their silver wedding journey v2-第19部分

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


'als　Gast'　from　a　Viennese　theatre；　was　the　chief　figure　in　it。　　She
merited　the　distinction　by　the　art　which　still　lingered；　deeply　embedded
in　her　massive　balk；　but　never　wholly　obscured。

〃That　is　grand；　isn't　it？〃　said　March；　following　one　of　the　tremendous
strokes　by　which　she　overcame　her　physical　disadvantages。　　〃It's　fine　to
see　how　her　art　can　undo；　for　one　splendid　instant；　the　work　of　all　those
steins　of　beer；　those　illimitable　licks　of　sausage；　those　boundless
fields　of　cabbage。　　But　it's　rather　pathetic。〃

〃It's　disgusting；〃　said　his　wife；　and　at　this　General　Triscoe；　who　had
been　watching　the　actress　through　his　lorgnette；　said；　as　if　his
contrary…mindedness　were　irresistibly　invoked：

〃Well；　I　don't　know。　　It's　amusing。　　Do　you　suppose　we　shall　see　her　when
we　go　behind；　March？〃

He　still　professed　a　desire　to　do　so　when　the　curtain　fell；　and　they
hurried　to　the　rear　door　of　the　theatre。　　It　was　slightly　ajar；　and　they
pulled　it　wide　open；　with　the　eagerness　of　their　age　and　nation；　and
began　to　mount　the　stairs　leading　up　from　it　between　rows　of　painted
dancing…girls；　who　had　come　out　for　a　breath　of　air；　and　who　pressed
themselves　against　the　walls　to　make　room　for　the　intruders。　　With　their
rouged　faces；　and　the　stare　of　their　glassy　eyes　intensified　by　the
coloring　of　their　brows　and　lashes；　they　were　like　painted　statues；　as
they　stood　there　with　their　crimsoned　lips　parted　in　astonished　smiles。

〃This　is　rather　weird；〃　said　March；　faltering　at　the　sight。　　〃I　wonder　if
we　might　ask　these　young　ladies　where　to　go？〃　　General　Triscoe　made　no
answer；　and　was　apparently　no　more　prepared　than　himself　to　accost　the
files　of　danseuses；　when　they　were　themselves　accosted　by　an　angry　voice
from　the　head　of　the　stairs　with　a　demand　for　their　business。　　The　voice
belonged　to　a　gendarme；　who　descended　toward　them　and　seemed　as　deeply
scandalized　at　their　appearance　as　they　could　have　been　at　that　of　the
young　ladies。

March　explained；　in　his　ineffective　German；　with　every　effect　of
improbability；　that　they　were　there　by　appointment　of　the　manager；　and
wished　to　find　his　room。

The　gendarme　would　not　or　could　not　make　anything　out　of　it。　　He　pressed
down　upon　them；　and　laying　a　rude　hand　on　a　shoulder　of　either；　began　to
force　them　back　to　the　door。　　The　mild　nature　of　the　editor　might　have
yielded　to　his　violence；　but　the　martial　spirit　of　General　Triscoe　was
roused。　　He　shrugged　the　gendarme's　hand　from　his　shoulder；　and　with　a
voice　as　furious　as　his　own　required　him；　in　English；　to　say　what　the
devil　he　meant。　　The　gendarme　rejoined　with　equal　heat　in　German；　the
general's　tone　rose　in　anger；　the　dancing…girls　emitted　some　little
shrieks　of　alarm；　and　fled　noisily　up　the　stairs。　　From　time　to　time
March　interposed　with　a　word　of　the　German　which　had　mostly　deserted　him
in　his　hour　of　need；　but　if　it　had　been　a　flow　of　intelligible
expostulation；　it　would　have　had　no　effect　upon　the　disputants。　　They
grew　more　outrageous；　till　the　manager　himself；　appeared　at　the　head　of
the　stairs；　and　extended　an　arresting　hand　over　the　hubbub。　　As　soon　as
the　situation　clarified　itself　he　hurried　down　to　his　visitors　with　a
polite　roar　of　apology　and　rescued　them　from　the　gendarme；　and　led　them
up　to　his　room　and　forced　them　into　arm…chairs　with　a　rapidity　of
reparation　which　did　not　exhaust　itself　till　he　had　entreated　them　with
every　circumstance　of　civility　to　excuse　an　incident　so　mortifying　to
him。　　But　with　all　his　haste　he　lost　so　much　time　in　this　that　he　had
little　left　to　show　them　through　the　theatre；　and　their　presentation　to
the　prima　donna　was　reduced　to　the　obeisances　with　which　they　met　and
parted　as　she　went　upon　the　stage　at　the　lifting　of　the　curtain。　　In　the
lack　of　a　common　language　this　was　perhaps　as　well　as　a　longer　interview；
and　nothing　could　have　been　more　honorable　than　their　dismissal　at　the
hands　of　the　gendarme　who　had　received　them　so　stormily。　　He　opened　the
door　for　them；　and　stood　with　his　fingers　to　his　cap　saluting；　in　the
effect　of　being　a　whole　file　of　grenadiers。




