their silver wedding journey v3-第11节

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Burnamy　yet；　I　hadn't　a　chance　to　ask　her。　　And　there's　something　else
that　I'm　afraid　will　fairly　make　you　sick。〃

〃Oh；　no；　go　on。　　I　don't　think　anything　can　do　that；　after　an　afternoon
of　Kenby's　confidences。〃

〃It's　worse　than　Kenby；〃　she　said　with　a　sigh。　　〃You　know　I　told　you　at
Carlsbad　I　thought　that　ric1icnlous　old　thing　was　making　up　to　Mrs。
Adding。〃

〃Kenby　？　　Why　of　co〃

〃Don't　be　stupid；　my　dear！　　No；　not　Kenby：　General　Triscoe。　　I　wish　you
could　have　been　here　to　see　him　paying　her　all　sort；　of　silly　attentions；
and　hear　him　making　her　compliments。〃

〃Thank　you。　　I　think　I'm　just　as　well　without　it。　　Did　she　pay　him　silly
attentions　and　compliments；　too？〃

〃That's　the　only　thing　that　can　make　me　forgive　her　for　his　wanting　her。
She　was　keeping　him　at　arm's…length　the　whole　time；　and　she　was　doing　it
so　as　not　to　make　him　contemptible　before　his　daughter。〃

〃It　must　have　been　hard。　　And　Rose？〃

〃Rose　didn't　seem　very　well。　　He　looks　thin　and　pale；　but　he's　sweeter
than　ever。　　She's　certainly　commoner　clay　than　Rose。　　No；　I　won't　say
that！　　It's　really　nothing　but　General　Triscoe's　being　an　old　goose　about
her　that　makes　her　seem　so；　and　it　isn't　fair。〃

March　went　down　to　his　coffee　in　the　morning　with　the　delicate　duty　of
telling　Kenby　that　Mrs。　Adding　was　in　town。　　Kenby　seemed　to　think　it
quite　natural　she　should　wish　to　see　the　manoeuvres；　and　not　at　all
strange　that　she　should　come　to　them　with　General　Triscoe　and　his
daughter。　　He　asked　if　March　would　not　go　with　him　to　call　upon　her　after
breakfast；　and　as　this　was　in　the　line　of　his　own　instructions　from　Mrs。
March；　he　went。

They　found　Mrs。　Adding　with　the　Triscoes；　and　March　saw　nothing　that　was
not　merely　friendly；　or　at　the　most　fatherly；　in　the　general's　behavior
toward　her。　　If　Mrs。　Adding　or　Miss　Triscoe　saw　more；　they　hid　it　in　a
guise　of　sisterly　affection　for　each　other。　　At　the　most　the　general
showed　a　gayety　which　one　would　not　have　expected　of　him　under　any
conditions；　and　which　the　fact　that　he　and　Rose　had　kept　each　other　awake
a　good　deal　the　night　before　seemed　so　little　adapted　to　call　out。　　He
joked　with　Rose　about　their　room　and　their　beds；　and　put　on　a　comradery
with　him　that　was　not　a　perfect　fit；　and　that　suffered　by　contrast　with
the　pleasure　of　the　boy　and　Kenby　in　meeting。　　There　was　a　certain
question　in　the　attitude　of　Mrs。　Adding　till　March　helped　Kenby　to
account　for　his　presence；　then　she　relaxed　in　an　effect　of　security　so
tacit　that　words　overstate　it；　and　began　to　make　fun　of　Rose。

March　could　not　find　that　Miss　Triscoe　looked　unhappy；　as　his　wife　had
said；　he　thought　simply　that　she　had　grown　plainer；　but　when　he　reported
this；　she　lost　her　patience　with　him。　　In　a　girl；　she　said；　plainness　was
unhappiness；　and　she　wished　to　know　when　he　would　ever　learn　to　look　an
inch　below　the　surface：　She　was　sure　that　Agatha　Triscoe　had　not　heard
from　Burnamy　since　the　Emperor's　birthday；　that　she　was　at　swords'…points
with　her　father；　and　so　desperate　that　she　did　not　care　what　became　of
her。

