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Their Silver Wedding Journey
投诉 阅读记录

第5章

ShehadwhatMrs。Marchthoughtinterestinghair,ofadullblack,roughlyrolledawayfromherforeheadandtemplesinafashionnotparticularlybecomingtoher,andshehadtheairofnotlookingsowellasshemightifshehadchosen。Theelderlymanonherright,itwaseasytosee,washerfather;theyhadafamilylikeness,thoughhisfairhair,nowashenwithage,wassodifferentfromhers。HeworehisbeardcutinthefashionoftheSecondEmpire,withaLouisNapoleonicmustache,imperial,andchintuft;hisneatheadwascroptclose;andtherewassomethingGallicinitseffectandsomethingremotelymilitary:

hehadblueeyes,reallylessseverethanhemeant,thoughbefrownedagooddeal,andmanagedthemwithglancesofastaccatoquickness,asifchallengingapotentialdisagreementwithhisopinions。

Thegentlemanonhisright,whosatattheheadofthetable,wasofthehumorous,subironicalAmericanexpression,andasmileatthecornerofhiskindlymouth,underaniron-grayfullbeardcutshort,atoncequestionedandtoleratedthenew-comersasheglancedatthem。HerespondedtoMarch’sbowalmostasdecidedlyastheniceboy,whosemotherheconfrontedattheotherendofthetable,andwithhiscomelybulkformedaninterestingcontrasttohervividslightness。Shewasbrilliantlydark,behindthegleamofthegold-rimmedglassesperchedonherprettynose。

IfthetalkhadbeengeneralbeforetheMarchescame,itdidnotatoncerenewitselfinthatform。Nothingwassaidwhiletheywerehavingtheirfirststrugglewiththetable-stewards,whorepeatedtheorderasiftoshowhowfullytheyhadmisunderstoodit。Thegentlemanattheheadofthetableintervenedatlast,andthen,“I’mobligedtoyou。”Marchsaid,foryourGerman。Ileftmineinaphrase-bookinmyothercoatpocket。”

“Oh,Iwasn’tspeakingGerman。”saidtheother。ItwasmerelytheirkindofEnglish。”

Thecompanywereintheexcitementofanovelsituationwhichdisposespeopletoacquaintance,andthisexchangeofsmallpleasantriesmadeeveryonelaugh,exceptthefatheranddaughter;buttheyhadtheeffectofbeingtacitlyamused。

ThemotheroftheniceboysaidtoMrs。March,“Youmaynotgetwhatyouordered,butitwillbegood。”

“Evenifyoudon’tknowwhatitis!”saidtheyoungbride,andthenblushed,asifshehadbeentoobold。

Mrs。Marchlikedtheblushandtheyoungbrideforit,andsheasked,“HaveyoueverbeenononeoftheseGermanboatsbefore?Theyseemverycomfortable。”

“Oh,dear,no!we’veneverbeenonanyboatbefore。”Shemadealittlepettedmouthofdeprecation,andadded,simple-heartedly,“Myhusbandwasgoingoutonbusiness,andhethoughthemightaswelltakemealong。”

Thehusbandseemedtofeelhimselfbroughtinbythis,andsaidhedidnotseewhytheyshouldnotmakeitapleasure-trip,too。Theyputthemselvesinapositiontobepatronizedbytheirdeference,andinthepausesofhistalkwiththegentlemanattheheadofthetable,MarchheardhiswifeabusingtheirinexperiencetobeunsparinglyinstructiveaboutEuropeantravel。Hewonderedwhethershewouldbeafraidtoownthatitwasnearlythirtyyearssinceshehadcrossedtheocean;thoughthatmightseemrecenttopeoplewhohadnevercrossedatall。

TheylistenedwithrespectassheboastedinwhatananguishofwisdomshehaddecidedbetweentheColmanniaandtheNorumbia。Thewifesaidshedidnotknowtherewassuchadifferenceinsteamers,butwhenMrs。

Marchperfervidlyassuredherthattherewasallthedifferenceintheworld,shesubmittedandsaidshesupposedsheoughttobethankfulthatthey,hadhitupontherightone。Theyhadtelegraphedforberthsandtakenwhatwasgiventhem;theirroomseemedtobeverynice。

“Oh。”saidMrs。March,andherhusbandknewthatshewassayingittoreconcilethemtotheinevitable,“alltheroomsontheNorumbiaarenice。Theonlydifferenceisthatiftheyareonthesouthsideyouhavethesun。”

“I’mnotsurewhichisthesouthside。”saidthebride。“Weseemtohavebeengoingwesteversincewestarted,andIfeelasifweshouldreachhomeinthemorningifwehadagoodnight。Istheoceanalwayssosmoothasthis?”

