第10章

Thesteamerwasoftenestwithoutthesignofanylifebeyondher。Onedayasmallbirdbeattheairwithitslittlewings，undertheroofofthepromenade，andthenflitteredfromsightoverthesurface，ofthewaste；aschoolofporpoises，stiffandwoodenintheirrise，plungedclumsilyfromwavetowave。Thedeepitselfhadsometimestheunreality，theartificialityofthecanvasseaofthetheatre。Commonlyitwaslividandcoldincolor；buttherewasamorningwhenitwasdelicatelymisted，andwherethemistleftitclear，itwasblueandexquisitelyiridescentunderthepalesun；thewrinkledwaveswerefinelypittedbythefallingspray。Thesewereraremoments；mostly，whenitwasnotlikepaintedcanvas，iswashardlikeblackrock，withsurfacesofsmoothcleavage。Whereitmettheskyitlayflatandmotionless，orintherougherweathercarveditselfalongthehorizoninsuccessionsofsurges。

Ifthesunroseclear，itwasovercastinafewhours；thenthecloudsbrokeandletalittlesunshinethrough，tocloseagainbeforethedimeveningthickenedoverthewaters。Sometimesthemoonlookedthroughtheraggedcurtainofvapors；onenightitseemedtoshinetillmorning，andshookapathofquicksilverfromthehorizontotheship。Througheverychange，aftershehadleftthefogbehind，thesteamerdroveonwiththepulseofherengines(thatstoppednomorethanaman’sheartstops)inacoursewhichhadnothingtomarkitbutthespreadofthefurrowsfromhersides，andthewakethatfoamedfromhersterntothewesternvergeofthesea。

Thelifeoftheship，likethelifeofthesea，wasasoddenmonotony，withcertaineventswhichwerepartofthemonotony。Inthemorningthelittlesteward’sbuglecalledthepassengersfromtheirdreams，andhalfanhourlatercalledthemtotheirbreakfast，aftersuchaschosehadbeenservedwithcoffeebytheirbedroom-stewards。Thentheywentondeck，wheretheyread，ordozedintheirchairs，orwalkedupanddown，orstoodinthewayofthosewhowerewalking；orplayedshuffleboardandring-toss；orsmoked，anddrankwhiskeyandaeratedwatersovertheircardsandpapersinthesmoking-room；orwrotelettersinthesaloonorthemusic-room。Ateleveno’clocktheyspoiledtheirappetitesforlunchwithteaorbouillontothemusicofabandofsecond-cabinstewards；atone，asingleblastofthebuglecalledthemtolunch，wheretheygluttedthemselvestothetorporfromwhichtheyafterwardsdrowsedintheirberthsorchairs。Theydidthesamethingsintheafternoonthattheyhaddoneintheforenoon；andatfouro’clockthedeck-stewardscameroundwiththeircupsandsaucers，andtheirplatesofsandwiches，againtothemusicoftheband。Thereweretwobugle-callsfordinner，andafterdinnersomewentearlytobed，andsomesatuplateandhadgrillsandtoast。Attwelvethelightswereputoutinthesaloonsandthesmoking-rooms。

Therewerevarioussmellswhichstoredthemselvesupintheconsciousnesstoremainlastinglyrelativetocertainmomentsandplaces：awhiffofwhiskeyandtobaccothatexhaledfromthedoorofthesmoking-room；theodorofoilandsteamrisingfromtheopenskylightsovertheengine-

room；thescentofstalebreadaboutthedoorsofthedining-saloon。

Thelifewaslikethelifeatasea-sidehotel，onlymoremonotonous。

Thewalkingwaslimited；thetalkwasthetentativetalkofpeopleawarethattherewasnorefugeiftheygottiredofoneanother。Theflirtingitself，suchastherewasofit，mustbecarriedonintheglareofthepervasivepublicity；itmustbecrudeandbold，ornotbeatall。

Thereseemedtobeverylittleofit。Therewerenotmanyyoungpeopleonboardofsaloonquality，andtheseweremostlygirls。Theyoungmenweremainlyofthesmoking-roomsort；theyseldomriskedthemselvesamongthesteamerchairs。Itwasgayerinthesecondcabin，andgayeryetinthesteerage，whererobusteremotionswereoperatedbytheaccordion。