He　had　left　Kenby　with　the　others；　and　now；　after　his　wife　had　talked
herself　tired　of　them　all；　he　proposed　going　out　again　to　look　about　the
city；　where　there　was　nothing　for　the　moment　to　remind　them　of　the
presence　of　their　friends　or　even　of　their　existence。　　She　answered　that
she　was　worrying　about　all　those　people；　and　trying　to　work　out　their
problem　for　them。　　He　asked　why　she　did　not　let　them　work　it　out
themselves　as　they　would　have　to　do；　after　all　her　worry；　and　she　said
that　where　her　sympathy　had　been　excited　she　could　not　stop　worrying；
whether　it　did　any　good　or　not；　and　she　could　not　respect　any　one　who
could　drop　things　so　completely　out　of　his　mind　as　he　could；　she　had
never　been　able　to　respect　that　in　him。

〃I　know；　my　dear；〃　he　assented。　　〃But　I　don't　think　it's　a　question　of
moral　responsibility；　it's　a　question　of　mental　structure；　isn't　it？
Your　consciousness　isn't　built　in　thought…tight　compartments；　and　one
emotion　goes　all　through　it；　and　sinks　you；　but　I　simply　close　the　doors
and　shut　the　emotion　in；　and　keep　on。〃

The　fancy　pleased　him　so　much　that　he　worked　it　out　in　all　its
implications；　and　could　not；　after　their　long　experience　of　each　other；
realize　that　she　was　not　enjoying　the　joke　too；　till　she　said　she　saw
that　he　merely　wished　to　tease。　　Then；　too　late；　he　tried　to　share　her
worry；　but　she　protested　that　she　was　not　worrying　at　all；　that　she　cared
nothing　about　those　people：　that　she　was　nervous；　she　was　tired；　and　she
wished　he　would　leave　her；　and　go　out　alone。

He　found　himself　in　the　street　again；　and　he　perceived　that　he　must　be
walking　fast　when　a　voice　called　him　by　name；　and　asked　him　what　his
hurry　was。　　The　voice　was　Stoller's；　who　got　into　step　with　him　and
followed　the　first　with　a　second　question。

〃Made　up　your　mind　to　go　to　the　manoeuvres　with　me？〃

His　bluntness　made　it　easy　for　March　to　answer：　〃I'm　afraid　my　wife
couldn't　stand　the　drive　back　and　forth。〃

〃Come　without　her。〃

〃Thank　you。　　It's　very　kind　of　yon。　　I'm　not　certain　that　I　shall　go　at
all。　　If　I　do；　I　shall　run　out　by　train；　and　take　my　chances　with　the
crowd。〃

Stoller　insisted　no　further。　　He　felt　no　offence　at　the　refusal　of　his
offer；　or　chose　to　show　none。　　He　said；　with　the　same　uncouth　abruptness
as　before：　〃Heard　anything　of　that　fellow　since　he　left　Carlsbad？〃

〃Burnamy？〃

〃Mm。〃

〃No。〃

〃Know　where　he　is？〃

〃I　don't　in　the　least。〃

Stoller　let　another　silence　elapse　while　they　hurried　on；　before　he　said；
〃I　got　to　thinking　what　he　done　…afterwards。　　He　wasn't　bound　to　look　out
for　me；　he　might　suppose　I　knew　what　I　was　about。〃

March　turned　his　face　and　stared　in　Stoller's；　which　he　was　letting　hang
forward　as　he　stamped　heavily　on。　　Had　the　disaster　proved　less　than　he
had　feared；　and　did　he　still　want　Burnamy's　help　in　patching　up　the
broken　pieces；　or　did　he　really　wish　to　do　Burnamy　justice　to　his　friend？

In　any　case　March's　duty　was　clear。　　〃I　think　Burnamy　was　bound　to　look
out　for　you；　Mr。　Stoller；　and　I　am　glad　to　know　that　he　saw　it　in　the
same　light。〃

