their silver wedding journey v3-第9节

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spray。　　At　a　waft　of　fitful　breeze　some　leaves　of　early　autumn　fell　from
the　trees　overhead　upon　the　elderly　pair　where　they　sat；　and　a　little
company　of　sparrows　came　and　hopped　about　their　feet。　　Though　the　square
without　was　so　all　astir　with　festive　expectation；　there　were　few　people
in　the　garden；　three　or　four　peasant　women　in　densely　fluted　white　skirts
and　red　aprons　and　shawls　wandered　by　and　stared　at　the　Europa　and　at　the
Proserpine。

It　was　a　precious　moment　in　which　the　charm　of　the　city's　past　seemed　to
culminate；　and　they　were　loath　to　break　it　by　speech。

〃Why　didn't　we　have　something　like　all　this　on　our　first　wedding
journey？〃　she　sighed　at　last。　　〃To　think　of　our　battening　from　Boston　to
Niagara　and　back！　　And　how　hard　we　tried　to　make　something　of　Rochester
and　Buffalo；　of　Montreal　and　Quebec！〃

〃Niagara　wasn't　so　bad；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　will　never　go　back　on　Quebec。〃

〃Ah；　but　if　we　could　have　had　Hamburg　and　Leipsic；　and　Carlsbad　and
Nuremberg；　and　Ansbach　and　Wurzburg！　　Perhaps　this　is　meant　as　a
compensation　for　our　lost　youth。　　But　I　can't　enjoy　it　as　I　could　when　I
was　young。　　It's　wasted　on　my　sere　and　yellow　leaf。　　I　wish　Burnamy　and
Miss　Triscoe　were　here；　I　should　like　to　try　this　garden　on　them。〃

〃They　wouldn't　care　for　it；〃　he　replied；　and　upon　a　daring　impulse　he
added；　〃Kenby　and　Mrs。　Adding　might。〃　　If　she　took　this　suggestion　in
good　part；　he　could　tell　her　that　Kenby　was　in　Wurzburg。

〃Don't　speak　of　them！　　They're　in　just　that　besotted　early　middle…age
when　life　has　settled　into　a　self…satisfied　present；　with　no　past　and　no
future；　the　most　philistine；　the　most　bourgeois；　moment　of　existence。
Better　be　elderly　at　once；　as　far　as　appreciation　of　all　this　goes。〃
She　rose　and　put　her　hand　on　his　arm；　and　pushed　him　away　in　the
impulsive　fashion　of　her　youth；　across　alleys　of　old　trees　toward　a
balustraded　terrace　in　the　background　which　had　tempted　her。

〃It　isn't　so　bad；　being　elderly；〃　he　said。　　〃By　that　time　we　have
accumulated　enough　past　to　sit　down　and　really　enjoy　its　associations。
We　have　got　all　sorts　of　perspectives　and　points　of　view。　　We　know　？
where　we　are　at。〃

〃I　don't　mind　being　elderly。　　The　world's　just　as　amusing　as　ever；　and
lots　of　disagreeable　things　have　dropped　out。　　It's　the　getting　more　than
elderly；　it's　the　getting　old；　and　then〃

They　shrank　a　little　closer　together；　and　walked　on　in　silence　till　he
said；　〃Perhaps　there's　something　else；　something　bettersomewhere。〃

They　had　reached　the　balustraded　terrace；　and　were　pausing　for　pleasure
in　the　garden　tops　below；　with　the　flowery　spaces；　and　the　statued
fountains　all　coming　together。　　She　put　her　hand　on　one　of　the　fat　little
urchin…groups　on　the　stone　coping。　　〃I　don't　want　cherubs；　when　I　can
have　these　putti。　　And　those　old　prince…bishops　didn't；　either！〃

I　don't　suppose　they　kept　a　New　England　conscience；〃　he　said；　with　a
vague　smile。　　〃It　would　be　difficult　in　the　presence　of　the　rococo。〃

