aboutapieceofbusinessI’vegottosettlewhenIreachhome；andperhapsyoucanadvisemeaboutit；you’reaneditor。I’vegotanewspaperonmyhands；Ireckonitwouldbeaprettygoodthing，ifithadachance；butIdon’tknowwhattodowithit：IgotitintradewithafellowwhohastogoWestforhislungs，buthe’sstayingtillIgetback。What’sbecomeofthatyoungchap——what’shisname？——thatwentoutwithus？”
“Burnamy？”promptedMarch，ratherbreathlessly。
“Yes。Couldn’thetakeholdofit？Iratherlikedhim。He’ssmart，isn’the？”
“Very。”saidMarch。“ButIdon’tknowwhereheis。Idon’tknowthathewouldgointothecountry。Buthemight，if——“
Theyenteredprovisionallyintothecase，andforargument’ssakesupposedthatBurnamywouldtakeholdofthemajor’spaperifhecouldbegotat。ItreallylookedtoMarchlikeagoodchanceforhim，onEltwin’sshowing；buthewasnotconfidentofBurnamy’sturningupverysoon，andhegavethemajoraprettyclearnotionwhy，byenteringintotheyoungfellow’shistoryforthelastthreemonths。
“Isn’tittheveryironyoffate？”hesaidtohiswifewhenhefoundherintheirroomwithacupofthesamemudhehadbeendrinking，andreportedthefactstoher。
“Irony？”shesaid，withalltheexcitementhecouldhaveimaginedordesired。“Nothingofthekind。It’saleading，ifevertherewasone。
ItwillbetheeasiestthingintheworldtofindBurnamy。Andoutthereshecansitonhersteps！”
Heslowlygropedhiswaytohermeaning，throughthehypothesisofBurnamy’sreconciliationandmarriagewithAgathaTriscoe，andtheirsettlementinMajorEltwin’stownundersocialconditionsthatimpliedahabitofspendingthesummereveningsontheirfrontporch。Whilehewasdoingthissheshoweredhimwithquestionsandconjecturesandrequisitionsinwhichnothingbuttheimpossibilityofgoingashoresavedhimfromtheinstantdevotionofallhisenergiestoaworld-wide，inquiryintoBurnamy’swhereabouts。
ThenextmorninghewasupbeforeMajorEltwingotout，andfoundthesecond-cabinpassengersfreeofthefirst-cabinpromenadeatanhourwhentheirsuperiorswerenotusingit。Ashewatchedtheseinferiors，decent-looking，well-cladmenandwomen，enjoyingtheirprivilegewithafurtiveair，andwithstolenglancesathim，heaskedhimselfinwhatsorthewastheirsuperior，tilltheinquirygrewpainful。Thenherosefromhischair，andmadehiswaytotheplacewherethematerialbarrierbetweenthemwaslifted，andinterestedhimselfinafewofthemwhoseemedtooproudtoavailthemselvesofhissocietyonthetermsmade。
Afigureseizedhisattentionwithasuddenfascinationofconjectureandrejection：thefigureofatallyoungmanwhocameoutonthepromenadeandwithoutlookinground，walkedswiftlyawaytothebowoftheship，andstoodthere，lookingdownatthewaterinauattitudewhichwasbewilderinglyfamiliar。Hismovement，hisposture，hisdress，even，wasthatofBurnamy，andMarch，afterafirstflushofpleasure，feltasickeningrepulsioninthenotionofhispresence。Itwouldhavebeensuchacheapperformanceonthepartoflife，whichhasallsortsofchancesatcommand，andneednotdescendtothepoortricksofsecond-
ratefiction；andheaccusedBurnamyofacomplicityinthebadtasteoftheaffair，thoughherealized，whenhereflected，thatifitwerereallyBurnamyhemusthavesailedinasmuchunconsciousnessoftheTriscoesashehimselfhaddone。Hehadprobablygotoutofmoneyandhadhurriedhomewhilehehadstillenoughtopaythesecond-cabinfareonthefirstboatback。Clearlyhewasnottoblame，butlifewastoblameforsuchashabbydevice；andMarchfeltthissokeenlythathewishedtoturnfromthesituation，andhavenothingtodowithit。Hekeptmovingtowardhim，drawnbythefatalattraction，andatafewpaces’distancetheyoungmanwhirledaboutandshowedhimthefaceofastranger。
