第2章

“Idon’tthinkitwouldbeniceintheleast。”saidMrs。March，“andifyoudon’twanttotalkseriously，Iwouldrathernottalkatall。”

“Well，then，let’stalkaboutourSilverWeddingJourney。”

“Isee。YoumerelywanttoteaseandIamnotinthehumorforit。”

Shesaidthisinagreatmanydifferentways，andthenshewasreallysilent。Heperceivedthatshewashurt；andhetriedtowinherbacktogood-humor。HeaskedherifshewouldnotliketogoovertoHobokenandlookatoneoftheHanseaticLeaguesteamers，someday；andsherefused。

Whenhesentthenextdayandgotapermittoseetheboat；sheconsentedtogo。

Hewasoneofthosemenwholivefromtheinsideoutward；heoftentookahintforhisactionsfromhisfancies；andnowbecausehehadfanciedsomepeoplegoingtolookatsteamersonSundays，hechosethenextSundayhimselffortheirvisittotheHanseaticboatatHoboken。Tobesureitwasaleisuredaywithhim，buthemighthavetakentheafternoonofanyotherday，forthatmatter，anditwasreallythatinvisiblethreadofassociationwhichdrewhim。

TheColmanniahadbeeninlongenoughtohavemadehertoiletfortheoutwardvoyage，andwaslookingherbest。Shewastippedandedgedwithshiningbrass，withoutandwithin，andwasred-carpetedandwhite-paintedasonlyashipknowshowtobe。Alittleuniformedstewardranbeforethevisitors，andshowedthemthroughthedimwhitecorridorsintotypicalstate-roomsonthedifferentdecks；andthenletthemverifytheirfirstimpressionofthegrandeurofthedining-saloon，andtheluxuryoftheladies’parlorandmusic-room。Marchmadehiswifeobservethatthetablesandsofasandeasy-chairs，whichseemedsocarelesslyscatteredabout，wereallsuggestivelyscrewedfasttotheflooragainstroughweather；andheamusedhimselfwiththeheavyGermanbrownsandgreensandcoppersinthedecorations，whichhesaidmusthavebeenstudiedincolorfromsausage，beer，andspinach，totheeffectofthoselargemarch-panesintheroof。Shelaughedwithhimatthetastelessnessoftheracewhichtheyweredestinedtomarvelatmoreandmore；butshemadehimownthatthestewardesseswhomtheysawwerecharminglylikeserving-maidsinthe’FliegendeBlatter’；whentheywentashoreshechallengedhissilenceforsomeassenttoherownconclusionthattheColmanniawasperfect。

“Shehasonlyonefault。”heassented。“She’saship。”

“Yes。”saidhiswife，“andIshallwanttolookattheNorumbiabeforeI

decide。”

Thenhesawthatitwasonlyaquestionwhichsteamertheyshouldtake，andnotwhethertheyshouldtakeany。Heexplained，atfirstgentlyandafterwardssavagely，thattheirvisittotheColmanniawasquiteenoughforhim，andthatthevesselwasnotbuiltthathewouldbewillingtocrosstheAtlanticin。

Whenamanhasgonesofarasthathehascommittedhimselftotheoppositecourseinalmostsomanywords；andMarchwasneithersurprisednorabashedwhenhediscoveredhimself，beforetheyreachedhome，offeringhiswifemanyreasonswhytheyshouldgotoEurope。Sheansweredtoall，No，hehadmadeherrealizethehorrorofitsomuchthatshewasgladtogiveitup。Shegaveitup，withthebestfeeling；

allthatshewouldaskofhimwasthatheshouldnevermentionEuropetoheragain。Shecouldimaginehowmuchhedislikedtogo，ifsuchashipastheColmanniadidnotmakehimwanttogo。

Atthebottomofhisheartheknewthathehadnotusedherverywell。

HehadkindledherfancywiththosenotionsofaSabbaticalyearandaSilverWeddingJourney，andwhenshewaswillingtorenouncebothhehadpersistedintakinghertoseetheship，onlytotellherafterwardsthathewouldnotgoabroadonanyaccount。ItwasbyapsychologicaljugglewhichsomemenwillunderstandthatheallowedhimselfthenextdaytogetthesailingsoftheNorumbiafromthesteamshipoffice；healsogotaplanoftheshipshowingthemostavailablestaterooms，sothattheymightbeabletochoosebetweenherandtheColmanniafromallthefacts。

Fromthistimetheirdecisiontogowasnonethelessexplicitbecausesoperfectlytacit。

Theybegantoamassmapsandguides。ShegotaBaedekerforAustriaandhegotaBradshawforthecontinent，whichwasneveroftheleastusethere，butwasforthepresentamineofunavailableinformation。Hegotaphrase-book，too，andtriedtorubuphisGerman。HeusedtoreadGerman，whenhewasaboy，withayoungenthusiasmforitsromanticpoetry，andnow，forthesakeofSchillerandUhlandandHeine，heheldimaginaryconversationswithabarber，abootmaker，andabanker，andtriedtotastethejoywhichhehadnotknowninthelanguageofthosepoetsforawholegeneration。Heperceived，ofcourse，thatunlessthebarber，thebootmaker，andthebankeransweredhimintermswhichtheauthorofthephrase-bookdirectedthemtouse，heshouldnotgetonwiththembeyondhisfirstquestion；buthedidnotallowthistospoilhispleasureinit。Infact，itwaswithatenderemotionthatherealizedhowlittletheworld，whichhadchangedineverythingelsesogreatly，hadchangedinitsidealofaphrase-book。