They　left　the　garden　through　the　beautiful　gate　which　the　old　court
ironsmith　Oegg　hammered　out　in　lovely　forms　of　leaves　and　flowers；　and
shaped　laterally　upward；　as　lightly　as　if　with　a　waft　of　his　hand；　in
gracious　Louis　Quinze　curves；　and　they　looked　back　at　it　in　the　kind　of
despair　which　any　perfection　inspires。　　They　said　how　feminine　it　was；
how　exotic；　how　expressive　of　a　luxurious　ideal　of　life　which　art　had
purified　and　left　eternally　charming。　　They　remembered　their　Ruskinian
youth；　and　the　confidence　with　which　they　would　once　have　condemned　it；
and　they　had　a　sense　of　recreance　in　now　admiring　it；　but　they　certainly
admired　it；　and　it　remained　for　them　the　supreme　expression　of　that　time…
soul；　mundane；　courtly；　aristocratic；　flattering；　which　once　influenced
the　art　of　the　whole　world；　and　which　had　here　so　curiously　found　its
apotheosis　in　a　city　remote　from　its　native　place　and　under　a　rule
sacerdotally　vowed　to　austerity。　　The　vast　superb　palace　of　the　prince
bishops；　which　was　now　to　house　a　whole　troop　of　sovereigns；　imperial；
royal；　grand　ducal　and　ducal；　swelled　aloft　in　superb　amplitude；　but　it
did　not　realize　their　historic　pride　so　effectively　as　this　exquisite
work　of　the　court　ironsmith。　　It　related　itself　in　its　aerial　beauty　to
that　of　the　Tiepolo　frescoes　which　the　travellers　knew　were　swimming　and
soaring　on　the　ceilings　within；　and　from　which　it　seemed　to　accent　their
exclusion　with　a　delicate　irony；　March　said。　　〃Or　iron…mongery；〃　he
corrected　himself　upon　reflection。




LIV。

He　had　forgotten　Kenby　in　these　aesthetic　interests；　but　he　remembered
him　again　when　he　called　a　carriage；　and　ordered　it　driven　to　their
hotel。　　It　was　the　hour　of　the　German　mid…day　table　d'hote；　and　they
would　be　sure　to　meet　him　there。　　The　question　now　was　how　March　should
own　his　presence　in　time　to　prevent　his　wife　from　showing　her　ignorance
of　it　to　Kenby　himself；　and　he　was　still　turning　the　question　hopelessly
over　in　his　mind　when　the　sight　of　the　hotel　seemed　to　remind　her　of　a
fact　which　she　announced。

〃Now；　my　dear；　I　am　tired　to　death；　and　I　am　not　going　to　sit　through　a
long　table　d'hote。　　I　want　you　to　send　me　up　a　simple　beefsteak　and　a　cup
of　tea　to　our　rooms；　and　I　don't　want　you　to　come　near　for　hours；　because
I　intend　to　take　a　whole　afternoon　nap。　　You　can　keep　all　the　maps　and
plans；　and　guides；　and　you　had　better　go　and　see　what　the　Volksfest　is
like；　it　will　give　you　some　notion　of　the　part　the　people　are　really
taking　in　all　this　official　celebration；　and　you　know　I　don't　care。
Don't　come　up　after　dinner　to　see　how　I　am　getting　along；　I　shall　get
along；　and　if　you　should　happen　to　wake　me　after　I　had　dropped　off〃

Kenby　had　seen　them　arrive　from　where　he　sat　at　the　reading…room　window；
waiting　for　the　dinner　hour；　and　had　meant　to　rush　out　and　greet　Mrs。
March　as　they　passed　up　the　corridor。　　But　she　looked　so　tired　that　he
had　decided　to　spare　her　till　she　came　down　to　dinner；　and　as　he　sat　with
March　at　their　soup；　he　asked　if　she　were　not　well。