Marchmadesomewitlessremarkontherapidcourseoftheshipasitcutitswaythroughthewaterofthebow；thestrangeransweredwithastrongLancashireaccent；andinthetalkwhichfollowed，hesaidhewasgoingouttoseethecotton-millsatFallRiverandNewBedford，andheseemedhopefulofsomeadviceorinformationfromMarch；thenhesaidhemustgoandtrytogethisMissusout；Marchunderstoodhimtomeanhiswife，andhehurrieddowntohisown，towhomherelatedhishair-breadthescapefromBurnamy。
“Idon’tcallitanescapeatall！”shedeclared。“Icallitthegreatestpossiblemisfortune。IfithadbeenBurnamywecouldhavebroughtthemtogetheratonce，justwhenshehasseensoclearlythatshewasinthewrong，andisfeelingallbrokenup。Therewouldn’thavebeenanydifficultyabouthisbeinginthesecond-cabin。Wecouldhavecontrivedtohavethemmeetsomehow。Iftheworstcametotheworstyoucouldhavelenthimmoneytopaythedifference，andgothimintothefirst-cabin。”
“Icouldhavetakenthatsix-hundred-dollarroomforhim。”saidMarch，“andthenhecouldhaveeatenwiththeswells。”
Sheansweredthatnowhewasteasing；thathewasfundamentallyincapableoftakinganythingseriously；andintheendheretiredbeforethestewardessbringingherfirstcoffee，withawell-meritedfeelingthatifithadnotbeenforhistrivialitytheyoungLancashiremanwouldreallyhavebeenBurnamy。
ExceptforthefirstdayandnightoutfromQueenstown，whentheshiprolledandpitchedwithstrainingandsqueakingnoises，andathumpingoftheliftedscrews，therewasnoroughweather，andatlasttheoceanwaslividandoily，withalongswell，onwhichsheswayedwithnoperceptiblemotionsavefromhermachinery。
Mostoftheseamanshipseemedtobedoneafterdark，orinthoseearlyhourswhenMarchfoundthestewardscleaningthestairs，andthesailorsscouringthepromenades。Hemadelittleacquaintancewithhisfellow-
passengers。OnemorninghealmostspokewithanoldQuakerladywhomhejoinedinlookingattheNiagarafloodwhichpouredfromthechurningscrews；buthedidnotquitegetthewordsout。OnthecontraryhetalkedfreelywithanAmericanwho，bredhorsesonafarmnearBoulogne，andwasgoinghometotheHorseShow；hehadbeenthirty-fiveyearsoutofthecountry，buthehadpreservedhisYankeeaccentinallitspurity，andwasthemosttypical-lookingAmericanonboard。NowandthenMarchwalkedupanddownwithablondMexicanwhomhefoundoftheusualwell-
orderedLatinintelligence，butratherflavorless；attimeshesatbesideaniceJew，whotalkedagreeably，butonlyaboutbusiness；andhephilosophizedtheraceassotiresomeoftenbecauseitseemedsooftenwithoutphilosophy。Hemadedesperateattemptsattimestointeresthimselfinthepool-sellinginthesmoking-roomwherethebettingontheship’swonderfulrunwascontinual。
Hethoughtthatpeopletalkedlessandlessastheydrewnearerhome；butonthelastdayouttherewasasuddenexpansion，andsomewhomhehadnotspokenwithvoluntarilyaddressedhim。Thesweet，softairwaslikemidsummerthewaterrippledgently，withoutaswell，blueundertheclearsky，andtheshipleftawidetrackthatwassilverinthesun。Thereweremoresail；thefirstandsecondclassbaggagewasgotupandpiledalongthesteeragedeck。
Somepeopledressedalittlemorethanusualforthelastdinnerwhichwasearlierthanusual，soastobeoutofthewayagainstthearrivalwhichhadbeenvariouslypredictedatfromfivetoseven-thirty。Anindescribablenervousnessculminatedwiththeappearanceofthecustomsofficersonboard，whospreadtheirpapersonclearedspacesofthedining-tables，andsummonedthepassengerstodeclarethattheyhadnothingtodeclare，asapreliminarytobeingsearchedlikethievesatthedock。
