month。 He was not surprised that the Marches were going home； and said；
Well； that was their original plan； wasn't it？
Mrs。 Kenby； appearing upon this； pretended to know better； after the
outburst of joyful greeting with the Marches； and intelligently reminded
Kenby that he knew the Marches had intended to pass the winter in Paris。
She was looking extremely pretty； but she wished only to make them see
how well Rose was looking； and she put her arm round his shoulders as she
spoke； Schevleningen had done wonders for him； but it was fearfully cold
there； and now they were expecting everything from Westgate； where she
advised March to come； too； for his after…cure： she recollected in time
to say； She forgot they were on their way home。 She added that she did
not know when she should return； she was merely a passenger； now； she
left everything to the men of the family。 She had； in fact； the air of
having thrown off every responsibility； but in supremacy； not submission。
She was always ordering Kenby about； she sent him for her handkerchief；
and her rings which she had left either in the tray of her trunk； or on
the pin…cushion； or on the wash…stand or somewhere； and forbade him to
come back without them。 He asked for her keys； and then with a joyful
scream she owned that she had left the door…key in the door and the whole
bunch of trunk…keys in her trunk； and Kenby treated it all as the
greatest joke； Rose； too； seemed to think that Kenby would make
everything come right； and he had lost that look of anxiety which he used
to have； at the most he showed a friendly sympathy for Kenby； for whose
sake he seemed mortified at her。 He was unable to regard his mother as
the delightful joke which she appeared to Kenby； but that was merely
temperamental； and he was never distressed except when she behaved with
unreasonable caprice at Kenby's cost。
As for Kenby himself he betrayed no dissatisfaction with his fate to
March。 He perhaps no longer regarded his wife as that strong character
which he had sometimes wearied March by celebrating； but she was still
the most brilliant intelligence； and her charm seemed only to have grown
with his perception of its wilful limitations。 He did not want to talk
about her so much； he wanted rather to talk about Rose； his health； his
education； his nature； and what was best to do for him。 The two were on
terms of a confidence and affection which perpetually amused Mrs。 Kenby；
but which left the sympathetic witness nothing to desire in their
relation。
They all came to the train when the Marches started up to London； and
stood waving to them as they pulled out of the station。 〃Well； I can't
see but that's all right；〃 he said as he sank back in his seat with a
sigh of relief。 〃I never supposed we should get out of their marriage
half so well； and I don't feel that you quite made the match either； my
dear。〃
She was forced to agree with him that the Kenbys seemed happy together；
and that there was nothing to fear for Rose in their happiness。 He would
be as tenderly cared for by Kenby as he could have been by his mother；
and far more judiciously。 She owned that she had trembled for him till
she had seen them all together； and now she should never tremble again。
〃Well？〃 March prompted； at a certain inconclusiveness in her tone rather
than her words。
〃Well； you can see that it； isn't ideal。〃
〃Why isn't it ideal？ I suppose you think that the marriage of Burnamy
and Agatha Triscoe will be ideal； with their ignorances and inexperiences
and illusions。〃
〃Yes！ It's the illusions： no marriage can be perfect without them； and at
their age the Kenbys can't have them。〃
〃Kenby is a solid mass of illusion。 And I believe that people can go and
get as many new illusions as they want； whenever they've lost their old
ones。〃
〃Yes； but the new illusions won't wear so well； and in marriage you want
illusions that will last。 No； you needn't talk to me。 It's all very
well； but it isn't ideal。〃
March laughed。 〃Ideal！ What is ideal？〃
〃Going home！〃 she said with such passion that he had not the heart to
point out that they were merely returning to their old duties； cares and
pains； with the worn…out illusion that these would be altogether
different when they took them up again。
LXXIII。
In fulfilment of another ideal Mrs。 March took straightway to her berth
when she got on board the Cupania； and to her husband's admiration she
remained there till the day before they reached New York。 Her theory was
that the complete rest would do more than anything else to calm her
shaken nerves； and she did not admit into her calculations the chances of
adverse weather which March would not suggest as probable in the last
week in September。 The event justified her unconscious faith。 The
ship's run was of unparalled swiftness； even for the Cupania； and of
unparalled smoothness。 For days the sea was as sleek as oil； the racks
were never on the tables once； the voyage was of the sort which those who
make it no more believe in at the time than those whom they afterwards
weary in boasting of it。
