第3章

Inthemorningafteranightsobadthatitwasworsethannonightatall，shesaidshewouldgotothesteamshipofficewithhimandquestionthemupabouttheColmannia。Thepeopletherehadneverheardshewascalledanunluckyboat；theyknewofnothingdisastrousinherhistory。

Theyweresofrankandsofullintheirdenials，andsokindlypatientofMrs。March’sanxieties，thathesaweverywordwascarryingconvictionoftheirinsinceritytoher。AttheendsheaskedwhatroomswereleftontheNorumbia，andtheclerkwhomtheyhadfallentolookedthroughhispassengerlistwithashakinghead。Hewasafraidtherewasnothingtheywouldlike。

“Butwewouldtakeanything。”sheentreated，andMarchsmiledtothinkofhisinnocenceinsupposingforamomentthatshehadeverdreamedofnotgoing。

“Wemerelywantthebest。”heputin。“Oneflightup，nonoiseordust，withsuninallthewindows，andaplaceforfireonrainydays。”

TheymustbeusedtoagooddealofAmericanjokingwhichtheydonotunderstand，intheforeignsteamshipoffices。TheclerkturnedunsmilinglytooneofhissuperiorsandaskedhimsomequestioninGermanwhichMarchcouldnotcatch，perhapsbecauseitformednopartofaconversationwithabarber，abootmakerorabanker。Abriefdramafollowed，andthentheclerkpointedtoaroomontheplanoftheNorumbiaandsaidithadjustbeengivenup，andtheycouldhaveitiftheydecidedtotakeitatonce。

Theylooked，anditwasintheveryplaceoftheirroomontheColmannia；

itwaswithinoneofbeingthesamenumber。Itwassoprovidential，ifitwasprovidentialatall，thattheywerebothhumblysilentamoment；

evenMrs。Marchwassilent。Inthissuprememomentshewouldnotpromptherhusbandbyaword，aglance，anditwasfromhisownfreewillthathesaid，“Wewilltakeit。”

Hethoughtitwashisfreewill，butperhapsone’swillisneverfree；

andthismayhavebeenaninstanceofpuredeterminismfromalltheeventsbeforeit。Noeventthatfollowedaffectedit，thoughthedayaftertheyhadtakentheirpassageontheNorumbiaheheardthatshehadoncebeenintheworstsortofstorminthemonthofAugust。Hefeltobligedtoimpartthefacttohiswife，butshesaidthatitprovednothingfororagainsttheship，andconfoundedhimmorebyherreasonthanbyallherpreviousunreason。Reasoniswhatamanisneverpreparedforinwomen；perhapsbecausehefindsitsoseldominmen。

DuringnearlythewholemonththatnowpassedbeforethedateofsailingitseemedtoMarchthatinsomefamiliaraspectsNewYorkhadneverbeensointeresting。HehadnoteasilyreconciledhimselftotheplaceafterhismanyyearsofBoston；buthehadgotusedtotheuglygrandeur，tothenoiseandtherush，andhehaddivinedmoreandmorethecarelessgood-natureandfriendlyindifferenceofthevast，sprawling，ungainlymetropolis。Therewerehappymomentswhenhefeltapoetryunintentionalandunconsciousinit，andhethoughttherewasnopointmorefavorableforthesenseofthisthanStuyvesantSquare，wheretheyhadaflat。

Theirwindowslookeddownintoitstree-tops，andacrossthemtothetruncatedtowersofSt。George’s，andtotheplainred-brick，white-

trimmedfrontoftheFriends’MeetingHouse；hecameandwentbetweenhisdwellingandhisofficethroughthetwoplacesthatformthesquare，andafterdinnerhiswifeandhehadahabitoffindingseatsbyoneofthefountainsinLivingstonPlace，amongthefathersandmothersofthehybridEastSidechildrenswarmingthereatplay。TheeldersreadtheirEnglishorItalianorGermanorYiddishjournals，orgossiped，ormerelysatstillandstaredawaytheday’sfatigue；whilethelittleonesracedinandoutamongthem，cryingandlaughing，quarrellingandkissing。

