their silver wedding journey v3-第25章

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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　a　merit　of　reporting　its　ruin　by　the　heat　to　the　landlord；　and
in　the　end　they　would　be　mulcted　of　its　value。　　Rather　than　suffer　this
wrong　they　agreed　to　restore　it　to　its　place；　and；　let　it　go　to
destruction　upon　its　own　terms。　　March　painfully　rebuilt　it　where　he　had
found　it；　and　they　went　to　bed　with　a　bad　conscience　to　worse　dreams。

He　remembered；　before　he　slept；　the　hour　of　his　youth　when　he　was　in
Mayence　before；　and　was　so　care　free　that　he　had　heard　with　impersonal
joy　two　young　American　voices　speaking　English　in　the　street　under　his
window。　　One　of　them　broke　from　the　common　talk　with　a　gay　burlesque　of
pathos　in　the　line：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Oh　heavens！　she　cried；　my　Heeding　country　save！〃

and　then　with　a　laughing　good…night　these　unseen；　unknown　spirits　of
youth　parted　and　departed。　　Who　were　they；　and　in　what　different　places；
with　what　cares　or　ills；　had　their　joyous　voices　grown　old；　or　fallen
silent　for　evermore？　　It　was　a　moonlight　night；　March　remembered；　and　he
remembered　how　he　wished　he　were　out　in　it　with　those　merry　fellows。

He　nursed　the　memory　and　the　wonder　in　his　dreaming　thought；　and　he　woke
early　to　other　voices　under　his　window。　　But　now　the　voices；　though
young；　were　many　and　were　German；　and　the　march　of　feet　and　the　stamp　of
hooves　kept　time　with　their　singing。　　He　drew　his　curtain　and　saw　the
street　filled　with　broken　squads　of　men；　some　afoot　and　some　on
horseback；　some　in　uniform　and　some　in　civil　dress　with　students'　caps；
loosely　straggling　on　and　roaring　forth　that　song　whose　words　he　could
not　make　out。　　At　breakfast　he　asked　the　waiter　what　it　all　meant；　and　he
said　that　these　were　conscripts　whose　service　had　expired　with　the　late
manoeuvres；　and　who　were　now　going　home。　　He　promised　March　a　translation
of　the　song；　but　he　never　gave　it；　and　perhaps　the　sense　of　their　joyful
home…going　remained　the　more　poetic　with　him　because　its　utterance
remained　inarticulate。

March　spent　the　rainy　Sunday；　on　which　they　had　fallen；　in　wandering
about　the　little　city　alone。　　His　wife　said　she　was　tired　and　would　sit
by　the　fire；　and　hear　about　Mayence　when　he　came　in。　　He　went　to　the
cathedral；　which　has　its　renown　for　beauty　and　antiquity；　and　he　there
added　to　his　stock　of　useful　information　the　fact　that　the　people　of
Mayence　seemed　very　Catholic　and　very　devout。　　They　proved　it　by
preferring　to　any　of　the　divine　old　Gothic　shrines　in　the　cathedral；　an
ugly　baroque　altar；　which　was　everywhere　hung　about　with　votive
offerings。　　A　fashionably　dressed　young　man　and　young　girl　sprinkled
themselves　with　holy　water　as　reverently　as　if　they　had　been　old　and
ragged。　　Some　tourists　strolled　up　and　down　the　aisles　with　their　red
guide…books；　and　studied　the　objects　of　interest。　　A　resplendent　beadle
in　a　cocked　hat；　and　with　along　staff　of　authority　posed　before　his　own
ecclesiastical　consciousness　in　blue　and　silver。　　At　the　high　altar　a
priest　was　saying　mass；　and　March　wondered　whether　his　consciousness　was
as　wholly　ecclesiastical　as　the　beadle's；　or　whether　somewhere　in　it　he
felt　the　historical　majesty；　the　long　human　consecration　of　the　place。

He　wandered　at　random　in　the　town　through　streets　German　and　quaint　and
old；　and　streets　French　and　fine　and　new；　and　got　back　to　the　river；
which　he　crossed　on　one　of　the　several　handsome　bridges。　　The　rough　river
looked　chill　under　a　sky　of　windy　clouds；　and　he　felt　out　of　season；　both
as　to　the　summer　travel；　and　as　to　the　journey　he　was　making。　　The　summer
of　life　as　well　as　the　summer　of　that　year　was　past。　　Better　return　to
his　own　radiator　in　his　flat　on　Stuyvesant　Square；　to　the　great　ugly
brutal　town　which；　if　it　was　not　home　to　him；　was　as　much　home　to　him　as
to　any　one。　　A　longing　for　New　York　welled　up　his　heart；　which　was
perhaps　really　a　wish　to　be　at　work　again。　　He　said　he　must　keep　this
from　his　wife；　who　seemed　not　very　well；　and　whom　he　must　try　to　cheer　up
when　he　returned　to　the　hotel。

But　they　had　not　a　very　joyous　afternoon；　and　the　evening　was　no　gayer。
They　said　that　if　they　had　not　ordered　their　letters　sent　to　Dusseldorf
they　believed　they　should　push　on　to　Holland　without　stopping；　and　March
would　have　liked　to　ask；　Why　not　push　on　to　America？　　But　he　forbore；　and
he　was　afterwards　glad　that　he　had　done　so。

In　the　morning　their　spirits　rose　with　the　sun；　though　the　sun　got　up
behind　clouds　as　usual；　and　they　were　further　animated　by　the　imposition
which　the　landlord　practised　upon　them。　　After　a　distinct　and　repeated
agreement　as　to　the　price　of　their　rooms　he　charged　them　twice　as　much；
and　then　made　a　merit　of　throwing　off　two　marks　out　of　the　twenty　he　had
plundered　them　of。

〃Now　I　see；〃　said　Mrs。　March；　on　their　way　down　to　the　boat；　〃how
fortunate　it　was　that　we　baked　his　clock。　　You　may　laugh；　but　I　believe
we　were　the　instruments　of　justice。〃

〃Do　you　suppose　that　clock　was　never　baked　before？〃　asked　her　husband。
〃The　landlord　has　his　own　arrangement　with　justice。　　When　he　overcharges
his　parting　guests　he　says　to　his　conscience；　Well；　they　baked　my　clock。〃




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