Thepassengerstheredancedtoitsmusic；theysangtoitandlaughedtoitunabashedundertheeyesofthefirst-cabinwitnessesclusteredalongtherailabovethepitwheretheytooktheirrudepleasures。

WithMarchitcametohisspendingmanyhoursofeachlong，swiftdayinhisberthwithabookundertheconvenientelectriclight。Hewassafetherefromtheacquaintanceswhichconstantlyformedthemselvesonlytofallintodisintegration，andclingtohimafterwardsasinorganicparticlesofweather-guessing，andsmoking-roomgossipabouttheship’srun。

Intheearliesthoursofthevoyagehethoughtthathesawsomefacesofthegreatworld，theworldofwealthandfashion；buttheseafterwardvanished，andlefthimtowonderwheretheyhidthemselves。Hedidnotmeetthemeveningoingtoandfromhismeals；hecouldonlyimaginethemservedinthosepalatialstate-roomswhoseinteriorsthestewardsnowandthenratherobtrudeduponthepublic。Therewerepeoplewhomheencounteredinthepromenadeswhenhegotupforthesunrise，andwhomheneversawatothertimes；atmidnighthemetmenprowlinginthedarkwhomhenevermetbyday。Butnoneofthesewerepeopleofthegreatworld。Beforesixo’clocktheyweresometimessecond-cabinpassengers，whosebarrierwasthenliftedforalittlewhiletogivethemthefreedomofthesaloonpromenade。

FromtimetotimehethoughthewouldlookuphisOhioan，andrevivefromacloserstudyofhimhisinterestintherareAmericanwhohadneverbeentoEurope。Buthekeptwithhiselderlywife，whohadtheeffectofwithholdinghimfromMarch’sadvances。YoungMr。andMrs。Leffersthrewoffmoreandmoretheirdisguiseofalong-marriedpair，andbecamefranklybrideandgroom。Theyseldomtalkedwithanyoneelse，exceptattable；theywalkedupanddowntogether，smilingintoeachothersfaces；

theysatsidebysideintheirsteamerchairs；oneshawlcoveredthemboth，andtherewasreasontobelievethattheywereholdingeachother’shandsunderit。

Mrs。AddingoftentookthechairbesideMrs。Marchwhenherhusbandwasstrayingabouttheshiporreadinginhisberth；andthetwoladiesmusthaveexchangedautobiographies，forMrs。MarchwasabletotellhimjusthowlongMrs。Addinghadbeenawidow，whatherhusbanddiedof，andwhathadbeendonetosavehim；howshewasnowperfectlywraptupinherboy，andwastakinghimabroad，withsomenotionofgoingtoSwitzerland，afterthesummer’stravel，andsettlingdownwithhimatschoolthere。

SheandMrs。Marchbecamegreatfriends；andRose，ashismothercalledhim，attachedhimselfreverentlytoMarch，notonlyasacelebrityofthefirstgradeinhisqualityofeditorof’EveryOtherWeek’，butasasageofwisdomandgoodness，withwhomhemustnotlosethechanceofcounseluponalmosteveryhypothesisandexigencyoflife。

MarchcouldnotbringhimselftoplaceBurnamyquitewherehebelongedincontemporaryliterature，whenRoseputhimveryhighinvirtueofthepoemwhichheheardBurnamywasgoingtohaveprintedin’EveryOtherWeek’，andofthebookwhichhewasgoingtohavepublished；andhelettheboybringtotheyoungfellowtheflatterywhichcancometoanyauthorbutonce，inthefirstrequestforhisautographthatBurnamyconfessedtohavehad。Theyweresonearinage，thoughtheyweretenyearsapart，thatRosestoodmuchmoreinaweofBurnamythanofothersmuchmorehisseniors。HewasofteninthecompanyofKenby，whomhevaluednexttoMarchasapersonacquaintedwithmen；heconsultedMarchuponKenby’spracticeofalwaystakingupthelanguageofthecountryhevisited，ifitwereonlyforafortnight；andheconceivedahigheropinionofhimfromMarch’sapproval。