XLIII。

At　the　same　moment　Burnamy　bowed　himself　out　of　the　box　where　he　had　been
sitting　with　the　ladies　during　the　absence　of　the　gentlemen。　　He　had
knocked　at　the　door　almost　as　soon　as　they　disappeared；　and　if　he　did　not
fully　share　the　consternation　which　his　presence　caused；　he　looked　so
frightened　that　Mrs。　March　reserved　the　censure　which　the　sight　of　him
inspired；　and　in　default　of　other　inspiration　treated　his　coming　simply
as　a　surprise。　　She　shook　hands　with　him；　and　then　she　asked　him　to　sit
down；　and　listened　to　his　explanation　that　he　had　come　back　to　Carlsbad
to　write　up　the　birthnight　festivities；　on　an　order　from　the　Paris…New
York　Chronicle；　that　he　had　seen　them　in　the　box　and　had　ventured　to　took
in。　　He　was　pale；　and　so　discomposed　that　the　heart　of　justice　was
softened　more　and　more　in　Mrs。　March's　breast；　and　she　left　him　to　the
talk　that　sprang　up；　by　an　admirable　effect　of　tact　in　the　young　lady；
between　him　and　Miss　Triscoe。

After　all；　she　decided；　there　was　nothing　criminal　in　his　being　in
Carlsbad；　and　possibly　in　the　last　analysis　there　was　nothing　so　very
wicked　in　his　being　in　her　box。　　One　might　say　that　it　was　not　very　nice
of　him　after　he　had　gone　away　under　such　a　cloud；　but　on　the　other　hand
it　was　nice；　though　in　a　different　way；　if　he　longed　so　much　to　see　Miss
Triscoe　that　he　could　not　help　coming。　　It　was　altogether　in　his　favor
that　he　was　so　agitated；　though　he　was　momently　becoming　less　agitated；
the　young　people　were　beginning　to　laugh　at　the　notion　of　Mr。　March　and
General　Triscoe　going　behind　the　scenes。　　Burnamy　said　he　envied　them　the
chance；　and　added；　not　very　relevantly；　that　he　had　come　from　Baireuth；
where　he　had　seen　the　last　of　the　Wagner　performances。　　He　said　he　was
going　back　to　Baireuth；　but　not　to　Ansbach　again；　where　he　had　finished
looking　up　that　Kaspar　Hauser　business。　　He　seemed　to　think　Mrs。　March
would　know　about　it；　and　she　could　not　help　saying；　Oh；　yes；　Mr。　March
was　so　much　interested。　　She　wondered　if　she　ought　to　tell　him　about　his
handkerchief；　but　she　remembered　in　time　that　she　had　left　it　in　Miss
Triscoe's　keeping。　　She　wondered　if　the　girl　realized　how　handsome　he
was。　　He　was　extremely　handsome；　in　his　black　evening　dress；　with　his
Tuxedo；　and　the　pallor　of　his　face　repeated　in　his　expanse　of　shirt
front。

At　the　bell　for　the　rising　of　the　curtain　he　rose　too；　and　took　their
offered　hands。　　In　offering　hers　Mrs。　March　asked　if　he　would　not　stay
and　speak　with　Mr。　March　and　the　general；　and　now　for　the　first　time　he
recognized　anything　clandestine　in　his　visit。　　He　laughed　nervously；　and
said；　〃No；　thank　you！〃　and　shut　himself　out。

