第4章

byletterfromhissister，whichhemadeanexcuseforfollowingthem；

buthehadalwaysmeanttoseethemoff，heowned。Theletterhadjustcomewithaspecialdeliverystamp，anditwarnedthemthatshehadsentanothergood-byletterwithsomeflowersonboard。Mrs。Marchscoldedatthemboth，butwithtearsinhereyes，andintherenewedstressofpartingwhichhethoughthehadputfromhim，Marchwentontakingnote，aswithaliensenses，ofthescenebeforehim，whiletheyalltalkedontogether，andrepeatedthenothingstheyhadsaidalready。

Arankodorofbeet-rootsugarrosefromthefar-branchingshedswheresomefreightsteamersofthelinelay，andseemedtominglechemicallywiththenoisewhichcameupfromthewharfnexttotheNorumbia。Themassofspectatorsdeepenedanddimmedawayintotheshadowoftheroofs，andalongtheirfrontcamefilesofcarriagesandtrucksandcarts，anddischargedthearrivingpassengersandtheirbaggage，andwerelostinthecrowd，whichtheypenetratedlikeslowcurrents，becomingcloggedandarrestedfromtimetotime，andthenbeginningtomoveagain。

Thepassengersincessantlymountedbythecanvas-drapedgalleriesleading，foreandaft，intotheship。Bareheaded，blue-jacketed，brass-

buttonedstewardsdodgedskillfullyinandoutamongthemwiththeirhand-bags，holdalls，hat-boxes，andstate-roomtrunks，andranbeforethemintothedifferentdepthsandheightswheretheyhidtheseburdens，andthenranbackformore。Someofthepassengersfollowedthemandmadesurethattheirthingswereputintherightplaces；mostofthemremainedwedgedamongtheearliercomers，orpushedaimlesslyinandoutofthedoorsofthepromenades。

Thebaggagefortheholdcontinuallyroseinhugeblocksfromthewharf，withaloudcluckingofthetackle，andsankintotheopenmawoftheship，momentlygatheringherselfforherlongraceseaward，withharshhissingsandrattlingsandgurglings。Therewasnoapparentreasonwhyitshouldalloranyofitend，buttherecameamomentwhentherebegantobewarningsthatwerealmostthreatsoftheend。Theship’swhistlesounded，asifmarkingacertaininterval；andMrs。Marchhumblyentreated，sternlycommanded，hersontogoashore，orelsebecarriedtoEurope。Theydisputedwhetherthatwasthelastsignalornot；shewassureitwas，andsheappealedtoMarch，whowasmovedagainsthisreason。

Heaffectedtotalkcalmlywithhisson，andgavehimsomelastchargesabout’EveryOtherWeek’。

Somepeoplenowinterruptedtheirleave-taking；butthearrivingpassengersonlyarrivedmorerapidlyatthegang-ways；thebulksofbaggageswungmoreswiftlyintotheair。Abellrang，andthererosewomen’scries，“Oh，thatistheshore-bell！”andmen’sprotests，“Itisonlythefirstbell！“Moreandmorebegantodescendthegangways，foreandaft，andsoonoutnumberedthosewhowerecomingaboard。

Marchtriednottobenervousabouthisson’slingering；hewasashamedofhisanxiety；buthesaidinalowvoice，“Betterbeoff，Tom。”

HismothernowsaidshedidnotcareifTomwerereallycarriedtoEurope；andatlasthesaid，Well，heguessedhemustgoashore，asiftherehadbeennoquestionofthatbefore；andthensheclungtohimandwouldnotlethimgo；butsheacquiredmeritwithherselfatlastbypushinghimintothegangwaywithherownhands：henoddedandwavedhishatfromitsfoot，andmixedwiththecrowd。

