with　him　a　moment；
and　almost　made　him　believe　she　might　be　going　to　ask　him　to　come　in。

The　next　evening；　when　he　was　sauntering　down　the　row　of　glittering　shops
beside　the　Tepl；　with　Mrs。　March；　they　overtook　the　general　and　his
daughter　at　a　place　where　the　girl　was　admiring　some　stork…scissors　in
the　window；　she　said　she　wished　she　were　still　little；　so　that　she　could
get　them。　　They　walked　home　with　the　Triscoes；　and　then　he　hurried　Mrs。
March　back　to　the　shop。　　The　man　had　already　put　up　his　shutters；　and　was
just　closing　his　door；　but　Burnamy　pushed　in；　and　asked　to　look　at　the
stork…scissors　they　had　seen　in　the　window。　　The　gas　was　out；　and　the
shopman　lighted　a　very　dim　candle；　to　show　them。

〃I　knew　you　wanted　to　get　them　for　her；　after　what　she　said；　Mrs。　March；〃
he　laughed；　nervously；　〃and　you　must　let　me　lend　you　the　money。〃

〃Why；　o