their silver wedding journey v3-第21部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

refuse　to　let　him　order　their　baggage；　little　and　large；　loaded　upon　it。
By　the　time　this　was　done；　Mrs。　March　and　Miss　Triscoe　had　so　far
detached　themselves　from　each　other　that　they　could　separate　after　one
more　formal　expression　of　regret　and　forgiveness。　　With　a　lament　into
which　she　poured　a　world　of　inarticulate　emotions；　Mrs。　March　wrenched
herself　from　the　place；　and　suffered　herself；　to　be　pushed　toward　her
train。　　But　with　the　last　long　look　which　she　cast　over　her　shoulder；
before　she　vanished　into　the　waiting…room；　she　saw　Miss　Triscoe　and
Burnamy　transacting　the　elaborate　politenesses　of　amiable　strangers　with
regard　to　the　very　small　bag　which　the　girl　had　in　her　hand。　　He
succeeded　in　relieving　her　of　it；　and　then　he　led　the　way　out　of　the
station　on　the　left　of　the　general；　while　Miss　Triscoe　brought　up　the
rear。




LXIII。

From　the　window　of　the　train　as　it　drew　out　Mrs。　March　tried　for　a
glimpse　of　the　omnibus　in　which　her　proteges　were　now　rolling　away
together。　　As　they　were　quite　out　of　sight　in　the　omnibus；　which　was
itself　out　of　sight；　she　failed；　but　as　she　fell　back　against　her　seat
she　treated　the　recent　incident　with　a　complexity　and　simultaneity　of
which　no　report　can　give　an　idea。　　At　the　end　one　fatal　conviction
remained：　that　in　everything　she　had　said　she　had　failed　to　explain　to
Miss　Triscoe　how　Burnamy　happened　to　be　in　Weimar　and　how　he　happened　to
be　there　with　them　in　the　station。　　She　required　March　to　say　how　she　had
overlooked　the　very　things　which　she　ought　to　have　mentioned　first；　and
which　she　had　on　the　point　of　her　tongue　the　whole　time。　　She　went　over
the　entire　ground　again　to　see　if　she　could　discover　the　reason　why　she
had　made　such　an　unaccountable　break；　and　it　appeared　that　she　was　led　to
it　by　his　rushing　after　her　with　Burnamy　before　she　had　had　a　chance　to
say　a　word　about　him；　of　course　she　could　not　say　anything　in　his
presence。　　This　gave　her　some　comfort；　and　there　was　consolation　in　the
fact　that　she　had　left　them　together　without　the　least　intention　or
connivance；　and　now；　no　matter　what　happened；　she　could　not　accuse
herself；　and　he　could　not　accuse　her　of　match…making。

He　said　that　his　own　sense　of　guilt　was　so　great　that　he　should　not　dream
of　accusing　her　of　anything　except　of　regret　that　now　she　could　never
claim　the　credit　of　bringing　the　lovers　together　under　circumstances　so
favorable。　　As　soon　as　they　were　engaged　they　could　join　in　renouncing
her　with　a　good　conscience；　and　they　would　probably　make　this　the　basis
of　their　efforts　to　propitiate　the　general。

She　said　she　did　not　care；　and　with　the　mere　removal　of　the　lovers　in
space；　her　interest　in　them　began　to　abate。　　They　began　to　be　of　a　minor
importance　in　the　anxieties　of　the　change　of　trains　at　Halle；　and　in　the
excitement　of　settling　into　the　express　from　Frankfort　there　were　moments
when　they　were　altogether　forgotten。　　The　car　was　of　almost　American
length；　and　it　ran　with　almost　American　smoothness；　when　the　conductor
came　and　collected　an　extra　fare　for　their　seats；　the　Marches　felt　that
if　the　charge　had　been　two　dollars　instead　of　two　marks　they　would　have
had　every　advantage　of　American　travel。

On　the　way　to　Berlin　the　country　was　now　fertile　and　flat；　and　now
sterile　and　flat；　near　the　capital　the　level　sandy　waste　spread　almost　to
its　gates。　　The　train　ran　quickly　through　the　narrow　fringe　of　suburbs；
and　then　they　were　in　one　of　those　vast　Continental　stations　which　put
our　outdated　depots　to　shame。　　The　good　'traeger'　who　took　possession　of
them　and　their　hand…bags；　put　their　boxes　on　a　baggage…bearing　drosky；
and　then　got　them　another　drosky　for　their　personal　transportation。　　This
was　a　drosky　of　the　first…class；　but　they　would　not　have　thought　it　so；
either　from　the　vehicle　itself；　or　from　the　appearance　of　the　driver　and
his　horses。　　The　public　carriages　of　Germany　are　the　shabbiest　in　the
world；　at　Berlin　the　horses　look　like　old　hair　trunks　and　the　drivers
like　their　moth…eaten　contents。

The　Marches　got　no　splendor　for　the　two　prices　they　paid；　and　their
approach　to　their　hotel　on　Unter　den　Linden　was　as　unimpressive　as　the
ignoble　avenue　itself。　　It　was　a　moist；　cold　evening；　and　the　mean；
tiresome　street；　slopped　and　splashed　under　its　two　rows　of　small　trees；
to　which　the　thinning　leaves　clung　like　wet　rags；　between　long　lines　of
shops　and　hotels　which　had　neither　the　grace　of　Paris　nor　the　grandiosity
of　New　York。　　March　quoted　in　bitter　derision：