March　explained；　and　he　provisionally　invented　some　regrets　from　her　that
she　should　not　see　Kenby　till　supper。

Kenby　ordered　a　bottle　of　one　of　the　famous　Wurzburg　wines　for　their
mutual　consolation　in　her　absence；　and　in　the　friendliness　which　its
promoted　they　agreed　to　spend　the　afternoon　together。　　No　man　is　so
inveterate　a　husband　as　not　to　take　kindly　an　occasional　release　to
bachelor　companionship；　and　before　the　dinner　was　over　they　agreed　that
they　would　go　to　the　Volksfest；　and　get　some　notion　of　the　popular　life
and　amusements　of　Wurzburg；　which　was　one　of　the　few　places　where　Kenby
had　never　been　before；　and　they　agreed　that　they　would　walk。

Their　way　was　partly　up　the　quay　of　the　Main；　past　a　barrack　full　of
soldiers。　　They　met　detachments　of　soldiers　everywhere；　infantry；
artillery；　cavalry。

〃This　is　going　to　be　a　great　show；〃　Kenby　said；　meaning　the　manoeuvres；
and　he　added；　as　if　now　he　had　kept　away　from　the　subject　long　enough　and
had　a　right　to　recur　to　it；　at　least　indirectly；　〃I　should　like　to　have
Rose　see　it；　and　get　his　impressions。〃

〃I've　an　idea　he　wouldn't　approve　of　it。　　His　mother　says　his　mind　is
turning　more　and　more　to　philanthropy。〃

Kenby　could　not　forego　such　a　chance　to　speak　of　Mrs。　Adding。　　〃It's　one
of　the　prettiest　things　to　see　how　she　understands　Rose。　　It's　charming
to　see　them　together。　　She　wouldn't　have　half　the　attraction　without
him。〃

〃Oh；　yes；〃　March　assented。　　He　had　often　wondered　how　a　man　wishing　to
marry　a　widow　managed　with　the　idea　of　her　children　by　another　marriage；
but　if　Kenby　was　honest；　it　was　much　simpler　than　he　had　supposed。　　He
could　not　say　this　to　him；　however；　and　in　a　certain　embarrassment　he　had
with　the　conjecture　in　his　presence　he　attempted　a　diversion。　　〃We're
promised　something　at　the　Volksfest　which　will　be　a　great　novelty　to　us
as　Americans。　　Our　driver　told　us　this　morning　that　one　of　the　houses
there　was　built　entirely　of　wood。〃

When　they　reached　the　grounds　of　the　Volksfest；　this　civil　feature　of　the
great　military　event　at　hand；　which　the　Marches　had　found　largely　set
forth　in　the　programme　of　the　parade；　did　not　fully　keep　the　glowing
promises　made　for　it；　in　fact　it　could　not　easily　have　done　so。　　It　was
in　a　pleasant　neighborhood　of　new　villas　such　as　form　the　modern　quarter
of　every　German　city；　and　the　Volksfest　was　even　more　unfinished　than　its
environment。　　It　was　not　yet　enclosed　by　the　fence　which　was　to　hide　its
wonders　from　the　non…paying　public；　but　March　and　Kenby　went　in　through
an　archway　where　the　gate…money　was　as　effectually　collected　from　them　as
if　they　were　barred　every　other　entrance。

The　wooden　building　was　easily　distinguishable　from　the　other　edifices
because　these　were　tents　and　booths　still　less　substantial。　　They　did　not
make　out　its　function；　but　of　the　others　four　sheltered　merry…go…rounds；
four　were　beer…gardens；　four　were　restaurants；　and　the　rest　were　devoted
to　amusements　of　the　usual　country…fair　type。　　Apparently　they　had　little
attraction　for　country　people。　　The　Americans　met　few　peasants　in　the
grounds；　and　neither　at　the　Edison　kinematograph；　where　they　refreshed
thei