〃I　know　he　did；〃　said　Stoker　with　a　blaze　as　from　a　long…smouldering
fury；　〃and　damn　him；　I'm　not　going　to　have　it。　　I'm　not　going　to；　plead
the　baby　act　with　him；　or　with　any　man。　　You　tell　him　so；　when　you　get
the　chance。　　You　tell　him　I　don't　hold　him　accountable　for　anything　I
made　him　do。　　That　ain't　business；　I　don't　want　him　around　me；　any　more；
but　if　he　wants　to　go　back　to　the　paper　he　can　have　his　place。　　You　tell
him　I　stand　by　what　I　done；　and　it's　all　right　between　him　and　me。
I　hain't　done　anything　about　it；　the　way　I　wanted　him　to　help　me　to；　I've
let　it　lay；　and　I'm　a…going　to。　　I　guess　it　ain't　going　to　do　me　any
harm；　after　all；　our　people　hain't　got　very　long　memories；　but　if　it　is；
let　it。　　You　tell　him　it's　all　right。〃

〃I　don't　know　where　he　is；　Mr。　Stoller；　and　I　don't　know　that　I　care　to
be　the　bearer　of　your　message；〃　said　March。

〃Why　not？〃

〃Why；　for　one　thing；　I　don't　agree　with　you　that　it's　all　right。　　Your
choosing　to　stand　by　the　consequences　of　Burnamy's　wrong　doesn't　undo　it。
As　I　understand；　you　don't　pardon　it〃

Stoller　gulped　and　did　not　answer　at　once。　　Then　he　said；　〃I　stand　by
what　I　done。　　I'm　not　going　to　let　him　say　I　turned　him　down　for　doing
what　I　told　him　to；　because　I　hadn't　the　sense　to　know　what　I　was　about。〃

〃Ah；　I　don't　think　it's　a　thing　he'll　like　to　speak　of　in　any　case；〃　said
March。

Stoller　left　him；　at　the　corner　they　had　reached；　as　abruptly　as　he　had
joined　him；　and　March　hurried　back　to　his　wife；　and　told　her　what　had
just　passed　between　him　and　Stoller。

She　broke　out；　〃Well；　I　am　surprised　at　you；　my　dear！　　You　have　always
accused　me　of　suspecting　people；　and　attributing　bad　motives；　and　here
you've　refused　even　to　give　the　poor　man　the　benefit　of　the　doubt。　　He
merely　wanted　to　save　his　savage　pride　with　you；　and　that's　all　he　wants
to　do　with　Burnamy。　　How　could　it　hurt　the　poor　boy　to　know　that　Stoller
doesn't　blame　him？　　Why　should　you　refuse　to　give　his　message　to　Burnamy？
I　don't　want　you　to　ridicule　me　for　my　conscience　any　more；　Basil；　you're
twice　as　bad　as　I　ever　was。　　Don't　you　think　that　a　person　can　ever
expiate　an　offence？　　I've　often　heard　you　say　that　if　any　one　owned　his
fault；　he　put　it　from　him；　and　it　was　the　same　as　if　it　hadn't　been；　and
hasn't　Burnamy　owned　up　over　and　over　again？　　I'm　astonished　at　you；
dearest。〃

March　was　in　fact　somewhat　astonished　at　himself　in　the　light　of　her
reasoning；　but　she　went　on　with　some　sophistries　that　restored　him　to　his
self…righteousness。

〃I　suppose　you　think　he　has　interfered　with　Stoller's　political　ambition；
and　injured　him　in　that　way。　　Well；　what　if　he　has？　　Would　it　be　a　good
thing　to　have　a　man　like　that　succeed　in　politics？　　You're　always　saying
that　the　low　character　of　our　politicians　is　the　ruin　of　the　country；　and
I'm　sure；〃　she　added；　with　a　prodigious　leap　over　all　the　sequences；
〃that　Mr。　Stoller　is　acting　nobly；　and　it's　your　duty　to　help　him　relieve
Burnamy's　mind。〃　　At　the　laugh　he　broke　into　she　hastened　to　say；　〃Or　if
you　won't；　I　hope　you'