第12章

“Ialwaystellpapathatthere’snocountrylike’Americaforrealunselfishness；andifthey’realllikethat，inChicago！”Thegirlstopped，andaddedwithalaugh，“ButI’malwaysquarrellingwithpapaaboutAmerica。”

“WehaveadaughterlivinginChicago。”saidMrs。March，alluringly。

ButMissTriscoerefusedthebait，eitherbecauseshehadsaidallshemeant，orbecauseshehadsaidallshewould，aboutChicago，whichMrs。

MarchfeltforthepresenttobeonewithBurnamy。Shegaveanotherofherleaps。“Idon’tseewhypeoplearesoanxioustogetitlikeEurope，athome。Theysaythattherewasatimewhentherewerenochaperonsbeforehoops，youknow。”ShelookedsuggestivelyatMrs。March，restingoneslimhandonthetable，andcontrollingherskirtwiththeother，asifsheweregettingreadytoriseatanymoment。“Whentheyusedtositontheirsteps。”

“Itwasverypleasantbeforehoops——ineveryway。”saidMrs。March。

“Iwasyoung，then；andIlivedinBoston，whereIsupposeitwasalwayssimplerthaninNewYork。Iusedtositonoursteps。Itwasdelightfulforgirls——thefreedom。”

“IwishIhadlivedbeforehoops。”saidMissTriscoe。

“Well，theremustbeplaceswhereit’sbeforehoopsyet：Seattle，andPortland，Oregon，forallIknow。”Mrs。Marchsuggested。“Andtheremustbepeopleinthatepocheverywhere。”

“Likethatyoungladywhotwistsandturns？”saidMissTriscoe，givingfirstonesideofherfaceandthentheother。“Theyhaveagoodtime。

IsupposeifEuropecametousinonewayithadtocomeinanother。Ifitcameingalleriesandallthatsortofthing，ithadtocomeinchaperons。You’llthinkI’magreatextremist，Mrs。March；butsometimesIwishtherewasmoreAmericainsteadofless。Idon’tbelieveit’sasbadaspeoplesay。DoesMr。March。”sheasked，takingholdofthechairwithonehand，tosecureherfootingfromanycapriceofthesea，whileshegatheredherskirtmorefirmlyintotheother，assherose，“doeshethinkthatAmericaisgoing——allwrong？”

“Allwrong？How？”

“Oh，inpolitics，don’tyouknow。Andgovernment，andallthat。Andbribing。Andthelowerclasseshavingeverythingtheirownway。Andthehorridnewspapers。Andeverythinggettingsoexpensive；andnoregardforfamily，oranythingofthatkind。”

Mrs。MarchthoughtshesawwhatMissTriscoemeant，butsheanswered，stillcautiously，“Idon’tbelievehedoesalways。Thoughtherearetimeswhenheisverymuchdisgusted。Thenhesaysthatheisgettingtooold——andwealwaysquarrelaboutthat——toseethingsastheyreallyare。Hesaysthatiftheworldhadbeengoingthewaythatpeopleoverfiftyhavealwaysthoughtitwasgoing，itwouldhavegonetosmashinthetimeoftheanthropoidalapes。”

“Oh，yes：Darwin。”saidMissTriscoe，vaguely。“Well，I’mgladhedoesn’tgiveitup。Ididn’tknowbutIwasholdingoutjustbecauseI

hadarguedsomuch，andwasdoingitoutof——opposition。Goodnight！”

Shecalledhersalutationgaylyoverhershoulder，andMrs。Marchwatchedherglidingoutofthesaloonwithagracefultilttohumortheslightrolloftheship，andalittlelurchtocorrectit，onceortwice，andwonderedifBurnamywasafraidofher；itseemedtoherthatifshewereayoungmansheshouldnotbeafraidofMissTriscoe。

Thenextmorning，justaftershehadarrangedherselfinhersteamerchair，heapproachedher，bowingandsmiling，withthefirstofhismanybowsandsmilesfortheday，andatthesametimeMissTriscoecametowardherfromtheoppositedirection。Shenoddedbrightlytohim，andhegaveherabowandsmiletoo；healwayshadsomanyofthemtospare。

“Hereisyourchair！”Mrs。Marchcalledtoher，drawingtheshawloutofthechairnextherown。“Mr。Marchiswanderingabouttheshipsomewhere。”

“I’llkeepitforhim。”saidMissTriscoe，andasBurnamyofferedtotaketheshawlthathunginthehollowofherarm，sheletitslipintohishandwithan“Oh；thankyou。”whichseemedalsoapermissionforhimtowrapitaboutherinthechair。

Hestoodtalkingbeforetheladies，buthelookedupanddownthepromenade。Thepivotalgirlshowedherselfatthecornerofthemusic-

room，asshehaddonethedaybefore。Atfirstsherevolvedthereasifsheweresheddingherlightonsomeonehiddenroundthecorner；thenshemovedafewpacesfartheroutandshowedherselfmoreobviouslyalone。

