第7章

heglancedroundthestate-roomandsawthathehadpassedthenightaloneinit。Thenhesplashedhimselfhastilyatthebasinnexthisberth，andjumpedintohisclothes，andwentondeck，anxioustolosenofeatureoremotionoftheship’sdeparture。

Whenshewasfairlyoffhereturnedtohisroomtochangethethickcoathehadputonattheinstigationoftheearlymorningair。Hisroom-matewasstillabsent，buthewasnowrepresentedbyhisstate-roombaggage，andBurnamytriedtoinferhimfromit。Heperceivedasocialqualityinhisdress-coatcase，capaciousgladstone，hat-box，rug，umbrella，andsole-leathersteamertrunkwhichhecouldnotattributetohisownequipment。Thethingswerenotsonewashis；theyhadaneffectofpoliteexperience，withaforeignregistryandcustomslabelonthemhereandthere。Theyhadbeenchosenwithbothtasteandknowledge，andBurnamywouldhavesaidthattheywerecertainlyEnglishthings，ifithadnotbeenfortheinitialsU。S。A。whichfollowedthenameofE。B。

Triscoeontheendofthesteamertrunkshowingitselfunderthefootofthelowerberth。

ThelowerberthhadfallentoBurnamythroughthedefaultofthepassengerwhosetickethehadgotatthelasthour；theclerkinthesteamerofficehadbeencarefultoimpresshimwiththisadvantage，andhenowimaginedatrespassonhisproperty。Buthereassuredhimselfbyaglanceathisticket，andwentouttowatchtheship’spassagedownthestreamandthroughtheNarrows。Afterbreakfasthecametohisroomagain，toseewhatcouldbedonefromhisvalisetomakehimlookbetterintheeyesofagirlwhomhehadseenacrossthetable；ofcourseheprofessedamuchmoregeneralpurpose。Heblamedhimselffornothavinggotatleastapairofthewhitetennis-shoeswhichsomanyofthepassengerswerewearing；hisrussetshoeshadturnedshabbyonhisfeet；

buttherewasa，pairofenamelledleatherbootsinhisbagwhichhethoughtmightdo。

Hisroomwasinthegroupofcabinsontheupperdeck；hehadalreadymissedhiswaytoitoncebymistakingthecorridorwhichitopenedinto；

andhewasnotsurethathewasnotblunderingagainwhenhepeereddownthenarrowpassagewherehesupposeditwas。Aladywasstandingatanopenstate-roomdoor，restingherhandsagainstthejambsandleaningforwardwithherheadwithinandtalkingtosomeonethere。Beforehecoulddrawbackandtryanothercorridorheheardhersay：“Perhapshe’ssomeyoungman，andwouldn’tcare。

Burnamycouldnotmakeouttheanswerthatcamefromwithin。Theladyspokeagaininatoneofreluctantassent，“No，Idon’tsupposeyoucould；butifheunderstood，perhapshewouldoffer。”

Shedrewherheadoutoftheroom，steppingbackapace，andlingeringamomentatthethreshold。ShelookedroundoverhershoulderanddiscoveredBurnamy，wherehestoodhesitatingattheheadofthepassage。

Sheebbedbeforehim，andthenflowedroundhiminherinstantescape；

withsomemurmuredincoherenciesaboutspeakingtoherfather，shevanishedinacorridorontheothersideoftheship，whilehestoodstaringintothedoorwayofhisroom。

Hehadseenthatshewastheyoungladyforwhomhehadcometoputonhisenamelledshoes，andhesawthatthepersonwithinwastheelderlygentlemanwhohadsatnextheratbreakfast。Hebeggedhispardon，asheentered，andsaidhehopedheshouldnotdisturbhim。“I’mafraidIleftmythingsallovertheplace，whenIgotupthismorning。”

Theotherentreatedhimnottomentionitandwentontakingfromhishand-bagavarietyoftoiletapplianceswhichthesightofmadeBurnamyvowtokeephisownsimplecombsandbrushesshutinhisvaliseallthewayover。“Yousleptonboard，then。”hesuggested，arrestinghimselfwithapairoflowshoesinhishand；hedecidedtoputtheminacertainpocketofhissteamerbag。

“Oh，yes。”Burnamylaughed，nervously：“Icamenearoversleeping，andgettingofftoseawithoutknowingit；andIrushedouttosavemyself，andso——“

HebegantogatheruphisbelongingswhilehefollowedthemovementsofMr。Triscoewithawistfuleye。Hewouldhavelikedtoofferhislowerberthtothisseniorofhis，whenhesawhimarrangingtotakepossessionoftheupper；buthedidnotquiteknowhowtomanageit。Henoticedthatastheothermovedabouthelimpedslightly，unlessitwereratherawearyeasingofhispersonfromonelimbtotheother。Hestoopedtopullhistrunkoutfromundertheberth，andBurnamysprangtohelphim。

“Letmegetthatoutforyou！”Hecaughtitupandputitonthesofaundertheport。“Isthatwhereyouwantit？”

“Why，yes。”theotherassented。“You’reverygood。”andashetookouthiskeytounlockthetrunkherelentedalittlefarthertotheintimaciesofthesituation。“Haveyouarrangedwiththebath-stewardyet？It’ssuchafullboat。”