Presentlytherewashardlyanyonecomingaboard，andthesailorsbegantoundothelashingsofthegangwaysfromtheship’sside；filesofmenonthewharflaidholdoftheirrails；thestewardsguardingtheirapproachlookedupforthesignaltocomeaboard；andinvividpantomimeforbadesomebelatedleavetakerstoascend。Thesestoodaside，exchangingbowsandgrinswiththefriendswhomtheycouldnotreach；

theyalltriedtomakeoneanotherhearsomelastwords。Themomentcamewhenthesaloongangwaywasdetached；thenitwaspulledashore，andthesectionofthebulwarksopeningtoitwaslocked，nottobeunlockedonthissideoftheworld。Anindefinableimpulsecommunicateditselftothesteamer：whileitstillseemedmotionlessitmoved。Thethickspreadoffacesonthewharf，whichhadlookedattimeslikesomesortofstrangeflowersinalevelfield，brokeintoauniversaltremor，andtheairabovethemwasfilledwithhatsandhandkerchiefs，asifwiththeflightofbirdsrisingfromthefield。

TheMarchestriedtomakeouttheirson’sface；theybelievedthattheydid；buttheydecidedthattheyhadnotseenhim，andhismothersaidthatshewasglad；itwouldonlyhavemadeithardertobear，thoughshewasgladhehadcomeovertosaygood-byithadseemedsounnaturalthatheshouldnot，wheneverybodyelsewassayinggood-by。

Onthewharfcolorwasnowtakingtheplaceofform；thesceneceasedtohavetheeffectofaninstantaneousphotograph；itwaslikeanimpressionisticstudy。Astheshipswungfreeoftheshedandgotintothestream，theshorelostreality。Uptoacertainmoment，allwasstillNewYork，allwasevenHoboken；thenamidstthegrotesqueandmonstrousshowsofthearchitectureoneithershoreMarchfelthimselfatseaandonthewaytoEurope。

Thefactwasaccentedbythetroublepeoplewerealreadymakingwiththedeck-stewardabouttheirsteamerchairs，whichtheyallwantedputinthebestplaces，andMarch，withacertainheart-ache，wasinvoluntarilyverifyingtheinstantinwhichheceasedtobeofhisnativeshores，whilestillinfullsightofthem，whenhesuddenlyrevertedtothem，andasitwerelandedonthemagaininanincidentthatheldhimbreathless。

Aman，bareheaded，andwithhisarmsflungwildlyabroad，cameflyingdownthepromenadefromthesteerage。“Capitan！Capitan！Thereisawoman！”heshoutedinnondescriptEnglish。“Shemustgohout！Shemustgohout！”Somevitalfactimparteditselftotheship’scommandandseemedtopenetratetotheship’sheart；shestopped，asifwithasortofmajesticrelenting。Atugpantedtoherside，andliftedaladdertoit；thebareheadedman，andawomangrippingababyinherarms，sprawledsafelydownitsrungstothedeckofthetug，andthesteamermovedseawardagain。

“Whatisit？Oh，whatisit？”hiswifedemandedofMarch’sshareoftheircommonignorance。Ayoungfellowpassingstopped，asifarrestedbythetragicnoteinhervoice，andexplainedthatthewomanhadleftthreelittlechildrenlockedupinhertenementwhileshecametobidsomefriendsonboardgood-by。

Hepassedon，andMrs。Marchsaid，“Whatacharmingfacehehad！”evenbeforeshebegantowreakuponthatwretchedmothertheoverwroughtsympathywhichmakesgoodwomendesirethepunishmentofpeoplewhohaveescapeddanger。Shewouldnothearanyexcuseforher。“Herchildrenoughtn’ttohavebeenoutofhermindforaninstant。”

“Don’tyouwanttosendbackalinetooursbythepilot？”Marchasked。

Shestartedfromhim。“Oh，wasIreallybeginningtoforgetthem？”

Inthesaloonwherepeoplewerescatteredaboutwritingpilot’slettersshemadehimjoinherinanimpassionedepistleoffarewell，whichoncemoreleftnoneofthenothingsunsaidthattheyhadmanytimesreiterated。Shewouldnotlethimputthestampon，forfearitwouldnotstick，andshehadanagonizingmomentofdoubtwhetheritoughtnottobeaGermanstamp；shewasnotpacifiedtillthestewardinchargeofthemaildecided。

“Ishouldn’thaveforgivenmyself。”Marchsaid，“ifwehadn’tletTomknowthattwentyminutesafterheleftuswewerestillaliveandwell。”

