their silver wedding journey v2-第8部分

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astonishment　from　which　they　had　to　recover　before　they　could　begin　to
talk；　but　from　the　first　moment　Mrs。　March　perceived　that　Mrs。　Adding　had
something　to　say。　　The　more　freely　to　say　it　she　asked　Mrs。　March　into
her　hotel；　which　was　in　the　same　street　with　the　pension　of　the　Triscoes；
and　she　let　her　boy　go　off　about　the　exploration　of　Carlsbad；　he　promised
to　be　back　in　an　hour。

〃Well；　now　what　scrape　are　you　in？〃　March　asked　when　his　wife　came　home；
and　began　to　put　off　her　things；　with　signs　of　excitement　which　he　could
not　fail　to　note。　　He　was　lying　down　after　a　long　tramp；　and　he　seemed
very　comfortable。

His　question　suggested　something　of　anterior　import；　and　she　told　him
about　the　silhouettes；　and　the　advantage　the　young　people　had　taken　of
their　power　over　her　through　their　knowledge　of　her　foolish　behavior　at
the　ball。

He　said；　lazily：　〃They　seem　to　be　working　you　for　all　you're　worth。　　Is
that　it？〃

〃No；　there　is　something　worse。　　Something's　happened　which　throws　all
that　quite　in　the　shade。　　Mrs。　Adding　is　here。〃

〃Mrs。　Adding？〃　he　repeated；　with　a　dimness　for　names　which　she　would　not
allow　was　growing　on　him。

〃Don't　be　stupid；　dear！　　Mrs。　Adding；　who　sat　opposite　Mr。　Kenby　on　the
Norumbia。　　The　mother　of　the　nice　boy。〃

〃Oh；　yes！　Well；　that's　good！〃

〃No；　it　isn't！　　Don't　say　such　a　thingtill　you　know！〃　she　cried；　with　a
certain　shrillness　which　warned　him　of　an　unfathomed　seriousness　in　the
fact。　　He　sat　up　as　if　better　to　confront　the　mystery。　　〃I　have　been　at
her　hotel；　and　she　has　been　telling　me　that　she's　just　come　from　Berlin；
and　that　Mr。　Kenby's　been　there；　and　Now　I　won't　have　you　making　a　joke
of　it；　or　breaking　out　about　it；　as　if　it　were　not　a　thing　to　be　looked
for；　though　of　course　with　the　others　on　our　hands　you're　not　to　blame
for　not　thinking　of　it。　　But　you　can　see　yourself　that　she's　young　and
good…looking。　　She　did　speak　beautifully　of　her　son；　and　if　it　were　not
for　him；　I　don't　believe　she　would　hesitate〃

〃For　heaven's　sake；　what　are　you　driving　at？〃　March　broke　in；　and　she
answered　him　as　vehemently：

〃He's　asked　her　to　marry　him！〃

〃Kenby？　　Mrs。　Adding？〃

〃Yes！〃

〃Well；　now；　Isabel；　this　won't　do！　　They　ought　to　be　ashamed　of
themselves。　　With　that　morbid；　sensitive　boy！　It's　shocking〃

〃Will　you　listen？　　Or　do　you　want　me　to　stop？〃　　He　arrested　himself　at
her　threat；　and　she　resumed；　after　giving　her　contempt　of　his　turbulence
time　to　sink　in；　〃She　refused　him；　of　course！〃

〃Oh；　all　right；　then！〃

〃You　take　it　in　such　a　way　that　I've　a　great　mind　not　to　tell　you
anything　more　about　it。〃

〃I　know　you　have；〃　he　said；　stretching　himself　out　again；　〃but　you'll　do
it；　all　the　same。　　You'd　have　been　awfully　disappointed　if　I　had　been
calm　and　collected。〃

〃She　refused　him；〃　she　began　again；　〃although　she　respects　him；　because
she　feels　that　she　ought　to　devote　herself　to　her　son。　　Of　course　she's
very　young；　still；　she　was　married　when　she　was　only　nineteen　to　a　man
twice　her　age；　and　she's　not　thirty…five　yet。　　I　don't　think　she　ever
cared　much　for　her　husband；　and　she　wants　you　to　find　out　something　about
him。〃