The ship was very full； but Mrs。 March did not show the slightest
curiosity to know who her fellow…passengers were。 She said that she
wished to be let perfectly alone； even by her own emotions； and for this
reason she forbade March to bring her a list of the passengers till after
they had left Queenstown lest it should be too exciting。 He did not take
the trouble to look it up； therefore； and the first night out he saw no
one whom he knew at dinner； but the next morning at breakfast he found
himself to his great satisfaction at the same table with the Eltwins。
They were so much at ease with him that even Mrs。 Eltwin took part in the
talk； and told him how they had spent the time of her husband's rigorous
after…cure in Switzerland； and now he was going home much better than
they had expected。 She said they had rather thought of spending the
winter in Europe； but had given it up because they were both a little
homesick。 March confessed that this was exactly the case with his wife
and himself； and he had to add that Mrs。 March was not very well
otherwise； and he should be glad to be at home on her account。 The
recurrence of the word home seemed to deepen Eltwin's habitual gloom；
and Mrs。 Eltwin hastened to leave the subject of their return for inquiry
into Mrs。 March's condition； her interest did not so far overcome her
shyness that she ventured to propose a visit to her； and March found that
the fact of the Eltwins' presence on board did not agitate his wife。
It seemed rather to comfort her； and she said she hoped he would see all
he could of the poor old things。 She asked if he had met any one else he
knew； and he was able to tell her that there seemed to be a good many
swells on board； and this cheered her very much； though he did not know
them； she liked to be near the rose； though it was not a flower that she
really cared for。
She did not ask who the swells were； and March took no trouble to find
out。 He took no trouble to get a passenger…list； and he had the more
trouble when he tried at last； the lists seemed to have all vanished； as
they have a habit of doing； after the first day； the one that he made
interest for with the head steward was a second…hand copy； and had no one
he knew in it but the Eltwins。 The social solitude； however； was rather
favorable to certain other impressions。 There seemed even more elderly
people than there were on the Norumbia； the human atmosphere was gray and
sober； there was nothing of the gay expansion of the outward voyage；
there was little talking or laughing among those autumnal men who were
going seriously and anxiously home； with faces fiercely set for the
coming grapple； or necks meekly bowed for the yoke。 They had eaten their
cake； and it had been good； but there remained a discomfort in the
digestion。 They sat about in silence； and March fancied that the flown
summer was as dreamlike to each of them as it now was to him。 He hated
to be of their dreary company； but spiritually he knew that he was of it；
and he vainly turned to cheer himself with the younger passengers。 Some
matrons who went about clad in furs amused him； for they must have been
unpleasantly warm in their jackets and boas； nothing but the hope of
being able to tell the customs inspector with a good conscience that the
things had been worn； would have sustained one lady draped from head to
foot in Astrakhan。
They were all getting themselves ready for the fray or the play of the
coming winter； but there seemed nothing joyous in the preparation。 There
were many young girls； as there always are everywhere； but there were not
many young men； and such as there were kept to the smoking…room。 There
was no sign of flirtation among them； he would have given much for a
moment of the pivotal girl； to see whether she could have brightened
those gloomy surfaces with her impartial lamp。 March wished that he
could have brought some report from the outer world to cheer his wife；
as he descended to their state…room。 They had taken what they could get
at the eleventh hour； and they had got no such ideal room as they had in
the Norumbia。 It was； as Mrs。 March graphically said； a basement room。
It was on the north side of the ship； which is a cold exposure； and if
there had been any sun it could not have got into their window； which was
half the time under water。 The green waves； laced with foam； hissed as
they ran across the port； and the electric fan in the corridor moaned
like the wind in a gable。
He felt a sinking of the heart as he pushed the state…room door open； and
looked at his wife lying with her face turned to the wall； and he was
going to withdraw； thinking her asleep； when she said quietly； 〃Are we
going down？〃
〃Not that I know of；〃 he answered with a gayety he did not feel。 〃But
I'll ask the head steward。〃
She put out her hand behind her for him to take； and clutched his fingers
convulsively。 〃If I'm never any better； you will always remember this
happy； summer； won't you？ Oh； it's been such a happy summer！ It has
been one long joy； one continue