BurnamywasmostwithMrs。March，whomadehimtalkabouthimselfwhenhesupposedhewastalkingaboutliterature，inthehopethatshecouldgethimtotalkabouttheTriscoes；butshelistenedinvainashepouredout-hissoulintheoriesofliteraryart，andinhistoriesofwhathehadwrittenandwhathemeanttowrite。Whenhepassedthemwheretheysattogether，Marchheardtheyoungfellow’sperpetuallyrecurringI，I，I，my，my，my，me，me，me；andsmiledtothinkhowshewassufferingunderthedrip-dripofhisinnocentegotism。

Sheboreinasortofscientificpatiencehisattentionstothepivotalgirl，andMissTriscoe’sindifferencetohim，inwhichalesspenetratingscrutinycouldhavedetectednochangefrommealtomeal。Itwasonlyattablethatshecouldseethemtogether，orthatshecouldnoteanybreakinthereserveofthefatheranddaughter。ThesignsofthisweresofinethatwhenshereportedthemMarchlaughedinscornfulincredulity。

Butatbreakfastthethirddayout，theTriscoes，withtheauthorityofpeopleaccustomedtosocialconsideration，suddenlyturnedtotheMarches，andbegantomakethemselvesagreeable；thefatherspoketoMarchof’EveryOtherWeek’，whichheseemedtoknowofinitsrelationtohim；andtheyounggirladdressedherselftoMrs。March’smotherlysensenotthelessacceptablybecauseindirectly。Shespokeofgoingoutwithherfatherforanindefinitetime，asifitwereratherhiswishthanhers，andshemadesomeinquiriesaboutplacesinGermany；theyhadneverbeeninGermany。TheyhadsomeideaofDresden；buttheideaofDresdenwithitsAmericancolonyseemedrathertiresome；anddidMrs。

MarchknowanythingaboutWeimar？

Mrs。MarchwasobligedtosaythatsheknewnothingaboutanyplaceinGermany；andsheexplainedperhapstoofullywhereandwhyshewasgoingwithherhusband。ShefanciedaBostonnoteinthatscornforthetiresomenessofDresden；butthegirl’sstylewasofNewYorkratherthanofBoston，andheraccentwasnotquiteofeitherplace。Mrs。MarchbegantotrytheTriscoesinthisplaceandinthat，todivinethemandtoclassthem。Shehaddecidedfromthefirstthattheyweresocietypeople，buttheywerecultivatedbeyondtheaverageofthefewswellswhomshehadmet；andtherehadbeennothingoffensiveintheirmannerofholdingthemselvesalooffromtheotherpeopleatthetable；theyhadarighttodothatiftheychose。

WhentheyoungLeffersescameintobreakfast，thetalkwentonbetweentheseandtheMarches；theTriscoespresentlyleftthetable，andMrs。

Marchrosesoonafter，eagerforthatdiscussionoftheirbehaviorwhichMarchknewheshouldnotbeabletopostpone。

Heagreedwithherthattheyweresocietypeople，butshecouldnotatonceaccepthistheorythattheyhadthemselvesbeentheobjectsofanadvancefromthembecauseoftheirneutralliteraryquality，throughwhichtheywereofnosocialworld，butpotentiallycommontoany。Latersheadmittedthis，asshesaid，forthesakeofargument，thoughwhatshewantedhimtosee，now，wasthatthiswasallastepofthegirl’stowardfindingoutsomethingaboutBurnamy。

Thesameafternoon，aboutthetimethedeck-stewardwasmakinghisroundwithhiscups，MissTriscoeabruptlyadvanceduponherfromaneighboringcornerofthebulkhead，andasked，withtheairofoneaccustomedtohaveheradvancesgratefullyreceived，ifshemightsitbyher。ThegirltookMarch’svacantchair，whereshehadhercupofbouillon，whichshecontinuedtoholduntastedinherhandafterthefirstsip。Mrs。Marchdidthesamewithhers，andatthemomentshehadgotverytiredofdoingit，Burnamycameby，forthehundredthtimethatday，andgaveherahundredthbowwithahundredthsmile。Heperceivedthatshewishedtogetridofhercup，andhesprangtoherrelief。

“MayItakeyourstoo？”hesaidverypassivelytoMissTriscoe。

“Youareverygood。”sheanswered，andgaveit。

Mrs。Marchwithacasualairsuggested，“DoyouknowMr。Burnamy，MissTriscoe？“Thegirlsaidafewcivilthings，butBurnamydidnottrytomaketalkwithherwhileheremainedafewmomentsbeforeMrs。March。