their silver wedding journey v3-第30节

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seemed　to　be　confined　to　a　Bostonian　of　gloomily　correct　type；　whom　he
had　seen　doing　it　with　his　Baedeker；　and　not　letting　an　object　of
interest　escape；　and　his　account　of　her　fellow…townsman　reconciled　Mrs。
March　more　and　more　to　not　having　gone。

As　it　was　warmer　out…doors　than　in…doors　at　Frankfort；　and　as　the　breadth
of　sunshine　increased　with　the　approach　of　noon　they　gave　the　rest　of　the
morning　to　driving　about　and　ignorantly　enjoying　the　outside　of　many
Gothic　churches；　whose　names　even　they　did　not　trouble　themselves　to
learn。　　They　liked　the　river　Main　whenever　they　came　to　it；　because　it
was　so　lately　from　Wurzburg；　and　because　it　was　so　beautiful　with　its
bridges；　old　and　new；　and　its　boats　of　many　patterns。　　They　liked　the
market…place　in　front　of　the　Romer　not　only　because　it　was　full　of
fascinating　bargains　in　curious　crockery　and　wooden…ware；　but　because
there　was　scarcely　any　shade　at　all　in　it。　　They　read　from　their　Baedeker
that　until　the　end　of　the　last　century　no　Jew　was　suffered　to　enter　the
marketplace；　and　they　rejoiced　to　find　from　all　appearances　that　the　Jews
had　been　making　up　for　their　unjust　exclusion　ever　since。　　They　were
almost　as　numerous　there　as　the　Anglo…Saxons　were　everywhere　else　in
Frankfort。　　These；　both　of　the　English　and　American　branches　of　the　race；
prevailed　in　the　hotel　diningroom；　where　the　Marches　had　a　mid…day　dinner
so　good　that　it　almost　made　amends　for　the　steam…heating　and　electric…
lighting。

As　soon　as　possible　after　dinner　they　took　the　train　for　Mayence；　and　ran
Rhinewards　through　a　pretty　country　into　what　seemed　a　milder　climate。
It　grew　so　much　milder；　apparently；　that　a　lady　in　their　compartment　to
whom　March　offered　his　forward…looking　seat；　ordered　the　window　down　when
the　guard　came；　without　asking　their　leave。　　Then　the　climate　proved　much
colder；　and　Mrs。　March　cowered　under　her　shawls　the　rest　of　the　way；　and
would　not　be　entreated　to　look　at　the　pleasant　level　landscape　near；　or
the　hills　far　off。　　He　proposed　to　put　up　the　window　as　peremptorily　as
it　had　been　put　down；　but　she　stayed　him　with　a　hoarse　whisper；　〃She　may
be　another　Baroness！〃　　At　first　he　did　not　know　what　she　meant；　then　he
remembered　the　lady　whose　claims　to　rank　her　presence　had　so　poorly
enforced　on　the　way　to　Wurzburg；　and　he　perceived　that　his　wife　was
practising　a　wise　forbearance　with　their　fellow…passengers；　and　giving
her　a　chance　to　turn　out　any　sort　of　highhote　she　chose。　　She　failed　to
profit　by　the　opportunity；　she　remained　simply　a　selfish；　disagreeable
woman；　of　no　more　perceptible　distinction　than　their　other　fellow…
passenger；　a　little　commercial　traveller　from　Vienna　（they　resolved　from
his　appearance　and　the　lettering　on　his　valise　that　he　was　no　other）；　who
slept　with　a　sort　of　passionate　intensity　all　the　way　to　Mayence。




LXX。

The　Main　widened　and　swam　fuller　as　they　approached　the　Rhine；　and
flooded　the　low…lying　fields　in…places　with　a　pleasant　effect　under　a　wet
sunset。　　When　they　reached　the　station　in　Mayence　they　drove　interminably
to　the　hotel　they　had　chosen　on　the　river…shore；　through　a　city　handsomer
and　cleaner　than　any　American　city　they　could　think　of；　and　great　part　of
the　way　by　a　street　of　dwellings　nobler；　Mrs。　March　owned；　than　even
Commonwealth　Avenue　in　Boston。　　It　was　planted；　like　that；　with　double
rows　of　trees；　but　lacked　its　green　lawns；　and　at　times　the　sign　of
Weinhandlung　at　a　corner；　betrayed　that　there　was　no　such　restriction
against　shops　as　keeps　the　Boston　street　so　sacred。　　Otherwise　they　had
to　confess　once　more　that　any　inferior　city　of　Germany　is　of　a　more
proper　and　dignified　presence　than　the　most　parse…proud　metropolis　in
America。　　To　be　sure；　they　said；　the　German　towns　had　generally　a
thousand　years'　start；　but　all　the　same　the　fact　galled　them。

It　was　very　bleak；　though　very　beautiful　when　they　stopped　before　their
hotel　on　the　Rhine；　where　all　their　impalpable　memories　of　their　visit　to
Mayence　thirty　years　earlier　precipitated　themselves　into　something
tangible。　　There　were　the　reaches　of　the　storied　and　fabled　stream　with
its　boats　and　bridges　and　wooded　shores　and　islands；　there　were　the
spires　and　towers　and　roofs　of　the　town　on　either　bank　crowding　to　the
river's　brink；　and　there　within…doors　was　the　stately　portier　in　gold
braid；　and　the　smiling；　bowing；　hand…rubbing　landlord；　alluring　them　to
his　most　expensive　rooms；　which　so　late　in　the　season　he　would　fain　have
had　them　take。　　But　in　a　little　elevator；　that　mounted　slowly；　very
slowly；　in　the　curve　of　the　stairs；　they　went　higher　to　something　lower；
and　the　landlord　retired　baked；　and　left　them　to　the　ministrations　of　the
serving…men　who　arrived　with　their　large　and　small　baggage。　　All　these
retired　in　turn　when　they　asked　to　have　a　fire　lighted　in　the　stove；
without　which　Mrs。　March　would　never　have　taken　the　fine　stately　rooms；
and　sent　back　a　pretty　young　girl　to　do　it。　　She　came　indignant；　not
because　she　had　come　lugging　a　heavy　hod　of　coal　and　a　great　arm…load　of
wood；　but　because　her　sense　of　fitness　was　outraged　by　the　strange
demand。

