their silver wedding journey v2-第9部分

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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　the　middle　tints　of　modern　millinery。　　Above　on　one　side　were　the
agreeable　bulks　of　architecture；　in　the　buff　and　gray　of　Carlsbad；　and
far　beyond　on　the　other　were　the　upland　slopes；　with　villas　and　long
curves　of　country　roads；　belted　in　with　miles　of　wall。　　〃It　would　be
about　as　offensive　to　have　a　love…interest　that　one　personally　knew　about
intruded　here；〃　he　said；　〃as　to　have　a　two…spanner　carriage　driven
through　this　crowd。　　It　ought　to　be　forbidden　by　the　municipality。〃

Mrs。　March　listened　with　her　ears；　but　not　with　her　eyes；　and　she
answered：　〃See　that　handsome　young　Greek　priest！　　Isn't　he　an
archimandrite？　　The　portier　said　he　was。〃

〃Then　let　him　pass　for　an　archimandrite。　　Now；〃　he　recurred　to　his
grievance　again；　dreamily；　〃I　have　got　to　take　Papa　Triscoe　in　hand；　and
poison　his　mind　against　Burnamy；　and　I　shall　have　to　instil　a　few　drops
of　venomous　suspicion　against　Kenby　into　the　heart　of　poor　little　Rose
Adding。　　Oh；〃　he　broke　out；　〃they　will　spoil　everything。　　They'll　be　with
us　morning；　noon；　and　night；〃　and　he　went　on　to　work　the　joke　of　repining
at　his　lot。　　The　worst　thing；　he　said；　would　be　the　lovers'　pretence　of
being　interested　in　something　besides　themselves；　which　they　were　no　more
capable　of　than　so　many　lunatics。　　How　could　they　care　for　pretty　girls
playing　tennis　on　an　upland　level；　in　the　waning　afternoon？　　Or　a　cartful
of　peasant　women　stopping　to　cross　themselves　at　a　way…side　shrine？　　Or　a
whistling　boy　with　holes　in　his　trousers　pausing　from　some　wayside
raspberries　to　touch　his　hat　and　say　good…morning？　　Or　those　preposterous
maidens　sprinkling　linen　on　the　grass　from　watering…pots　while　the　skies
were　full　of　rain？　　Or　that　blacksmith　shop　where　Peter　the　Great　made　a
horseshoe。　　Or　the　monument　of　the　young　warrior…poet　Koerner；　with　a
gentle…looking　girl　and　her　mother　reading　and　knitting　on　a　bench　before
it？　　These　simple　pleasures　sufficed　them；　but　what　could　lovers　really
care　for　them？　　A　peasant　girl　flung　down　on　the　grassy　road…side；　fast
asleep；　while　her　yoke…fellow；　the　gray　old　dog；　lay　in　his　harness　near
her　with　one　drowsy　eye　half　open　for　her　and　the　other　for　the　contents
of　their　cart；　a　boy　chasing　a　red　squirrel　in　the　old　upper　town　beyond
the　Tepl；　and　enlisting　the　interest　of　all　the　neighbors；　the　negro
door…keeper　at　the　Golden　Shield　who　ought　to　have　spoken　our　Southern
English；　but　who　spoke　bad　German　and　was　from　Cairo；　the　sweet　afternoon
stillness　in　the　woods；　the　good　German　mothers　crocheting　at　the　Posthof
concerts。　　Burnamy　as　a　young　poet　might　hate　felt　the　precious　quality
of　these　things；　if　his　senses　had　not　been　holden　by　Miss　Triscoe；　and
she　might　have　felt　it　if　only　he　had　done　so。　　But　as　it　was　it　would　be
lost　upon　their　preoccupation；　with　Mrs。　Adding　and　Kenby　it　would　be
hopeless。