〃I　never　heard　of　him。　　I〃

Mrs。　March　made　a　〃tchck！〃　that　would　have　recalled　the　most　consequent
of　men　from　the　most　logical　and　coherent　interpretation　to　the　true
intent　of　her　words。　　He　perceived　his　mistake；　and　said；　resolutely：
〃Well；　I　won't　do　it。　　If　she's　refused　him；　that's　the　end　of　it；　she
needn't　know　anything　about　him；　and　she　has　no　right　to。〃

〃Now　I　think　differently；〃　said　Mrs。　March；　with　an　inductive　air。
〃Of　course　she　has　to　know　about　him；　now。〃　　She　stopped；　and　March
turned　his　head　and　looked　expectantly　at　her。　　〃He　said　he　would　not
consider　her　answer　final；　but　would　hope　to　see　her　again　and　She's
afraid　he　may　follow　her　What　are　you　looking　at　me　so　for？〃

〃Is　he　coming　here？〃

〃Am　I　to　blame　if　he　is？　　He　said　he　was　going　to　write　to　her。〃

March　burst　into　a　laugh。　　〃Well；　they　haven't　been　beating　about　the
bush！　　When　I　think　how　Miss　Triscoe　has　been　pursuing　Burnamy　from　the
first　moment　she　set　eyes　on　him；　with　the　settled　belief　that　she　was
running　from　him；　and　he　imagines　that　he　has　been　boldly　following　her；
without　the　least　hope　from　her；　I　can't　help　admiring　the　simple
directness　of　these　elders。〃

〃And　if　Kenby　wants　to　talk　with　you；　what　will　you　say？〃　she　cut　in
eagerly。

〃I'll　say　I　don't　like　the　subject。　　What　am　I　in　Carlsbad　for？　　I　came
for　the　cure；　and　I'm　spending　time　and　money　on　it。　　I　might　as　well　go
and　take　my　three　cups　of　Felsenquelle　on　a　full　stomach　as　to　listen　to
Kenby。〃

〃I　know　it's　bad　for　you；　and　I　wish　we　had　never　seen　those　people；〃
said　Mrs。　March。　　〃I　don't　believe　he'll　want　to　talk　with　you；　but　if〃

〃Is　Mrs。　Adding　in　this　hotel？　　I'm　not　going　to　have　them　round　in　my
bread…trough！〃

〃She　isn't。　　She's　at　one　of　the　hotels　on　the　hill。〃

〃Very　well；　let　her　stay　there；　then。　　They　can　manage　their　love…affairs
in　their　own　way。　　The　only　one　I　care　the　least　for　is　the　boy。〃

〃Yes；　it　is　forlorn　for　him。　　But　he　likes　Mr。　Kenby；　and　　No；　it's
horrid；　and　you　can't　make　it　anything　else！〃

〃Well；　I'm　not　trying　to。〃　　He　turned　his　face　away。　　〃I　must　get　my　nap；
now。〃　　After　she　thought　he　must　have　fallen　asleep；　he　said；　〃The　first
thing　you　know；　those　old　Eltwins　will　be　coming　round　and　telling　us
that　they're　going　to　get　divorced。〃　　Then　he　really　slept。




XXXII。

The　mid…day　dinner　at　Pupp's　was　the　time　to　see　the　Carlsbad　world；　and
the　Marches　had　the　habit　of　sitting　long　at　table　to　watch　it。

There　was　one　family　in　whom　they　fancied　a　sort　of　literary　quality；　as
if　they　had　come　out　of　some　pleasant　German　story；　but　they　never　knew
anything　about　them。　　The　father　by　his　dress　must　have　been　a　Protestant
clergyman；　the　mother　had　been　a　beauty　and　was　still　very　handsome；　the
daughter　was　good…looking；　and　of　a　good…breeding　which　was　both　girlish
and　ladylike。　　They　commended　themselves　by　always　taking　the　table
d'hote　dinner；　as　the　Marches　did；　and　eating　through　from　the　soup　and
the　rank　fresh…water　fish　to　the　sweet；　upon　the　same　principle：　the
husband　ate　all　the　compote　and　gave　the　others　his　dessert；　which　was
not　good　for　him。　　A　young　girl　of　a　different　fascination　remained　as
much　a　mystery。　　She　was　small　and　of　an　extreme　tenuity；　which　became
more　bewildering　as　she　advanced　through　her　meal；　especially　at　supper；
which　she　made　of　a　long　cucumber　pickle；　a　Frankfort　sausage　of　twice
the　pickle's　length；　and　a　towering　goblet　of　beer；　in　her　lap　she　held　a
shivering　little　hound；　she　was　in　the　decorous　keeping　of　an　elderly
maid；　and　had　every　effect　of　being　a　gracious　Fraulein。　　A　curious
contrast　to　her　Teutonic　voracity　was　the　temperance　of　a　young　Latin
swell；　imaginably　from　Trieste；　who　sat　long　over　his　small　coffee　and
cigarette；　and　tranquilly　mused　upon　the　pages　of　an　Italian　newspaper。
At　another　table　there　was　a　very　noisy　lady；　short　and　fat；　in　flowing
draperies　of　white；　who　commanded　a　sallow　family　of　South…Americans；　and
loudly　harangued　them　in　South…American　Spanish；　she　flared　out　in　a
picture　which　nowhere　lacked　strong　effects；　and　in　her　background　lurked
a　mysterious　black　face　and　figure；　ironically　subservient　to　the　old
man；　the　mild　boy；　and　the　pretty　young　girl　in　the　middle　distance　of
the　family　group。