ThisceremonyproceededwhiletheCupaniamadeherwayuptheNarrows，andintotheNorthRiver，wheretheflareoflightsfromthecrazysteepsandcliffsofarchitectureontheNewYorkshoreseemedapersistenceofthelastFourthofJulypyrotechnics。Marchblushedforthegrotesquesplendorofthespectacle，andwasconfoundedtofindsomeEnglishmenadmiringit，tillherememberedthataestheticswerenotthestrongpointofourrace。HiswifesathandinhandwithMissTriscoe，andfromtimetotimemadehimcountthepiecesofsmallbaggageinthekeepingoftheirsteward；whileGeneralTriscoeheldaloofinasarcasticcalm。
Thesteamergropedintoherdock；thegangwayswereliftedtoherside；
thepassengersfumbledandstumbleddowntheirincline，andatthebottomtheMarchesfoundthemselvesrespectivelyinthearmsoftheirsonanddaughter。Theyallbegantalkingatonce，andignoringandtryingtoremembertheTriscoestowhomtheyoungMarcheswerepresented。BelladidherbesttobepolitetoAgatha，andTomofferedtogetaninspectorforthegeneralatthesametimeasforhisfather。ThenMarch，remorsefullyrememberedtheEltwins，andlookedaboutforthem，sothathissonmightgetthemaninspectortoo。Hefoundthemajoralreadyinthehandsofaninspector，whowaspassingallhispiecesaftercarelesslylookingintoone：theofficialwhoreceivedthedeclarationsonboardhadnotedaGrandArmybuttonlikehisowninthemajor’slapel，andhadmarkedhisfellow-veteran’spaperwiththemysticsignwhichprocuresforthebearerthehonorofbeingpromptlytreatedasasmuggler，whilethelessfavoredhavetowaitlongerforthisindignityatthehandsoftheirgovernment。WhenMarch’sowninspectorcamehewasascivilandlenientasourhatefullawallows；whenhehadfinishedMarchtriedtoputabank-noteinhishand，andwasbroughttoajustshamebyhisrefusalofit。Thebed-roomstewardkeepingguardoverthebaggagehelpedput-ittogetherafterthesearch，andprotestedthatMarchhadfeedhimsohandsomelythathewouldstaytherewithitaslongastheywished。ThispartlyrestoredMarch’sself-respect，andhecouldshareinGeneralTriscoe’sindignationwiththeTreasuryrulingwhichobligedhimtopaydutyonhisownpurchasesinexcessofthehundred-
dollarlimit，thoughhisdaughterhadbroughtnothing，andtheyjointlycamefarwithinthelimitfortwo。
HefoundthattheTriscoesweregoingtoaquietoldhotelonthewaytoStuyvesantSquare，quiteinhisownneighborhood，andhequicklyarrangedforalltheladiesandthegeneraltodrivetogetherwhilehewastofollowwithhissononfootandbycar。Theygotawayfromthesceneofthecustoms’havocwhilethesteamershed，withitsvastdarknessdimlylitbyitsmanylamps，stillshowedlikeabattle-fieldwheretheinspectorsgropedamongthescatteredbaggagelikedetailsfromthevictoriousarmysearchingforthewounded。Hissonclappedhimontheshoulderwhenhesuggestedthisnotion，andsaidhewasthesameoldfather；andtheygothomeasgaylytogetherasthedispiritinginfluencesoftheNewYorkuglinesswouldpermit。Itwasstillinthosegoodanddecenttimes，nowsoremote，whenthecitygotsomethingforthemoneypaidouttokeepitsstreetsclean，andthosetheypassedthroughwerenotfoulbutmerelymean。
TheignobleeffectculminatedwhentheycameintoBroadway，andfounditssidewalks，atanhourwhenthoseofanyEuropeanmetropoliswouldhavebeenbrilliantwithlife，asunpeopledasthoseofaminorcountrytown，whilelongprocessionsofcable-carscartedheapsofmenandwomenupanddownthethoroughfareamidstthedeformitiesofthearchitecture。