A　day　or　two　after　Mrs：　March　had　met　Mrs。　Adding；　she　went　with　her
husband　to　revere　a　certain　magnificent　blackamoor　whom　be　had　discovered
at　the　entrance　of　one　of　the　aristocratic　hotels　on　the　Schlossberg；
where　he　performed　the　function　of　a　kind　of　caryatid；　and　looked；　in　the
black　of　his　skin　and　the　white　of　his　flowing　costume；　like　a　colossal
figure　carved　in　ebony　and　ivory。　　They　took　a　roundabout　way　through　a
street　entirely　of　villa…pensions；　every　house　in　Carlsbad　but　one　is　a
pension　if　it　is　not　n　hotel；　but　these　were　of　a　sort　of　sentimental
prettiness；　with　each　a　little　garden　before　it；　and　a　bower　with　an　iron
table　in　it　for　breakfasting　and　supping　out…doors；　and　he　said　that　they
would　be　the　very　places　for　bridal　couples　who　wished　to　spend　the
honey…moon　in　getting　well　of　the　wedding　surfeit。　　She　denounced　him　for
saying　such　a　thing　as　that；　and　for　his　inconsistency　in　complaining　of
lovers　while　he　was　willing　to　think　of　young　married　people。　　He
contended　that　there　was　a　great　difference　in　the　sort　of　demand　that
young　married　people　made　upon　the　interest　of　witnesses；　and　that　they
were　at　least　on　their　way　to　sanity；　and　before　they　agreed；　they　had
come　to　the　hotel　with　the　blackamoor　at　the　door。　　While　they　lingered；
sharing　the　splendid　creature's　hospitable　pleasure　in　the　spectacle　he
formed；　they　were　aware　of　a　carriage　with　liveried　coachman　and　footman
at　the　steps　of　the　hotel；　the　liveries　were　very　quiet　and
distinguished；　and　they　learned　that　the　equipage　was　waiting　for　the
Prince　of　Coburg；　or　the　Princess　of　Montenegro；　or　Prince　Henry　of
Prussia；　there　were　differing　opinions　among　the　twenty　or　thirty
bystanders。　　Mrs。　March　said　she　did　not　care　which　it　was；　and　she　was
patient　of　the　denouement；　which　began　to　postpone　itself　with　delicate
delays。　　After　repeated　agitations　at　the　door　among　portiers；
proprietors；　and　waiters；　whose　fluttered　spirits　imparted　their　thrill
to　the　spectators；　while　the　coachman　and　footman　remained
sculpturesquely　impassive　in　their　places；　the　carriage　moved　aside　and
let　an　energetic　American　lady　and　her　family　drive　up　to　the　steps。　　The
hotel　people　paid　her　a　tempered　devotion；　but　she　marred　the　effect　by
rushing　out　and　sitting　on　a　balcony　to　wait　for　the　delaying　royalties。
There　began　to　be　more　promises　of　their　early　appearance；　a　footman　got
down　and　placed　himself　at　the　carriage　door；　the　coachman　stiffened
himself　on　his　box；　then　he　relaxed；　the　footman　drooped；　and　even
wandered　aside。　　There　came　a　moment　when　at　some　signal　the　carriage
drove　quite　away　from　the　portal　and　waited　near　the　gate　of　the
stableyard；　it　drove　back；　and　the　spectators　redoubled　their　attention。
Nothing　happened；　and　some　of　them　dropped　off。　　At　last　an　indescribable
significance　expressed　itself　in　the　official　group　at　the　door；　a　man　in
a　high　hat　and　dresscoat　hurried　out；　a　footman　hurried　to　meet　him；　they
spoke　inaudibly　together。　　The　footman　mounted　to　his　place；　the　coachman
gathered　up　his　reins　and　drove　rapidly　out　of　the　hotel…yard；　down　the
street；　round　the　corner；　out　of　sight。　　The　man　in　the　tall　hat　and
dress…coat　went　in；　the　official　group　at　the　threshold　dissolved；　the
statue　in　ivory　and　ebony　resumed　its　place；　evidently　the　Hoheit　of
Coburg；　or　Montenegro；　or　Prussia；　was　not　going　to　take　the　air。

〃My　dear；　this　is　humiliating。〃

〃Not　at　all！　　I　wouldn't　have　missed　it　for　anything。　　Think　how　near　we
came　to　seeing　them！〃

〃I　shouldn't　feel　so　shabby　if　we　had　seen　them。　　But　to　hang　round　here
in　this　plebeian　abeyance；　and　then　to　be　defeated　and　defrauded　at　last！
I　wonder　how　long　this　sort　of　thing　is　going　on？〃

〃What　thing？〃

〃This　base　subjection　of　the　imagination　to　the　Tom　Foolery　of　the　Ages。〃

〃I　don't　know　what　you　mean。　　I'm　sure　it's　very　natural　to　want　to　see　a
Prince。〃