“It’stoBella，too。”shereasoned。

Hefoundhermakingtheirstate-roomlookhomelikewiththeirfamiliarthingswhenhecamewiththeirdaughter’ssteamerletterandtheflowersandfruitshehadsent。Shesaid，Verywell，theywouldallkeep，andwentonwithherunpacking。Heaskedherifshedidnotthinkthesehomethingsmadeitratherghastly，andshesaidifhekeptoninthatwaysheshouldcertainlygobackonthepilot-boat。Heperceivedthathernerveswerespent。Hehadresistedtheimpulsetoanill-timedjokeaboutthelife-preserversundertheirberthswhenthesoundofthebreakfast-horn，waveringfirstinthedistance，founditswaynearerandclearerdowntheircorridor。

Inoneofthemanyvisitstothesteamshipofficewhichhiswife’sanxietiesobligedhimtomake，Marchhaddiscussedthequestionofseatsinthedining-saloon。Atfirsthehadhisambitionforthecaptain’stable，buttheyconvincedhimmoreeasilythanheafterwardsconvincedMrs。Marchthatthecaptain’stablehadbecomeasuperstitionofthepast，andconferrednospecialhonor。ItprovedintheeventthatthecaptainoftheNorumbiahadthegoodfeelingtodineinalowersaloonamongthepassengerswhopaidleastfortheirrooms。ButwhiletheMarcheswerestillintheirignoranceofthis，theydecidedtogetwhatadventuretheycouldoutoflettingtheheadstewardputthemwhereheliked，andtheycameintobreakfastwithacarelesscuriositytoseewhathehaddoneforthem。

Thereseemedscarcelyavacantplaceinthehugesaloon；throughtheovalopeningsinthecentretheylookeddownintothelowersaloonandupintothemusic-room，asthicklythrongedwithbreakfasters。Thetableswerebrightenedwiththebouquetsandthefloraldesignsofships，anchors，harps，anddovessenttotheladypassengers，andatonetimetheMarchesthoughttheyweregoingtobeputbeforeasteam-yachtrealizedtothelastdetailinblueandwhiteviolets。Theportsofthesaloonwereopen，andshowedthelevelsea；theshiprodewithnomotionexceptthetremorfromherscrews。Thesoundoftalkingandlaughingrosewiththeclatterofknivesandforksandtheclashofcrockery；thehomelysmellofthecoffeeandsteakandfishmixedwiththespiceoftherosesandcarnations；thestewardsranhitherandthither，andayoungfoolishjoyoftravelwelledupintheelderlyheartsofthepair。Whentheheadstewardturnedouttheswivel-chairswheretheyweretosittheybothmadeaninclinationtowardthepeoplealreadyattable，asifithadbeenacompanyatsomefar-forgottentabled’hoteinthelatersixties。TheheadstewardseemedtounderstandaswellasspeakEnglish，butthetable-stewardshadonlyaneffectofEnglish，whichtheyekedoutwith“Bleace！”foralloccasionsofinquiry，apology，orreassurance，astheequivalentoftheirnative“Bitte！”OtherwisetherewasnoreasontosupposethattheydidnotspeakGerman，whichwasthelanguageofagoodhalfofthepassengers。ThestewardslookedEnglish，however，inconformitytowhatseemstheidealofeverykindofforeignseafaringpeople，andthatwentagoodwaytowardmakingthemintelligible。

March，towhomhiswifemainlylefttheirobeisance，madeitsotentativethatifitshouldmeetnoresponsehecouldfeelthatithadbeennothingmorethanaforwardstoop，suchaswasnaturalinsittingdown。Heneednotreallyhavetakenthisprecaution；thosewhoseeyeshecaughtmoreorlessnoddedinreturn。

Anice-lookingboyofthirteenorfourteen，whohadtheplaceontheleftoftheladyinthesofaseatundertheport，bowedwithalmostmagisterialgravity，andmadetheladyonthesofasmile，asifshewerehismotherandunderstoodhim。Marchdecidedthatshehadbeensometimeawidow；andheeasilydivinedthattheyoungcoupleonherrighthadbeensolittletimehusbandandwifethattheywouldrathernothaveitknown。Nextthemwasayoungladywhomhedidnotatfirstthinksogood-lookingassheprovedlatertobe，thoughshehadatonceaprettynose，withaslightupwardslantatthepoint，longeyesunderfallenlashes，astraightforehead，nottoohigh，andamouthwhichperhapstheexigenciesofbreakfastingdidnotallowallitscharacteristiccharm。