〃We　must　tell　them；〃　said　Mrs。　March；　rather　interrogatively；　and　she　was
glad　that　the　girl　answered　with　a　note　of　indignation。

〃Why；　certainly；　Mrs。　March。〃

They　could　not　tell　them　at　once；　for　the　second　act　had　begun　when　March
and　the　general　came　back；　and　after　the　opera　was　over　and　they　got　out
into　the　crowded　street　there　was　no　chance；　for　the　general　was　obliged
to　offer　his　arm　to　Mrs。　March；　while　her　husband　followed　with　his
daughter。

The　facades　of　the　theatre　and　of　the　hotels　were　outlined　with　thickly
set　little　lamps；　which　beaded　the　arches　of　the　bridges　spanning　the
Tepl；　and　lighted　the　casements　and　portals　of　the　shops。　　High　above
all；　against　the　curtain　of　black　woodland　on　the　mountain　where　its
skeleton　had　been　growing　for　days；　glittered　the　colossal　effigy　of　the
doubleheaded　eagle　of　Austria；　crowned　with　the　tiara　of　the　Holy　Roman
Empire；　in　the　reflected　splendor　of　its　myriad　lamps　the　pale　Christ
looked　down　from　the　mountain　opposite　upon　the　surging　multitudes　in　the
streets　and　on　the　bridges。

They　were　most　amiable　multitudes；　March　thought；　and　they　responded
docilely　to　the　entreaties　of　the　policemen　who　stood　on　the　steps　of　the
bridges；　and　divided　their　encountering　currents　with　patient　appeals　of
〃Bitte　schon！　　Bitte　schon！〃　　He　laughed　to　think　of　a　New　York　cop
saying　〃Please　prettily！　　Please　prettily！〃　　to　a　New　York　crowd　which　he
wished　to　have　go　this　way　or　that；　and　then　he　burned　with　shame　to
think　how　far　our　manners　were　from　civilization；　wherever　our　heads　and
hearts　might　be；　when　he　heard　a　voice　at　his　elbow：

〃A　punch　with　a　club　would　start　some　of　these　fellows　along　quicker。〃

It　was　Stoller；　and　March　turned　from　him　to　lose　his　disgust　in　the
sudden　terror　of　perceiving　that　Miss　Triscoe　was　no　longer　at　his　side。
Neither　could　he　see　his　wife　and　General　Triscoe；　and　he　began　to　push
frantically　about　in　the　crowd　looking　for　the　girl。　　He　had　an
interminable　five　or　ten　minutes　in　his　vain　search；　and　he　was　going　to
call　out　to　her　by　name；　when　Burnamy　saved　him　from　the　hopeless
absurdity　by　elbowing　his　way　to　him　with　Miss。　Triscoe　on　his　arm。

〃Here　she　is；　Mr。　March；〃　he　said；　as　if　there　were　nothing　strange　in
his　having　been　there　to　find　her；　in　fact　he　had　followed　them　all　from
the　theatre；　and　at　the　moment　he　saw　the　party　separated；　and　Miss
Triscoe　carried　off　helpless　in　the　human　stream；　had　plunged　in　and
rescued　her。　　Before　March　could　formulate　any　question　in　his
bewilderment；　Burnamy　was　gone　again；　the　girl　offered　no　explanation　for
him；　and　March　had　not　yet　decided　to　ask　any　when　he　caught　sight　of　his
wife　and　General　Triscoe　standing　tiptoe　in　a　doorway　and　craning　their
necks　upward　and　forward　to　scan　the　crowd　in　search　of　him　and　his
charge。　　Then　he　looked　round　at　her　and　opened　his　lips　to　express　the
astonishment　that　filled　him；　when　be　was　aware　of　an　ominous　shining　of
her　eyes　and　trembling　of　her　hand　on　his　arm。

She　pressed　his　arm　nervously；　and　he　understood　her　to　beg　him　to
forbear　at　once　all　question　of　her　and　all　comment　on　Burnamy's　presence
to　her　father。

It　would　not　have　been　just　the　time　for　either。　　Not　only　Mrs。　March　was
with　the　general；　but　Mrs。　Adding　also；　she　had　called　to　them　from　that
place；　where　she　was　safe　with　Rose　when　she　saw　them　eddying　about　in
the　crowd。　　The　general　was　still；　expressing　a　gratitud