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Hamburg； you know； a great modern commercial centre。〃
〃Yes！ Go on！〃
〃Then we had Leipsic； the academic。〃
〃Yes！〃
〃Then Carlsbad； the supreme type of a German health resort； then
Nuremberg； the mediaeval； then Anspach； the extinct princely capital；
then Wurzburg； the ecclesiastical rococo； then Weimar； for the literature
of a great epoch； then imperial Berlin； then Frankfort； the memory of the
old free city； then Dusseldorf； the centre of the most poignant personal
interest in the worldI don't see how we could have done better； if we'd
planned it all； and not acted from successive impulses。〃
〃It's been grand； it's been perfect！ As German…Silver Wedding Journey
it's perfectit seems as if it had been ordered！ But I will never let
you give up Holland！ No； we will go this afternoon； and when I get to
Schevleningen； I'll go to bed； and stay there； till you've completed your
after…cure。〃
〃Do you think that will be wildly gay for the convalescent？〃
She suddenly began to cry。 〃Oh； dearest； what shall we do？ I feel
perfectly broken down。 I'm afraid I'm going to be sickand away from
home！ How could you ever let me overdo； so？〃 She put her handkerchief to
her eyes； and turned her face into the sofa pillow。
This was rather hard upon him； whom her vivid energy and inextinguishable
interest had not permitted a moment's respite from pleasure since they
left Carlsbad。 But he had been married； too long not to understand that
her blame of him was only a form of self…reproach for her own self…
forgetfulness。 She had not remembered that she was no longer young till
she had come to what he saw was a nervous collapse。 The fact had its
pathos and its poetry which no one could have felt more keenly than he。
If it also had its inconvenience and its danger he realized these too。
〃Isabel；〃 he said； 〃we are going home。〃
〃Very well； then it will be your doing。〃
〃Quite。 Do you think you could stand it as far as Cologne？ We get the
sleeping…car there； and you can lie down the rest of the way to Ostend。〃
〃This afternoon？ Why I'm perfectly strong； it's merely my nerves that
are gone。〃 She sat up； and wiped her eyes。 〃But Basil！ If you're doing
this for me〃
〃I'm doing it for myself；〃 said March； as he went out of the room。
She stood the journey perfectly well； and in the passage to Dover she
suffered so little from the rough weather that she was an example to many
robust matrons who filled the ladies' cabin with the noise of their
anguish during the night。 She would have insisted upon taking the first
train up to London； if March had not represented that this would not
expedite the sailing of the Cupania； and that she might as well stay the
forenoon at the convenient railway hotel； and rest。 It was not quite his
ideal of repose that the first people they saw in the coffee…room when
they went to breakfast should be Kenby and Rose Adding； who were having
their tea and toast and eggs together in the greatest apparent good…
fellowship。 He saw his wife shrink back involuntarily from the
encounter； but this was only to gather force for it； and the next moment
she was upon them in all the joy of the surprise。 Then March allowed
himself to be as glad as the others both seemed； and he shook hands with
Kenby while his wife kissed Rose； and they all talked at once。 In the
confusion of tongues it was presently intelligible that Mrs。 Kenby was
going to be down in a few minutes； and Kenby took March into his
confidence with a smile which was； almost a wink in explaining that he
knew how it was with the ladies。 He said that Rose and he usually got
down to breakfast first； and when he had listened inattentively to Mrs。
March's apology for being on her way home； he told her that she was lucky
not to have gone to Schevleningen； where she and March would have frozen
to death。 He said that they were going to spend September at a little
place on the English coast； near by； where he had been the day before
with Rose to look at lodgings； and where you could bathe all through the
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 v