　　　　　　　　　〃Bees；　bees；　was　it　your　hydromel；
　　　　　　　　　　Under　the　Lindens？〃

and　his　wife　said　that　if　Commonwealth　Avenue　in　Boston　could　be　imagined
with　its　trees　and　without　their　beauty；　flanked　by　the　architecture　of
Sixth　Avenue；　with　dashes　of　the　west　side　of　Union　Square；　that　would　be
the　famous　Unter　den　Linden；　where　she　had　so　resolutely　decided　that
they　would　stay　while　in　Berlin。

They　had　agreed　upon　the　hotel；　and　neither　could　blame　the　other　because
it　proved　second…rate　in　everything　but　its　charges。　　They　ate　a　poorish
table　d'hote　dinner　in　such　low　spirits　that　March　had　no　heart　to　get　a
rise　from　his　wife　by　calling　her　notice　to　the　mouse　which　fed　upon　the
crumbs　about　their　feet　while　they　dined。　　Their　English…speaking　waiter
said　that　it　was　a　very　warm　evening；　and　they　never　knew　whether　this
was　because　he　was　a　humorist；　or　because　he　was　lonely　and　wished　to
talk；　or　because　it　really　was　a　warm　evening；　for　Berlin。　　When　they　had
finished；　they　went　out　and　drove　about　the　greater　part　of　the　evening
looking　for　another　hotel；　whose　first　requisite　should　be　that　it　was
not　on　Unter　den　Linden。　　What　mainly　determined　Mrs。　March　in　favor　of
the　large；　handsome；　impersonal　place　they　fixed　upon　was　the　fact　that
it　was　equipped　for　steam…heating；　what　determined　March　was　the　fact
that　it　had　a　passenger…office　where　when　he　wished　to　leave；　he　could
buy　his　railroad　tickets　and　have　his　baggage　checked　without　the
maddening　anxiety；　of　doing　it　at　the　station。　　But　it　was　precisely　in
these　points　that　the　hotel　which　admirably　fulfilled　its　other　functions
fell　short。　　The　weather　made　a　succession　of　efforts　throughout　their
stay　to　clear　up　cold；　it　merely　grew　colder　without　clearing　up；　but
this　seemed　to　offer　no　suggestion　of　steam　for　heating　their　bleak
apartment　and　the　chilly　corridors　to　the　management。　　With　the　help　of　a
large　lamp　which　they　kept　burning　night　and　day　they　got　the　temperature
of　their　rooms　up　to　sixty；　there　was　neither　stove　nor　fireplace；　the
cold　electric　bulbs　diffused　a　frosty　glare；　and　in　the　vast；　stately
dining…room　with　its　vaulted　roof；　there　was　nothing　to　warm　them　but
their　plates；　and　the　handles　of　their　knives　and　forks；　which；　by　a
mysterious　inspiration；　were　always　hot。　　When　they　were　ready　to　go；
March　experienced　from　the　apathy　of　the　baggage　clerk　and　the　reluctance
of　the　porters　a　more　piercing　distress　than　any　he　had　known　at　the
railroad　stations；　and　one　luckless　valise　which　he　ordered　sent　after
him　by　express　reached　his　bankers　in　Paris　a　fortnight　overdue；　with　an
accumulation　of　charges　upon　it　outvaluing　the　books　which　it　contained。

But　these　were　minor　defects　in　an　establishment　which　had　many　merits；
and　was　mainly　of　the　temperament　and　intention　of　the　large　English
railroad　hotels。　　They　looked　from　their　windows　down　into　a　gardened
square；　peopled　with　a　full　share　of　the　superabounding　statues　of　Berlin
and　frequented　by　babies　and　nurse　maids　who　seemed　not　to　mind　the　cold
any　more　than　the　stone　kings　and　generals。　　The　aspect　of　this　square；
like　the　excellent　cooking　of　the　hotel　and　the　architecture　of　the
imperial　capital；　suggested　the　superior　civilization　of　Paris。　　Even　the
rows　of　gray　houses　and　private　palaces　of　Berlin　are　in　the　French
taste；　which　is　the　only　taste　there　is　in　Berlin。　　The　suggestion　of
Paris　is　constant；　but　it　is　of　Paris　in　exile；　and　without　the　chic
which　the　city　wears　in　its　native　air。　　The　crowd　lacks　this　as　much　as
the　architecture　and　the　sculpture；　there　is　no　distinction　among　the　men
except　for　now　and　then　a　military　figure；　and　among　the　women　no　style
such　as　relieves　the　commonplace　rash　of　the　New　York　streets。　　The
Berliners　are　plain　and　ill　dressed；　both　men　and　women；　and　even　the
little　children　are　plain。　　Every　one　is　ill　dressed；　but　no　one　is
ragged；　and　among　the　undersized　homely　folk　of　the　lower　classes　there
is　no　such　poverty…stricken　shabbiness　as　shocks　and　insults　the　sight　in
New　York。　　That　which　distinctly　recalls　our　metropolis　is　the　lofty
passage　of　the　elevated　trains　intersecting　the　prospectives　of　many
streets；　but　in　Berlin　the　elevated　road　is　carried　on　massive　brick
archways　and　not　lifted　upon　gay；　crazy　iron　ladders　like　ours。

When　you　look　away　from　this；　and　regard　Berlin　on　its　aesthetic；　side
you　are　again　in　that　banished　Paris；　whose　captive　art…soul　is　made　to
serve；　so　far　as　it　may　be　enslaved　to　such　an　effect；　in　the　celebration
of　the　German　triumph　over　France。　　Berlin　has　never　the　presence　of　a
great　capital；　however；　in　spite　of　its　perpetual　monumental　insistence。
There　is　no