ClearlyshewasthereforBurnamytocomeandwalkwithher；Mrs。Marchcouldseethat，andshefeltthatMissTriscoesawittoo。Shewaitedforhertodismisshimtohisflirtation；butMissTriscoekeptchattingon，andhekeptanswering，andmakingnomotiontogetaway。Mrs。Marchbegantobeassorryforherasshewasashamedforhim。Thensheheardhimsaying，“Wouldyoulikeaturnortwo？”andMissTriscoeanswering，“Why，yes，thankyou。”andpromptlygettingoutofherchairasifthepainstheyhadbothbeenattogethersettledinitwereallnothing。

Shehadthecomposuretosay，“Youcanleaveyourshawlwithme，MissTriscoe。”andtoreceiveherfervent，“Oh，thankyou。”beforetheysailedofftogether，withinhumanindifferencetothegirlatthecornerofthemusic-room。Thenshesankintoakindoftriumphalcollapse，fromwhichsherousedherselftopointherhusbandtothechairbesideherwhenhehappenedalong。

Hechosetobeperverseaboutherromance。“Well，now，youhadbetterletthemalone。RememberKendricks。”Hemeantoneoftheiryoungfriendswhoselove-affairtheyhadpromotedtillhishappymarriagelefttheminlastingdoubtofwhattheyhaddone。“Mysympathiesareallwiththepivotalgirl。Hadn’tsheasmuchrighttohim，forthetimebeing，orforgoodandall，asMissTriscoe？”

“ThatdependsuponwhatyouthinkofBurnamy。”

“Well，Idon’tliketoseeagirlhaveayoungmansnatchedawayfromherjustwhenshe’smadesureofhim。Howdoyousupposesheisfeelingnow？”

“Sheisn’tfeelingatall。She’slettingherrevolvinglightfalluponhalfadozenotheryoungmenbythistime，collectivelyorconsecutively。

Allthatshewantstomakesureofisthatthey’reyoungmen——oroldones，even。”

Marchlaughed，butnotaltogetheratwhathiswifesaid。“I’vebeenhavingalittletalkwithPapaTriscoe，inthesmoking-room。”

“Yousmelllikeit。”saidhiswife，nottoseemtooeager：“Well？”

“Well，PapaTriscoeseemstobeinapout。Hedoesn’tthinkthingsaregoingastheyshouldinAmerica。Hehasn’tbeenconsulted，orifhehas，hisopinionhasn’tbeenactedupon。”

“Ithinkhe’shorrid。”saidMrs。March。“Whoarethey？”

“Icouldn’tmakeout，andIcouldn’task。ButI’lltellyouwhatI

think。”

“What？”

“Thatthere’snochancefor，Burnamy。He’stakinghisdaughterouttomarryhertoacrownedhead。”

Itwasthisafternoonthatthedancetookplaceonthesouthpromenade。

Everybodycameandlooked，andthecirclearoundthewaltzerswasthreeorfourdeep。Betweenthesurroundingheadsandshoulders，thehatsoftheyoungladieswheelingandwhirling，andthefacesofthemenwhowerewheelingandwhirlingthem，roseandsankwiththerhythmoftheirsteps。

Thespaceallottedtothedancingwaswalledtoseawardwithcanvas，andwasprettilytreatedwithGerman，andAmericanflags：itwashardtogowrongwithflags，MissTriscoesaid，securingherselfunderMrs。March’swing。

WheretheystoodtheycouldseeBurnamy’sface，flashingandflushinginthedance；attheendofthefirstpiecehecametothem，andremainedtalkingandlaughingtillthemusicbeganagain。

“Don’tyouwanttotryit？”heaskedabruptlyofMissTriscoe。

“Isn’titrather——public？”sheaskedback。

Mrs。Marchcouldfeelthehandwhichthegirlhadputthroughherarmthrillwithtemptation；butBurnamycouldnot。

“Perhapsitisratherobvious。”hesaid，andhemadealongglideoverthedecktothefeetofthepivotalgirl，anticipatinganotheryoungmanwhowasrapidlyadvancingfromtheoppositequarter。Thenextmomentherhatandhisfaceshowedthemselvesinthenecessaryproximitytoeachotherwithinthecircle。

“Howwellshedances！”saidMissTriscoe。

“Doyouthinkso？Shelooksasifshehadbeenwoundupandsetgoing。”

“She’sverygraceful。”thegirlpersisted。

Thedayendedwithanentertainmentinthesaloonforoneofthemarinecharitieswhichaddressthemselvestotheheartsandpocketsofpassengersonallsteamers。TherewererecitationsinEnglishandGerman，andsongsfromseveralpeoplewhohadkindlyconsented，andevermorepianoperformance。Mostofthosewhotookpartwereoftheracegiftedinartandfinance；itschildrenexcelledinthemusic，anditsfatherscountedthegate-moneyduringthelasthalfoftheprogramme，withanaudibleclinkingofthesilveronthetablebeforethem。

MissTriscoewaswithherfather，andMrs。MarchwasherselfchaperonedbyMr。Burnamy：herhusbandhadrefusedtocometotheentertainment。

ShehopedtoleaveBurnamyandMissTriscoetogetherbeforetheeveningended；butMissTriscoemerelystoppedwithherfather，inquittingthesaloon，tolaughatsomefeaturesoftheentertainment，aspeoplewhotakenopartinsuchthingsdo；Burnamystooduptoexchangesomeunimpassionedwordswithher，andthentheysaidgood-night。