“Oh,dear,no!”saidMrs。March。“It’sneversosmoothasthis。”andshebegantobeoutrageouslyauthoritativeabouttheoceanweather。SheendedbydeclaringthattheJunepassageswerealwaysgood,andthatiftheshipkeptasoutherlycoursetheywouldhavenofogsandnoicebergs。

Shelookedround,andcaughtherhusband’seye。“Whatisit?HaveI

beenbragging?Well,youunderstand。”sheaddedtothebride,“I’veonlybeenoveronce,agreatwhileago,andIdon’treallyknowanythingaboutit。”andtheylaughedtogether。“ButItalkedsomuchwithpeopleafterwedecidedtogo,thatIfeelasifIhadbeenahundredtimes。”

“Iknow。”saidtheotherlady,withcaressingintelligence。“Thatisjustthewaywith——“Shestopped,andlookedattheyoungmanwhomtheheadstewardwasbringinguptotakethevacantplacenexttoMarch。Hecameforward,stuffinghiscapintothepocketofhisbluesergesack,andsmileddownonthecompanywithsuchhappinessinhisgayeyesthatMarchwonderedwhatchanceatthislatedaycouldhavegivenanyhumancreaturehiscontentsoabsolute,andwhatcalamitycouldbelurkingroundthecornertotakeitoutofhim。Thenew-comerlookedatMarchasifheknewhim,andMarchsawatasecondglancethathewastheyoungfellowwhohadtoldhimaboutthemotherputoffafterthestart。Heaskedhimwhethertherewasanychangeintheweatheryetoutside,andheansweredeagerly,asifthechancetoputhishappinessintothemeresoundofwordswereafavordonehim,thattheirshiphadjustspokenoneofthebigHanseaticmailboats,andshehadsignalledbackthatshehadmetice;sothattheywouldprobablykeepasoutherlycourse,andnothaveitcoolertilltheywereofftheBanks。

Themotheroftheboysaid,“IthoughtwemustbeofftheBankswhenI

cameoutofmyroom,butitwasonlytheelectricfanatthefootofthestairs。”

“ThatwaswhatIthought。”saidMrs。March。“Ialmostsentmyhusbandbackformyshawl!”Boththeladieslaughedandlikedeachotherfortheircommonexperience。

Thegentlemanattheheadofthetablesaid,“Theyoughttohavefansgoingtherebythatpillar,orelseclosetheports。Theyonlyletinheat。”

TheyeasilyconformedtotheAmericanconventionofjocosityintheirtalk;itperhapsnomorerepresentstheindividualmoodthantheconventionofdulnessamongotherpeople;butitseemedtomaketheyoungmanfeelathome。

“Why,doyouthinkit’suncomfortablywarm?。”heasked,fromwhatMarchperceivedtobeameteorologyofhisown。Helaughedandadded,“Itisprettysummerlike。”asifhehadnotthoughtofitbefore。Hetalkedofthebigmail-boat,andsaidhewouldliketocrossonsuchaboatasthat,andthenheglancedatthepossibleadvantageofhavingyourownsteam-yachtliketheonewhichhesaidtheyhadjustpassed,sonearthatyoucouldseewhatagoodtimethepeoplewerehavingonboard。HebegantospeaktotheMarches;histalkspreadtotheyoungcoupleacrossthetable;itvisitedthemotheronthesofainaremarkwhichshemightignorewithoutapparentrejection,andwithoutreallyavoidingtheboy,itglancedofftowardthefatheranddaughter,fromwhomitfell,torestwiththegentlemanattheheadofthetable。

Itwasnotthatthefatheranddaughterhadslightedhisoverture,ifitwassomuchasthat,butthattheyweretacitlypreoccupied,orwereofsomephilosophyconcerningtheirfellow-breakfasterswhichdidnotsufferthem,forthepresent,atleast,toshareinthecommonfriendliness。

Thisisanattitudesometimesproducedinpeoplebyasenseofjust,orevenunjust,superiority;sometimesbyserioustrouble;sometimesbytransientannoyance。Thecausewasnotsodeep-seatedbutMrs。March,beforesherosefromherplace,believedthatshehaddetectedaslantoftheyounglady’seyes,fromunderherlashes,towardtheyoungman;andsheleapedtoaconclusionconcerningtheminamatterwherealllogicalstepsareimpertinent。Shedidnotannounceherarrivalatthispointtilltheyoungmanhadovertakenherbeforeshegotoutofthesaloon,andpresentedthehandkerchiefshehaddroppedunderthetable。

Hewentawaywithherthanks,andthenshesaidtoherhusband,“Well,he’sperfectlycharming,andIdon’twondershe’stakenwithhim;thatkindofcoldgirlwouldbe,thoughI’mnotsurethatsheiscold。She’sinteresting,andyoucouldseethathethoughtso,themorehelookedather;Icouldseehimlookingatherfromtheveryfirstinstant;hecouldn’tkeephiseyesoffher;shepiquedhiscuriosity,andmadehimwonderabouther。”

“Now,lookhere,Isabel!Thiswon’tdo。Icanstandagooddeal,butI

satbetweenyouandthatyoungfellow,andyoucouldn’ttellwhetherhewaslookingatthatgirlornot。”

“Icould!Icouldtellbytheexpressionofherface。”

“Oh,well!Ifit’sgoneasfarasthatwithyou,Igiveitup。Whenareyougoingtohavethemmarried?”

“Nonsense!Iwantyoutofindoutwhoallthosepeopleare。Howareyougoingtodoit?”

“Perhapsthepassengerlistwillsay。”hesuggested。

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