第8章

“Oh，youmaylaugh！Butthereissomethingveryexciting！”Shetoldhimwhathadhappened，andofherbeliefthatBurnamy’shandsomebehaviorhadsomehownotbeenmetinkind。

Marchgavehimselfthepleasureofanimmenselaugh。“ItseemstomethatthisMr。Burnamyofyourswantedalittlemoregratitudethanhewasentitledto。Whyshouldn’thehaveofferedhimthelowerberth？Andwhyshouldn’ttheoldgentlemanhavetakenitjustashedid？Didyouwanthimtomakeacounterofferofhisdaughter’shand？Ifhedoes，IhopeMr。Burnamywon’tcomeforyouradvicetillafterhe’sacceptedher。”

“Hewasn’tverycandid。Ihopedyouwouldspeakaboutthat。Don’tyouthinkitwasrathernatural，though？”

“Forhim，verylikely。ButIthinkyouwouldcallitsinuousinsomeoneyouhadn’ttakenafancyto。”

“No，no。Iwishtobejust。Idon’tseehowhecouldhavecomestraightatit。Andhedidownupatlast。”SheaskedhimwhatBurnamyhaddoneforthemagazine，andhecouldremembernothingbutthatonesmallpoem，yetunprinted；hewasrathervagueaboutitsvalue，butsaidithadtemperament。

“Hehastemperament，too。”shecommented，andshehadmadehimtellhereverythingheknew，orcouldbeforcedtoimagineaboutBurnamy，beforesheletthetalkturntootherthings。

Thelifeofthepromenadehadalreadysettledintoseafaringform；thesteamerchairswerefull，andpeoplewerereadingordozinginthemwithaneffectoflonghabit。Thosewhowouldbewalkingupanddownhadbeguntheirwalks；somehadbegungoinginandoutofthesmoking-room；

ladieswhowereeasilyaffectedbythemotionwerelyingdowninthemusic-room。Groupsofbothsexeswerestandingatintervalsalongtherail，andthepromenaderswereobligedtodoubleonabriefercourseorworkslowlyroundthem。Shuffleboardpartiesatonepointandring-tosspartiesatanotherwereformingamongtheyoungpeople。Itwasaslivelyanditwasasdullasitwouldbetwothousandmilesatsea。Itwasnottheleastcooler，yet；butifyousatstillyoudidnotsuffer。

Inthepromptmonotonythetimewasalreadypassingswiftly。Thedeck-

stewardseemedhardlytohavebeenroundwithteaandbouillon，andhehadnotyetgatheredupalltheemptycups，whenthehornforlunchsounded。Itwastheyoungestofthetable-stewardswhogavethesummonstomeals；andwhenevertheprettyboyappearedwithhisbugle，funnypassengersgatheredroundhimtomakehimlaugh，andstophimfromwindingit。Hispartofthejokewastofulfillhisdutywithgravity，andonlytogivewaytoasmileoftriumphashewalkedoff。

Atlunch，inthefadedexcitementoftheirfirstmeeting，thepeopleattheMarches’tabledidnotrenewtheprematureintimacyoftheirbreakfasttalk。Mrs。Marchwenttoliedowninherberthafterwards，andMarchwentondeckwithouther。Hebegantowalktoandfromthebarrierbetweenthefirstandsecondcabinpromenades；lingeringnearit，andmusingpensively，forsomeofthepeoplebeyonditlookedasintelligentandassociallyacceptable，eventotheirclothes，astheirpecuniarybettersofthesaloon。

Thereweretwowomen，amotheranddaughter，whomhefanciedtobeteachers，bytheirlooks，goingoutforalittlerest，orperhapsforalittlefurtherstudytofitthemmoreperfectlyfortheirwork。Theygazedwistfullyacrossathimwheneverhecameuptothebarrier；andhefeignedaconversationwiththemandtriedtoconvincethemthatthestampofinferioritywhichtheirpovertyputuponthemwasjust，orifnotjust，theninevitable。Hearguedwiththemthatthesortofbarrierwhichherepreventedtheirbeingfriendswithhim，iftheywishedit，raninvisiblythroughsocietyeverywherebuthefeltashamedbeforetheirkind，patient，intelligentfaces，andfoundhimselfwishingtoexcusethefacthewasdefending。Wasitanyworse，heaskedthem，thantheirnotbeinginvitedtotheentertainmentsofpeopleinupperFifthAvenue？Hemadethemownthatiftheywereletacrossthatbarrierthewholesecondcabinwouldhavealogicalrighttofollow；andtheyweresilenced。Buttheycontinuedtogapeathimwiththeirsincere，gentleeyeswheneverhereturnedtothebarrierinhiswalk，tillhecouldbearitnolonger，andstrolledofftowardthesteerage。

Therewasmorereasonwhythepassengersthereshouldbepennedintoalittlespaceoftheirowninthesortofpitmadebythenarrowingdeckatthebow。Theyseemedtobeallforeigners，andifanyhadmadetheirfortunesinourcountrytheywerehidingtheirprosperityinthereturntotheirown。Theycouldhardlyhavecometousmoreshabbyandsqualidthantheyweregoingaway；buthethoughttheiraveragelessapatheticthanthatofthesaloonpassengers，asheleanedovertherailandlookeddownatthem。Someonehadbroughtoutanelectricbattery，andthelumpishboysandslatterngirlswereshoutingandlaughingastheywrithedwiththecurrent。Ayoungmotherseatedflatonthedeck，withherbarefeetstuckout，inattentivelynursedherbabe，whileshelaughedandshoutedwiththerest；amanwithhisheadtiedinashawlwalkedaboutthepenandsmiledgrotesquelywiththewellsideofhistoothache-

swollenface。Theownerofthebatterycarrieditaway，andagroupoflittlechildren，withblueeyesandyellowhair，gatheredinthespacehehadleft，andlookedupatapassengernearMarchwhowaseatingsomeplumsandcherrieswhichhehadbroughtfromtheluncheontable。Hebegantothrowthefruitdowntothem，andthechildrenscrambledforit。