Mrs。MarchpostponedthestudyofherBaedekertothetimeandplaceforit；andaddressedherselftotheimmediatebusinessofascertainingtherespectivemeritsoftheColmanniaandNorumbia。Shecarriedonherresearchessolelyamongpersonsofherownsex；itsexperienceswerealoneofthatpositivecharacterwhichbringsconviction，andshevaluedthemequallyatfirstorsecondhand。SheheardofladieswhowouldnotcrossinanyboatbuttheColmannia，andwhowaitedformonthstogetaroomonher；shetalkedwithladieswhosaidthatnothingwouldinducethemtocrossinher。TherewereladieswhosaidshehadtwicethemotionthattheNorumbiahad，andthevibrationfromhertwinscrewswasfrightful；italwayswas，onthosetwin-screwboats，anditdidnotaffecttheirtestimonywithMrs。MarchthattheNorumbiawasatwin-screwboattoo。Itwasrepeatedtoherinthethirdorfourthdegreeofhear-

saythatthedisciplineontheColmanniawasasperfectasthatontheCunarders；ladieswhosefriendshadtriedeverylineassuredherthatthetableoftheNorumbiawasalmostasgoodasthetableoftheFrenchboats。Tothebestofthebeliefofladywitnessesstilllivingwhohadfriendsonboard，theColmanniahadoncegotaground，andtheNorumbiahadoncehadherbridgecarriedoffbyatidalwave；oritmightbetheColmannia；theypromisedtoaskandletherknow。Theirlightestwordavailedwithheragainstthemostsolemnassurancesoftheirhusbands，fathers，orbrothers，whomightbeallverywellonland，butinnavigationwerenottobetrusted；theywouldsayanythingfromarecklessandculpableoptimism。SheobligedMarchallthesametoaskamongthem，butsherecognizedtheirguiltyinsinceritywhenhecamehomesayingthatonemanhadtoldhimyoucouldhaveplayedcroquetonthedeckoftheColmanniathewholewayoverwhenhecrossed，andanotherthatheneversawtheracksoninthreepassageshehadmadeintheNorumbia。

Theweightofevidencewas，hethought，infavoroftheNorumbia，butwhentheywentanotherSundaytoHoboken，andsawtheship，Mrs。MarchlikedhersomuchlessthantheColmanniathatshecouldhardlywaitforMondaytocome；shefeltsureallthegoodroomsontheColmanniawouldbegonebeforetheycouldengageone。

Fromaconsensusofthenervesofalltheladiesleftintownsolateintheseason，sheknewthattheonlyplaceonanysteamerwhereyourroomoughttobewasprobablyjustwheretheycouldnotgetit。Ifyouwenttoohigh，youfelttherollingterribly，andpeopletrampingupanddownonthepromenadeunderyourwindowkeptyouawakethewholenight；ifyouwenttoolow，youfelttheenginethump，thump，thumpinyourheadthewholewayover。Ifyouwenttoofarforward，yougotthepitching；ifyouwentaft，onthekitchenside，yougotthesmellofthecooking。Theonlyplace，really，wasjustbackofthedining-saloononthesouthsideoftheship；itwassmooththere，anditwasquiet，andyouhadthesuninyourwindowallthewayover。Heaskedherifhemusttaketheirroomthereornowhere，andsheansweredthathemustdohisbest，butthatshewouldnotbesatisfiedwithanyotherplace。

Inhisdespairhewentdowntothesteameroffice，andtookaroomwhichoneoftheclerkssaidwasthebest。Whenhegothome，itappearedfromreferencetotheship’splanthatitwastheveryroomhiswifehadwantedfromthebeginning，andshepraisedhimasifhehadusedawisdombeyondhissexingettingit。

Hewasintheenjoymentofhisunmeritedhonorwhenabelatedladycamewithherhusbandforaneveningcall，beforegoingintothecountry。AtsightoftheplansofsteamersontheMarches’table，sheexpressedthegreatestwonderanddelightthattheyweregoingtoEurope。Theyhadsupposedeverybodyknewit，bythistime，butshesaidshehadnotheardawordofit；andshewentonwithsomefelicitationswhichMarchfoundratherundulyfilial。Ingettingalittlepasttheprimeoflifehedidnotliketobeusedwithtoogreatconsiderationofhisyears，andhedidnotthinkthatheandhiswifeweresooldthattheyneedbetreatedasiftheyweregoingonagoldenweddingjourney，andheapedwithallsortsofimpertinentpropheciesoftheirenjoyingitsomuchandbeingsomuchthebetterforthelittleouting！Underhisbreath，heconfoundedthisladyforherimpudence；butheschooledhimselftoletherrejoiceattheirgoingonaHanseaticboat，becausetheGermanswerealwayssocarefulofyou。Shemadeherhusbandagreewithher，anditcameoutthathehadcrossedseveraltimesonboththeColmanniaandtheNorumbia。

HevolunteeredtosaythattheColmannia，wasacapitalsea-boat；shedidnothavehernoseunderwaterallthetime；shewassteadyasarock；andthecaptainandthekitchenweresimplyoutofsight；somepeopledidcallherunlucky。

“Unlucky？”Mrs。Marchechoed，faintly。“Whydotheycallherunlucky？”

“Oh，Idon’tknow。Peoplewillsayanythingaboutanyboat。Youknowshebrokehershaft，once，andonceshegotcaughtintheice。”

Mrs。Marchjoinedhiminderidingthesuperstitionofpeople，andshepartedgaylywiththisover-goodyoungcouple。Assoonastheyweregone，Marchknewthatshewouldsay：“Youmustchangethatticket，mydear。WewillgointheNorumbia。”

“SupposeIcan’tgetasgoodaroomontheNorumbia？”

“Thenwemuststay。”