Sometimesamotherdartedforwardandcaughtherchildfromthebrinkofthebasin；anothertaughtherstowalk，holdingittightlyupbehindbyitsshortskirts；anotherpubliclynursedherbabytosleep。

Whiletheystilldreamed，butneverthought，ofgoingtoEurope，theMarchesoftensaidhowEuropeanallthiswas；ifthesewomenhadbroughttheirknittingorsewingitwouldhavebeenquiteEuropean；butassoonastheyhaddecidedtogo，itallbegantoseempoignantlyAmerican。Inlikemanner，beforetheconditionsoftheirexilechanged，andtheystillpinedfortheOldWorld，theycontrivedaveryagreeableillusionofitbydiningnowandthenatanAustrianrestaurantinUnionSquare；butlaterwhentheybegantobehomesickfortheAmericanscenestheyhadnotyetleft，theyhadakeenerretrospectivejoyinthestrictlyNewYorksunsettheywerebowedoutinto。

ThesunsetswereuncommonlycharacteristicthatMayinUnionSquare。

TheywerethecoloroftheredstripesintheAmericanflag，andwhentheywereseenthroughthedeliriousarchitectureoftheBroadwayside，ordowntheperspectiveofthecross-streets，wheretheelevatedtrainssilhouettedthemselvesagainsttheirpink，theyimpartedafeelingofpervasiveAmericanisminwhichallimpressionofaliensavorsandcivilitieswaslost。OneeveningafireflamedupinHoboken，andburnedforhoursagainstthewest，intheluridcrimsontonesofaconflagrationasmemorablyandappealinglynativeasthecolorsofthesunset。

Theweatherfornearlythewholemonthwasofamoodfamiliarenoughinourearlysummer，anditwasthiswhichgavethesunsetstheirvitreouspink。Athrillingcoolnessfollowedafirstblazeofheat，andinthelongrespitethethoughtsalmostwentbacktowinterflannels。ButatlastahotwavewastelegraphedfromtheWest，andtheweekbeforetheNorumbiasailedwasananguishofburningdaysandbreathlessnights，whichfusedallregretsandreluctancesinthehopeofescape，andmadetheexilesoftwocontinentslongforthesea，withnocareforeithershore。

Theirsteamerwastosailearly；theywereupatdawnbecausetheyhadscarcelylaindown，andMarchcreptoutintothesquareforalastbreathofitsmorningairbeforebreakfast。Hewasnoweagertobegone；hehadbrokenwithhabit，andhewishedtoputalltracesofthepastoutofsight。Butthiswascuriouslylikeallotherearlymorningsinhisconsciousness，andhecouldnotalienatehimselffromthewontedenvironment。Hestoodtalkingonevery-daytermsofidlespeculationwiththefamiliarpoliceman，aboutastrayparrotinthetopofoneofthetrees，whereitscreamedandclawedatthedeadbranchtowhichitclung。Thenhewentcarelesslyindoorsagainasifheweresecureofreadingthereporter’sstoryofitinthatnextday’spaperwhichheshouldnotsee。

Thesenseofaninseverablecontinuitypersistedthroughthebreakfast，whichwaslikeotherbreakfastsintheplacetheywouldbeleavinginsummershroudsjustastheyalwaysleftitattheendofJune。Theillusionwasevenheightenedbythefactthattheirsonwastobeintheapartmentallsummer，anditwouldnotbesomuchshutupasusual。Theheavytrunkshadbeensenttotheshipbyexpresstheafternoonbefore，andtheyhadonlythemselvesandtheirstateroombaggagetotransporttoHoboken；theycamedowntoacarriagesentfromaneighboringlivery-

stable，andexchangedgood-morningswithadrivertheyknewbyname。

MarchhadoftenfancieditachiefadvantageoflivinginNewYorkthatyoucoulddrivetothesteamerandstartforEuropeasifyouwerestartingforAlbany；hewasintheenjoymentofthisadvantagenow，butsomehowitwasnottheconsolationhehadexpected。Heknew，ofcourse，thatiftheyhadbeencomingfromBoston，forinstance，tosailintheNorumbia，theywouldprobablyhavegoneonboardthenightbefore，andswelteredthroughitsheatamongthestrangesmellsandnoisesofthedockandwharf，insteadofbreakfastingattheirowntable，andsmoothlybowlingdowntheasphaltontotheferryboat，andsototheveryfootofthegangwayattheship’sside，allinthecooloftheearlymorning。