“No，Ihaven’t。”saidBurnamy，asifhehadtriedandfailed；tillthenhehadnotknownthattherewasabath-steward。“ShallIgethimforyou？”

“No；no。Ourbedroom-stewardwillsendhim，Idaresay，thankyou。”

Mr。Triscoehadgothistrunkopen，andBurnamyhadnolongeranexcuseforlingering。Inhisdefeatconcerningthebath-steward，ashefeltittobe，hehadnotthecourage，now，toofferthelowerberth。Hewentaway，forgettingtochangehisshoes；buthecameback，andassoonashegottheenamelledshoeson，andshuttheshabbyrussetpairinhisbag，hesaid，abruptly：“Mr。Triscoe，Iwishyou’dtakethelowerberth。I

gotitattheeleventhhourbysomefellow’sgivingitup，anditisn’tasifI’dbargainedforitamonthago。”

TheeldermangavehimoneofhisstaccatoglancesinwhichBurnamyfanciedsuspicionandevenresentment。Buthesaid，afterthemomentofreflectionwhichhegavehimself，“Why，thankyou，ifyoudon’tmind，really。”

“Notatall！”criedtheyoungman。“Ishouldliketheupperberthbetter。We’ll，havethestewardchangethesheets。”

“Oh，I’llseethathedoesthat。”saidMr。Triscoe。“Icouldn’tallowyoutotakeanytroubleaboutit。”HenowlookedasifhewishedBurnamywouldgo，andleavehimtohisdomesticarrangements。

IntellingabouthimselfBurnamytouchedonlyuponthepointswhichhebelievedwouldtakehislistener’sintelligentfancy，andhestoppedsolongbeforehehadtiredhimthatMarchsaidhewouldliketointroducehimtohiswife。Hesawintheagreeableyoungfellowanimageofhisownyouth，withsomedifferenceswhich，hewaswillingtoown，weretotheyoungfellow’sadvantage。ButtheywerebothfromthemiddleWest；

intheirnativeaccentandtheirlocaltraditiontheywerethesame；theywerethesameintheiraspirations；theywereofonebloodintheirliteraryimpulsetoexternatetheirthoughtsandemotions。

Burnamyanswered，withaglanceathisenamelledshoes，thathewouldbedelighted，andwhenherhusbandbroughthimuptoher，Mrs。Marchsaidshewasalwaysgladtomeetthecontributorstothemagazine，andaskedhimwhetherheknewMr。Kendricks，whowasherfavorite。Withoutgivinghimtimetoreplytoaquestionthatseemedtodepresshim，shesaidthatshehadasonwhomustbenearlyhisownage，andwhomhisfatherhadleftinchargeof’EveryOtherWeek’forthefewmonthstheyweretobegone；thattheyhadadaughtermarriedandlivinginChicago。ShemadehimsitdownbyherinMarch’schair，andbeforeheleftthemMarchheardhimmagnanimouslyaskingwhetherMr。Kendrickswasgoingtodosomethingmoreforthemagazinesoon。HesaunteredawayanddidnotknowhowquicklyBurnamyleftthisquestiontosay，withthelaughandblushwhichbecamehiminhereyes：

“Mrs。March，thereissomethingIshouldliketotellyouabout，ifyouwillletme。”

“Why，certainly，Mr。Burnamy。”shebegan，butshesawthathedidnotwishhertocontinue。

“Because。”hewenton，“it’salittlematterthatIshouldn’tliketogowrongin。”

HetoldherofhishavingoverheardwhatMissTriscoehadsaidtoherfather，andhisbeliefthatshewastalkingaboutthelowerberth。Hesaidhewouldhavewishedtoofferit，ofcourse，butnowhewasafraidtheymightthinkhehadoverheardthemandfeltobligedtodoit。

“Isee。”saidMrs。March，andsheadded，thoughtfully，“Shelookslikeratheraproudgirl。”

“Yes。”theyoungfellowsighed。

“Sheisverycharming。”shecontinued，thoughtfully，butnotsojudicially。

“Well。”Burnamyowned，“thatiscertainlyoneofthecomplications。”andtheylaughedtogether。

Shestoppedherselfaftersaying，“Iseewhatyoumean。”andsuggested，“IthinkIshouldbeguidedbycircumstances。Itneedn’tbedoneatonce，Isuppose。”

“Well。”Burnamybegan，andthenhebrokeout，withalaughofembarrassment，“I’vedoneitalready。”

“Oh！Thenitwasn’tmyadvice，exactly，thatyouwanted。”

“No！”

“Andhowdidhetakeit？”

“HesaidheshouldbegladtomaketheexchangeifIreallydidn’tmind。”

Burnamyhadrisenrestlessly，andshedidnotaskhimtostay。Shemerelysaid：

“Oh，well，I’mgladitturnedoutsonicely。”

“I’msogladyouthinkitwasthethingtodo。”Hemanagedtolaughagain，buthecouldnothidefromherthathewasnotfeelingaltogethersatisfied。“WouldyoulikemetosendMr。March，ifIseehim？”heasked，asifhedidnotknowonwhatothertermstogetaway。

“Do，please！”sheentreated，anditseemedtoherthathehadhardlyleftherwhenherhusbandcameup。“Why，whereintheworlddidhefindyousosoon？”

“Didyousendhimforme？Iwasjusthangingroundforhimtogo。”Marchsankintothechairatherside。“Well，ishegoingtomarryher？”