〃Only　too　natural。　　It's　so　deeply　founded　in　nature　that　after　denying
royalty　by　word　and　deed　for　a　hundred　years；　we　Americans　are　hungrier
for　it　than　anybody　else。　　Perhaps　we　may　come　back　to　it！〃

〃Nonsense！〃

They　looked　up　at　the　Austrian　flag　on　the　tower　of　the　hotel；　languidly
curling　and　uncurling　in　the　bland　evening　air；　as　it　had　over　a　thousand
years　of　stupid　and　selfish　monarchy；　while　all　the　generous　republics　of
the　Middle　Ages　had　perished；　and　the　commonwealths　of　later　times　had
passed　like　fever　dreams。　　That　dull；　inglorious　empire　had　antedated　or
outlived　Venice　and　Genoa；　Florence　and　Siena；　the　England　of　Cromwell；
the　Holland　of　the　Stadtholders；　and　the　France　of　many　revolutions；　and
all　the　fleeting　democracies　which　sprang　from　these。

March　began　to　ask　himself　how　his　curiosity　differed　from　that　of　the
Europeans　about　him；　then　he　became　aware　that　these　had　detached
themselves；　and　left　him　exposed　to　the　presence　of　a　fellow　countryman。
It　was　Otterson；　with　Mrs。　Otterson；　he　turned　upon　March　with　hilarious
recognition。　　〃Hello！　　Most　of　the　Americans　in　Carlsbad　seem　to　be
hanging　round　here　for　a　sight　of　these　kings。　　Well；　we　don't　have　a
great　many　of　'em；　and　it's　natural　we　shouldn't　want　to　miss　any。　　But
now；　you　Eastern　fellows；　you　go　to　Europe　every　summer；　and　yet　you
don't　seem　to　get　enough　of　'em。　　Think　it's　human　nature；　or　did　it　get
so　ground　into　us　in　the　old　times　that　we　can't　get　it　out；　no
difference　what　we　say？〃

〃That's　very　much　what　I've　been　asking　myself；〃　said　March。　　〃Perhaps
it's　any　kind　of　show。　　We'd　wait　nearly　as　long　for　the　President　to
come　out；　wouldn't　we？〃

〃I　reckon　we　would。　　But　we　wouldn't　for　his　nephew；　or　his　second
cousin。〃

〃Well；　they　wouldn't　be　in　the　way　of　the　succession。〃

〃I　guess　you're　right。〃　　The　Iowan　seemed　better　satisfied　with　March's
philosophy　than　March　felt　himself；　and　he　could　not　forbear　adding：

〃But　I　don't；　deny　that　we　should　wait　for　the　President　because　he's　a
kind　of　king　too。　　I　don't　know　that　we　shall　ever　get　over　wanting　to
see　kings　of　some　kind。　　Or　at　least　my　wife　won't。　　May　I　present　you　to
Mrs。　March？〃

〃Happy　to　meet　you；　Mrs。　March；〃　said　the　Iowan。　　〃Introduce　you　to　Mrs。
Otterson。　　I'm　the　fool　in　my　family；　and　I　know　just　how　you　feel　about
a　chance　like　this。　　I　don't　mean　that　you're〃

They　all　laughed　at　the　hopeless　case；　and　Mrs。　March　said；　with　one　of
her　unexpected　likings：　〃I　understand；　Mr。　Otterson。　　And　I　would　rather
be　our　kind　of　fool　than　the　kind　that　pretends　not　to　care　for　the　sight
of　a　king。〃

〃Like　you　and　me；　Mrs。　Otterson；〃　said　March。

〃Indeed；　indeed；〃　said　the　lady；　〃I'd　like　to　see　a　king　too；　if　it
didn't　take　all　night。　　Good…evening；〃　she　said；　turning　her　husband
about　with　her；　as　if　she　suspected　a　purpose　of　patronage　in　Mrs。　March；
and　was　not　going　to　have　it。

Otterson　looked　over　his　shoulder　to　explain；　despairingly：　〃The　trouble
with　me　is　that　when　I　do　get　a　chance　to　talk　English；　there's　such　a
flow　of　language　it　carries　me　away；　and　I　don't　know　just　where　I'm
landing。〃




XXXIII。

There　were　several　kings　and　their　kindred　at　Carlsbad　that　summer。　　One
day　the　Duchess　of　Orleans　drove　over　from　Marienbad；　attended　by　the
Duke　on　h