Anelderlyman，withathin，grave，aquilineface，said，“Ishouldn’twantachildofminedownthere。”

“No。”Marchresponded，“itisn’tquitewhatonewouldchooseforone’sown。It’sastonishing，though，howwereconcileourselvestoitinthecaseofothers。”

“Isupposeit’ssomethingwe’llhavetogetusedtoontheotherside。”

suggestedthestranger。

“Well。”answeredMarch，“youhavesomeopportunitiestogetusedtoitonthisside，ifyouhappentoliveinNewYork。”andhewentontospeakoftheraggednesswhichoftenpenetratedthefrontierofcomfortwherehelivedinStuyvesantSquare，andwhichseemedasgladofalmsinfoodormoneyasthispovertyofthesteerage。

Theotherlistenedrestivelylikeamanwhoseidealsaredisturbed。

“Idon’tbelieveIshouldliketoliveinNewYork，much。”hesaid，andMarchfanciedthathewishedtobeaskedwherehedidlive。ItappearedthathelivedinOhio，andhenamedhistown；hedidnotbragofit，buthesaiditsuitedhim。HeaddedthathehadneverexpectedtogotoEurope，butthathehadbeguntorundownlately，andhisdoctorthoughthehadbettergooutandtryCarlsbad。

Marchsaid，toinvitehisfurtherconfidence，thatthiswasexactlyhisowncase。TheOhiomanmettheoverturefromacommoninvalidismasifitdetractedfromhisowndistinction；andheturnedtospeakofthedifficulty，hehadinarranginghisaffairsforleavinghome。Hisheartopenedalittlewiththeword，andhesaidhowcomfortableheandhiswifewereintheirhouse，andhowmuchtheybothhatedtoshutitup。

WhenMarchofferedhimhiscard，hesaidhehadnoneofhisownwithhim，butthathisnamewasEltwin。HebetrayedasimplewishtohaveMarchrealizethelocalimportancehehadleftbehindhim；anditwasnothardtocomply；MarchsawaGrandArmybuttoninthelapelofhiscoat，andheknewthathewasinthepresenceofaveteran。

Hetriedtoguesshisrank；intellinghiswifeabouthim，whenhewentdowntofindherjustbeforedinner，butheendedwithacertainsenseofaffliction。“Therearetoomanyelderlyinvalidsonthisship。Iknockagainstpeopleofmyownageeverywhere。Whyaren’tyouryouthfulloversmoreinevidence，mydear？Idon’tbelievetheyarelovers，andIbegintodoubtifthey’reyoungeven。”

“Itwasn’tverysatisfactoryatlunch，certainly。”sheowned。“ButI

knowitwillbedifferentatdinner。”Shewasputtingherselftogetherafteranapthathadmadeupforthelostsleepofthenightbefore。

“Iwantyoutolookverynice，dear。Shallyoudressfordinner？”sheaskedherhusband’simageinthestate-roomglasswhichshewaspreoccupying。

“Ishalldressinmypea-jacketandsea-boots。”itanswered。

“IhaveheardthattheyalwaysdressfordinneronthebigCunardandWhiteStarboats，whenit’sgoodweather。”shewenton，placidly。

“Ishouldn’twantthosepeopletothinkyouwerenotupintheconvenances。”

Theybothknewthatshemeantthereticentfatheranddaughter，andMarchflungout，“Ishouldn’twantthemtothinkyouweren’t。There’ssuchathingasoverdoing。”

Sheattackedhimatanotherpoint。“Whathasannoyedyou？Whatelsehaveyoubeendoing？”

“Nothing。I’vebeenreadingmostoftheafternoon。”

“TheMaidenKnight？”

Thiswasthebookwhichnearlyeverybodyhadbroughtonboard。Itwasjustout，andhadcaughtaninstantfavor，whichswelledlatertoatidalwave。Itdepictedaheroicgirlineverytryingcircumstanceofmediaevallife，andgratifiedtheperennialpassionofbothsexesforhistoricalromance，whileitflatteredwoman’sinstinctofsuperioritybythecelebrationofherunintermittedtriumphs，endinginapreposterousandwhollysuperfluousself-sacrifice。

Marchlaughedforpleasureinherguess，andshepursued，“Isupposeyoudidn’twastetimelookingifanybodyhadbroughtthelastcopyof’EveryOtherWeek’？”

“Yes，Idid；andIfoundtheoneyouhadleftinyoursteamerchair——foradvertisingpurposes，probably。”

“Mr。Burnamyhasanother。”shesaid。“Isawitstickingoutofhispocketthismorning。”

“Oh，yes。HetoldmehehadgotitonthetrainfromChicagotoseeifithadhispoeminit。He’saningenuoussoul——insomeways。”

“Well，thatistheveryreasonwhyyououghttofindoutwhetherthemenaregoingtodress，andlethimknow。Hewouldneverthinkofithimself。”

“NeitherwouldI。”saidherhusband。

“Verywell，ifyouwishtospoilhischanceattheoutset。”shesighed。

Shedidnotquiteknowwhethertobegladornotthatthemenwereallinsacksandcutawaysatdinner；itsavedher，fromshameforherhusbandandMr。Burnamy；butitputherinthewrong。Everyonetalked；eventhefatheranddaughtertalkedwitheachother，andatonemomentMrs。Marchcouldnotbequitesurethatthedaughterhadnotlookedatherwhenshespoke。ShecouldnotbemistakenintheremarkwhichthefatheraddressedtoBurnamy，thoughitledtonothing。