第13章

Thenextmorning，atfiveo’clock，theNorumbiacametoanchorintheprettyharborofPlymouth。Inthecoolearlylightthetownlaydistinctalongtheshore，quaintwithitssmallEnglishhouses，andstatelywithcomepublicedificesofunknownfunctionontheuplands；acountry-seatofaristocraticaspectshoweditselfononeoftheheights；onanotherthetowerofacountrychurchpeeredoverthetree-tops；therewerelinesoffortifications，aspeaceful，attheirdistance，asthestonewallsdividingthegreenfields。Theveryiron-cladsintheharborcloseathandcontributedtotheamiablegayetyofthesceneunderthepaleblueEnglishsky，alreadybrokenwithcloudsfromwhichtheflushofthesunrisehadnotquitefaded。Thebreathofthelandcamefreshlyoutoverthewater；onecouldalmostsmellthegrassandtheleaves。Gullswheeledanddartedoverthecrispwater；thetonesoftheEnglishvoicesonthetenderwerepleasanttotheear，asitfussedandscuffledtotheship’sside。Afewscoreofthepassengerslefther；withtheirbaggagetheyformedpicturesquegroupsonthetender’sdeck，andtheysetoutfortheshorewavingtheirhandsandtheirhandkerchiefstothefriendstheyleftclusteringalongtherailoftheNorumbia。Mr。andMrs。LeffersbadeMarchfarewell，inthefinalfondnessinspiredbyhishavingcoffeewiththembeforetheylefttheship；theysaidtheyhatedtoleave。

Thestophadrousedeverybody，andthebreakfasttableswerepromptlyfilled，exceptsuchasthepassengerslandingatPlymouthhadvacated；

thesewerestrippedoftheircloths，andtheremainingcommensalsplacedatothers。TheseatsoftheLeffersesweregiventoMarch’soldOhiofriendandhiswife。Hetriedtoengagetheminthetallywhichbegantobegeneralintheexcitementofhavingtouchedland；buttheyshylyheldaloof。

SomeEnglishnewspapershadcomeaboardfromthetug，andtherewastheusualgood-naturedadjustmentoftheAmericanself-satisfaction，amongthosewhohadseenthem，totheever-surprisingfactthatourcontinentisapparentlyofnointeresttoEurope。ThereweresomemeagreNewYorkstock-marketquotationsinthepapers；aparagraphinfineprintannouncedthelynchingofanegroinAlabama；anotherrecordedacoal-

miningstrikeinPennsylvania。

“Ialwayshavetogetusedtoitoveragain。”saidKenby。“ThisisthetwentiethtimeIhavebeenacross，andI’mjustasmuchastonishedasI

wasthefirst，tofindoutthattheydon’twanttoknowanythingaboutushere。”

“Oh。”saidMarch，“curiosityandtheweatherbothcomefromthewest。

SanFranciscowantstoknowaboutDenver，DenveraboutChicago，ChicagoaboutNewYork，andNewYorkaboutLondon；butcuriositynevertravelstheotherwayanymorethanahotwaveoracoldwave。”

“Ah，butLondondoesn’tcarearapaboutVienna。”saidKenby。

“Well，somepressuresgiveoutbeforetheyreachthecoast，onourownside。Itisn’taninfallibleanalogy。”

Triscoewasfiercelychewingamorsel，asifinhastetotakepartinthediscussion。Hegulpedit，andbrokeout。“Whyshouldtheycareaboutus，anyway？”

Marchlightlyventured，“Oh，menandbrothers，youknow。”

“Thatisn’tsufficientground。TheChinesearemenandbrothers；soaretheSouth-AmericansandCentral-Africans，andHawaiians；butwe’renotimpatientforthelatestnewsaboutthem。It’scivilizationthatinterestscivilization。”

“Ihopethatfactdoesn’tleaveusoutinthecoldwiththebarbarians？”

Burnamyputin，withasmile。

“Doyouthinkwearecivilized？”retortedtheother。

“WehavethatsuperstitioninChicago。”saidBurnamy。Headded，stillsmiling，“AbouttheNew-Yorkers，Imean。”

“You’remoresuperstitiousinChicagothanIsupposed。NewYorkisananarchy，temperedbyvigilancecommittees。”

“Oh，Idon’tthinkyoucansaythat。”Kenbycheerfullyprotested，“sincetheReformerscamein。Lookatourstreets！”

“Yes，ourstreetsareclean，forthetimebeing，andwhenwelookatthemwethinkwehavemadeacleansweepinourmannersandmorals。ButhowlongdoyouthinkitwillbebeforeTammanywillbeinthesaddleagain？”

“Oh，neverintheworld！”saidtheoptimisticheadofthetable。

“IwishIhadyourfaith；orIshouldifIdidn’tfeelthatitisoneofthethingsthathelptoestablishTammanyswithus。YouwillseeourTammanyinpowerafterthenextelection。”Kenbylaughedinalarge-

heartedincredulity；andhislaughwaslikefueltotheother’sflame。

“NewYorkispoliticallyamediaevalItalianrepublic，andit’smorallyafrontiermining-town。Sociallyit’s——“Hestoppedasifhecouldnotsaywhat。