Butthoughhehadnowthecooloftheearlymorningontheseconditions，therewasbynomeansenoughofit。

Thesunwasalreadyburningthelifeoutoftheair，withthethreatofanotherdayoftheterribleheatthathadprevailedforaweekpast；andthatlastbreakfastathomehadnotbeengay，thoughithadbeenlively，inafashion，throughMrs。March’seffortstoconvincehersonthatshedidnotwanthimtocomeandseethemoff。Of，herdaughter’scomingallthewayfromChicagotherewasnoquestion，andshereasonedthatifhedidnotcometosaygood-byonboarditwouldbethesameasiftheywerenotgoing。

“Don’tyouwanttogo？”Marchaskedwithanobscureresentment。

“Idon’twanttoseemtogo。”shesaid，withthecalmofthosewhohavelogicontheirside。

Asshedroveawaywithherhusbandshewasnotsosureofhersatisfactioninthefeintshehadarranged，thoughwhenshesawtheghastlypartingsofpeopleonboard，shewasgladshehadnotallowedhersontocome。Shekeptsayingthistoherself，andwhentheyclimbedtotheshipfromthewharf，andfoundthemselvesinthecrowdthatchokedthesaloonsandpromenadesandpassagesandstairwaysandlandings，shesaiditmorethanoncetoherhusband。

Sheheardwearyelderspatteringemptypolitenessesoffarewellwithfriendswhohadcometoseethemoff，astheystoodwithdrawninsuchrefugesastheship’sarchitectureafforded，orsubmittedtobepushedandtwirledaboutbythesurgingthrongwhentheygotinitsway。Shepitiedtheseintheiraffliction，whichsheperceivedthattheycouldnotlightenorshorten，butshehadnopatiencewiththeyounggirls，whobrokeintoshrieksofnervouslaughteratthecomingofcertainyoungmen，andkeptlaughingandbeckoningtilltheymadetheyoungmenseethem；andthenstretchedtheirhandstothemandstoodscreamingandshoutingtothemacrosstheinterveningheadsandshoulders。Somegirls，ofthosewhomnoonehadcometobidgood-by，madethemselvesmerry，oratleastnoisy，byrushingofftothedining-roomandlookingatthecardsonthebouquetsheapingthetables，tofindwhetheranyonehadsentthemflowers。Otherswhomyoungmenhadbroughtbunchesofvioletshidtheirnosesinthem，anddroppedtheirfansandhandkerchiefsandcard-cases，andthankedtheyoungmenforpickingthemup。Others，hadgotplacesinthemusic-room，andsattherewithopenboxesoflong-

stemmedrosesintheirlaps，andtalkedupintothefacesofthemen，withbecomingliftsandslantsoftheireyesandchins。Inthemidstoftheturmoilchildrenstruggledagainstpeople’sfeetandknees，andbewilderedmothersflewattheship’sofficersandbatteredthemwithquestionsalientotheirrespectivefunctionsastheyamiablystifledaboutintheirthickuniforms。

Sailors，slungovertheship’ssideonswingingseats，wereplacidlysmearingitwithpaintatthatlastmoment；thebulwarkswerethicklysetwiththeheadsandarmsofpassengerswhoweremakingsignstofriendsonshore，orcallingmessagestothemthatlostthemselvesinloudernoisesmidway。Someofthewomeninthesteeragewerecrying；theywereprobablynotgoingtoEuropeforpleasurelikethefirst-cabinpassengers，orevenfortheirhealth；onthewharfbelowMarchsawthefaceofoneyounggirltwistedwithweeping，andhewishedhehadnotseenit。Heturnedfromit，andlookedintotheeyesofhisson，whowaslaughingathisshoulder。Hesaidthathehadtocomedownwithagood-