Amidst　the　shows　of　a　hardened　worldliness　there　were　touching　glimpses
of　domesticity　and　heart：　a　young　bride　fed　her　husband　soup　from　her　own
plate　with　her　spoon；　unabashed　by　the　publicity；　a　mother　and　her　two
pretty　daughters　hung　about　a　handsome　officer；　who　must　have　been　newly
betrothed　to　one　of　the　girls；　and；　the　whole　family　showed　a　helpless
fondness　for　him；　which　he　did　not　despise；　though　he　held　it　in　check；
the　girls　dressed　alike；　and　seemed　to　have　for　their　whole　change　of
costume　a　difference　from　time　to　time　in　the　color　of　their　sleeves。
The　Marches　believed　they　had　seen　the　growth　of　the　romance　which　had
eventuated　so　happily；　and　they　saw　other　romances　which　did　not　in　any
wise　eventuate。　　Carlsbad　was　evidently　one　of　the　great　marriage　marts
of　middle　Europe；　where　mothers　brought　their　daughters　to　be　admired；
and　everywhere　the　flower　of　life　was　blooming　for　the　hand　of　love。
It　blew　by　on　all　the　promenades　in　dresses　and　hats　as　pretty　as　they
could　be　bought　or　imagined；　but　it　was　chiefly　at　Pupp's　that　it
flourished。　　For　the　most　part　it　seemed　to　flourish　in　vain；　and　to　be
destined　to　be　put　by　for　another　season　to　dream；　bulblike；　of　the
coming　summer　in　the　quiet　of　Moldavian　and　Transylvanian　homes。

Perhaps　it　was　oftener　of　fortunate　effect　than　the　spectators　knew；　but
for　their　own　pleasure　they　would　not　have　had　their　pang　for　it　less；
and　March　objected　to　having　a　more　explicit　demand　upon　his　sympathy。
〃We　could　have　managed；〃　he　said；　at　the　close　of　their　dinner；　as　he
looked　compassionately　round　upon　the　parterre　of　young　girls；　〃we　could
have　managed　with　Burnamy　and　Miss　Triscoe；　but　to　have　Mrs。　Adding　and
Kenby　launched　upon　us　is　too　much。　　Of　course　I　like　Kenby；　and　if　the
widow　alone　were　concerned　I　would　give　him　my　blessing：　a　wife　more　or　a
widow　less　is　not　going　to　disturb　the　equilibrium　of　the　universe；
but〃　　He　stopped；　and　then　he　went　on：　〃Men　and　women　are　well　enough。
They　complement　each　other　very　agreeably；　and　they　have　very　good　times
together。　　But　why　should　they　get　in　love？　It　is　sure　to　make　them
uncomfortable　to　themselves　and　annoying　to　others。〃　　He　broke　off；　and
stared　about　him。　　〃My　dear；　this　is　really　charmingalmost　as　charming
as　the　Posthof。〃　　The　crowd　spread　from　the　open　vestibule　of　the　hotel
and　the　shelter　of　its　branching　pavilion　roofs　until　it　was　dimmed　in
the　obscurity　of　the　low　grove　across　the　way　in　an　ultimate　depth　where
the　musicians　were　giving　the　afternoon　concert。　　Between　its　two
stationary　divisions　moved　a　current　of　promenaders；　with　some　such
effect　as　if　the　colors　of　a　lovely　garden　should　have　liquefied　and
flowed　in　mingled　rose　and　lilac；　pink　and　yellow；　and　white　and　orange；
and　all