“Ithinkit’saplacewhereyouhaveaverynicetime，papa。”saidhisdaughter，andBurnamysmiledwithher；notbecauseheknewanythingaboutit。

Herfatherwentonasifhehadnotheardher。“It’sasvulgarandcrudeasmoneycanmakeit。Nothingcountsbutmoney，andassoonasthere’senough，itcountsforeverything。Inlessthanayearyou’llhaveTammanyinpower；itwon’tbemorethanayeartillyou’llhaveitinsociety。”

“Ohno！Ohno！“camefromKenby。Hedidnotcaremuchforsociety，buthevaguelyrespecteditasthestrongholdoftheproprietiesandtheamenities。

“Isn’tsocietyagoodplaceforTammanytobein？”askedMarchinthepauseTriscoeletfollowuponKenby’slaugh。

“There’snoreasonwhyitshouldn’tbe。Societyisasbadasalltherestofit。AndwhatNewYorkis，politically，morally，andsocially，thewholecountrywishestobeandtriestobe。”

Therewasthatmeasureoftruthinthewordswhichsilences；noonecouldfindjustthetermsofrefutation。

“Well。”saidKenbyatlast，“it’sagoodthingtherearesomanylinestoEurope。We’vestillgottherighttoemigrate。”

“Yes，buteventherewedon’tescapetheabuseofourinfamousnewspapersforexercisingaman’srighttolivewherehechooses。AndthereisnocountryinEurope——exceptTurkey，orSpain——thatisn’tabetterhomeforanhonestmanthantheUnitedStates。”

TheOhioanhadoncebeforeclearedhisthroatasifheweregoingtospeak。Now，heleanedfarenoughforwardtocatchTriscoe’seve，andsaid，slowlyanddistinctly：“Idon’tknowjustwhatreasonyouhavetofeelasyoudoaboutthecountry。Ifeeldifferentlyaboutitmyself——

perhapsbecauseIfoughtforit。”

Atfirst，theothersweregladofthisarrogance；itevenseemedananswer；butBurnamysawMissTriscoe’scheek，flush，andthenhedoubteditsvalidity。

Triscoenervouslycrushedabiscuitinhishand，asiftoexpendaviolentimpulseuponit。Hesaid，coldly，“Iwasspeakingfromthatstand-point。”

TheOhioanshrankbackinhisseat，andMarchfeltsorryforhim，thoughhehadputhimselfinthewrong。Hisoldhandtrembledbesidehisplate，andhisheadshook，whilehislipsformedsilentwords；andhisshywifewassharinghispainandshame。

KenbybegantotalkaboutthestopwhichtheNorumbiawastomakeatCherbourg，andaboutwhathourthenextdaytheyshouldallbeinCuxhaven。MissTriscoesaidtheyhadnevercomeontheHanseaticLinebefore，andaskedseveralquestions。Herfatherdidnotspeakagain，andafteralittlewhileherosewithoutwaitingforhertomakethemovefromtable；hehadpunctiliouslydeferredtoherhitherto。Eltwinroseatthesametime，andMarchfearedthathemightbegoingtoprovokeanotherdefeat，insomeway。

Eltwinliftedhisvoice，andsaid，tryingtocatchTriscoe’seye，“I

thinkIoughttobegyourpardon，sir。Idobegyourpardon。”

MarchperceivedthatEltwinwishedtomaketheofferofhisreparationasdistinctashisaggressionhadbeen；andnowhequakedforTriscoe，whosedaughterhesawglanceapprehensivelyatherfatherassheswayedasidetoletthetwomencometogether。

“Thatisallright，Colonel——“

“Major。”Eltwinconscientiouslyinterposed。

“Major。”Triscoebowed；andheputouthishandandgraspedthehandwhichhadbeentremulouslyrisingtowardhim。“Therecan’tbeanydoubtofwhatwedid，nomatterwhatwe’vegot。”

“No，no！”saidtheother，eagerly。“ThatwaswhatImeant，sir。I

don’tthinkasyoudo；butIbelievethatamanwhohelpedtosavethecountryhasarighttothinkwhathepleasesaboutit。”

Triscoesaid，“Thatisallright，mydearsir。MayIaskyourregiment？”

TheMarcheslettheoldfellowswalkawaytogether，followedbythewifeoftheoneandthedaughteroftheother。Theysawtheyounggirlmakingsomegracefuloverturesofspeechtotheelderwomanastheywent。

“Thatwasratherfine，mydear。”saidMrs。March。

“Well，Idon’tknow。Itwasalittletoodramatic，wasn’tit？Itwasn’twhatIshouldhaveexpectedofreallife。”

“Oh，youspoileverything！Ifthat’sthespirityou’regoingthroughEuropein！”

“Itisn’t。AssoonasItouchEuropeansoilIshallreform。”