〃What！〃　she　cried。　　〃A　fire　in　September！〃

〃Yes；〃　March　returned；　inspired　to　miraculous　aptness　in　his　German　by
the　exigency；　〃yes；　if　September　is　cold。〃

The　girl　looked　at　him；　and　then；　either　because　she　thought　him　mad；　or
liked　him　merry；　burst　into　a　loud　laugh；　and　kindled　the　fire　without　a
word　more。

He　lighted　all　the　reluctant　gas…jets　in　the　vast　gilt　chandelier；　and　in
less　than　half　an　hour　the　temperature　of　the　place　rose　to　at　least
sixty…five　Fahrenheit；　with　every　promise　of　going　higher。　　Mrs。　March
made　herself　comfortable　in　a　deep　chair　before　the　stove；　and　said　she
would　have　her　supper　there；　and　she　bade　him　send　her　just　such　a　supper
of　chicken　and　honey　and　tea　as　they　had　all　had　in　Mayence　when　they
supped　in　her　aunt's　parlor　there　all　those　years　ago。　　He　wished　to
compute　the　years；　but　she　drove　him　out　with　an　imploring　cry；　and　he
went　down　to　a　very　gusty　dining…room　on　the　ground…floor；　where　he　found
himself　alone　with　a　young　English　couple　and　their　little　boy。　　They
were　friendly；　intelligent　people；　and　would　have　been　conversable；
apparently；　but　for　the　terrible　cold　of　the　husband；　which　he　said　he
had　contracted　at　the　manoeuvres　in　Hombourg。　　March　said　he　was　going　to
Holland；　and　the　Englishman　was　doubtful　of　the　warmth　which　March
expected　to　find　there。　　He　seemed　to　be　suffering　from　a　suspense　of
faith　as　to　the　warmth　anywhere；　from　time　to　time　the　door　of　the
dining…room　self…opened　in　a　silent；　ghostly　fashion　into　the　court
without；　and　let　in　a　chilling　draught　about　the　legs　of　all；　till　the
little　English　boy　got　down　from　his　place　and　shut　it。

He　alone　continued　cheerful；　for　March's　spirits　certainly　did　not　rise
when　some　mumbling　Americans　came　in　and　muttered　over　their　meat　at
another　table。　　He　hated　to　own　it；　but　he　had　to　own　that　wherever　he
had　met　the　two　branches　of　the　Anglo…Saxon　race　together　in　Europe；　the
elder　had　shown；　by　a　superior　chirpiness；　to　the　disadvantage　of　the
younger。　　The　cast　clothes　of　the　old…fashioned　British　offishness　seemed
to　have　fallen　to　the　American　travellers　who　were　trying　to　be　correct
and　exemplary；　and　he　would　almost　rather　have　had　back　the　old…style
bragging　Americans　whom　he　no　longer　saw。　　He　asked　of　an　agreeable
fellow…countryman　whom　he　found　later　in　the　reading…room；　what　had
become　of　these；　and　this　compatriot　said　he　had　travelled　with　one　only
the　day　before；　who　had　posed　before　their　whole　compartment　in　his　scorn
of　the　German　landscape；　the　German　weather；　the　German　government；　the
German　railway　management；　and　then　turned　out　an　American　of　German
birth！　　March　found　his　wife　in　great　bodily　comfort　when　he　went　back　to
her；　but　in　trouble　of　mind　about　a　clock　which　she　had　discovered
standing　on　the　lacquered　iron　top　of　the　stove。　　It　was　a　French　clock；
of　architectural　pretensions；　in　the　taste　of　the　first　Empire；　and　it
looked　as　if　it　had　not　been　going　since　Napoleon　occupied　Mayence　early
in　the　century。　　But　Mrs。　March　now　had　it　sorely　on　her　conscience
where；　in　its　danger　from　the　heat　of　the　stove；　it　rested　with　the
weight　of　the　Pantheon；　whose　classic　form　it　recalled。　　She　wondered
that　no　one　had　noticed　it　before　the　fire　was　kindled；　and　she　required
her　husband　to　remove　it　at　once　from　the　top　of　the　stove　to　the　mantel
under　the　mirror；　which　was　the　natural　habitat　of　such　a　clock。　He　said
nothing　could　be　simpler；　but　when　he　lifted　it；　it　began　to　fall　all
apart；　like　a　clock　in　the　house　　of　the　Hoodoo。　　Its　marble　base
dropped…off；　its　pillars　tottered；　its　pediment　swayed　to　one　side。
While　Mrs。　March　lamented　her　hard　fate；　and　implored　him　to　hurry　it
together　before　any　one　came；　he　contrived　to　reconstruct　it　in　its　new
place。　　Then　they　both　breathed　freer；　and　returned　to　sit　down　before
the　stove。　　But　at　the　same　moment　they　both　saw；　ineffaceably　outlined
on　the　lacquered　top；　the　basal　form　of　the　clock。　　The　chambermaid　would
see　it　in　the　morning；　she　would　notice　the　removal　of　the　clock；　and
would　make