ThenextmorningtheMarchfamilybreakfastedlateafteraneveningprolongedbeyondmidnightinspiteofhalf-hourlyagreementsthatnowtheymustreallyallgotobed。Thechildrenhadbothtorecognizeagainandagainhowwelltheirparentswerelooking；Tomhadtotellhisfatherabouttheconditionof’EveryOtherWeek’；Bellahadtoexplaintohermotherhowsorryherhusbandwasthathecouldnotcomeontomeetthemwithher，butwascomingaweeklatertotakeherhome，andthenshewouldknowthereasonwhytheycouldnotall，gobacktoChicagowithhim：itwasjusttheplaceforherfathertolive，foreverybodytolive。
Atbreakfastsherenewedthereasoningwithwhichshehadmaintainedherpositionthenightbefore；thetravellersenteredintoafullexpressionoftheirjoyatbeinghomeagain；Marchaskedwhathadbecomeofthatstrayparrotwhichtheyhadleftinthetree-topthemorningtheystarted；andMrs。MarchdeclaredthatthiswasthelastSilverWeddingJourneysheeverwishedtotake，andtriedtoconvincethemallthatshehadbeenonthevergeofnervouscollapsewhenshereachedtheship。
Theysatattabletillshediscoveredthatitwasverynearlyeleveno’clock，andsaiditwasdisgraceful。
Beforetheyrose，therewasaringatthedoor，andacardwasbroughtintoTom。Heglancedatit，andsaidtohisfather，“Oh，yes！Thismanhasbeenhauntingtheofficeforthelastthreedays。He’sgottoleaveto-day，andasitseemedtoberatheracaseoflifeanddeathwithhim，Isaidhe’dprobablyfindyouherethismorning。Butifyoudon’twanttoseehim，Icanputhimofftillafternoon，Isuppose。”
Hetossedthecardtohisfather，wholookedatitquietly，andthengaveittohiswife。“PerhapsI’daswellseehim？”
“Seehim！”shereturnedinaccentsinwhichalltheintensityofhersoulwascentred。Byaneffortofself-controlwhichnowordscanconveyajustsenseofsheremainedwithherchildren，whileherhusbandwithalaughmoreteasingthancanbeimaginedwentintothedrawing-roomtomeetBurnamy。
Thepoorfellowwasinaneffectofbelatedsummerastoclothes，andhelookednotmerelyhaggardbutshabby。Hemadeaneffortfordignityaswellasgayety，however，instatinghimselftoMarch，withmanyapologiesforhispersistency。But，hesaid，hewasonhiswayWest，andhewasanxioustoknowwhethertherewasanychanceofhis’KasperHauler’paperbeingtakenifhefinisheditup。Marchwouldhavebeenafarharder-
heartededitorthanhewas，ifhecouldhavediscouragedthesuppliantbeforehim。HesaidhewouldtaketheKasperHaulerpaperandaddabandofmusictotheusualrateoftendollarsathousandwords。ThenBurnamy’sdignitygaveway，ifnothisgayety；hebegantolaugh，andsuddenlyhebrokedownandconfessedthathehadcomehomeinthesteerage；andwasathislastcent，beyondhisfaretoChicago。Hisstrawhatlookedlikeawitheredleafinthelightofhissadfacts；histhinovercoataffectedMarch’simaginationassomethinglikethediaphanouscastshellofalocust，hopelesslyresumedforcomfortattheapproachofautumn。HemadeBurnamysitdown，afterhehadoncerisen，andhetoldhimofMajorEltwin’swishtoseehim；andhepromisedtogoroundwithhimtothemajor’shotelbeforetheEltwinslefttownthatafternoon。
Whileheprolongedtheinterviewinthisway，Mrs。Marchwaskeptfrombreakinginuponthemonlybythepsychicalexperimentwhichshewasmakingwiththehelpandsympathyofherdaughteratthewindowofthedining-roomwhichlookedupSixteenthStreet。AtthefirsthintshegaveoftheemotionalsituationwhichBurnamywasamainpartof，herson；
withthebrutalcontemptofyoungmenforotheryoungmen’sloveaffairs，saidhemustgototheoffice；hebadehismothertellhisfathertherewasnoneedofhiscomingdownthatday，andheleftthetwowomentogether。Thisgavethemotherachancetodevelopthewholefacttothedaughterwithtelegrammicrapidityandbrevity，andthentoenrichthefirst-outlinewithinnumerabledetails，whiletheybothremainedatthewindow，andMrs。Marchsaidattwo-minutelyintervals，withnosenseofiterationforeitherofthem，“Itoldhertocomeinthemorning，ifshefeltlikeit，andIknowshewill。Butifshedoesn’t，Ishallsaythereisnothinginfate，orProvidenceeither。AtanyrateI’mgoingtostayhereandkeeplongingforher，andwe’llseewhetherthere’sanythinginthatsillytheoryofyourfather’s。Idon’tbelievethereis。”shesaid，tobeonthesafeside。
EvenwhenshesawAgathaTriscoeentertheparkgateonRutherfordPlace，shesavedherselffromdisappointmentbydeclaringthatshewasnotcomingacrosstotheirhouse。Asthegirlpersistedincomingandcoming，andatlastcamesonearthatshecaughtsightofMrs。Marchatthewindowandnodded，themotherturnedungratefullyuponherdaughter，anddroveherawaytoherownroom，sothatnosocietydetailshouldhinderthedivinechance。ShewenttothedoorherselfwhenAgatharang，andthenshewasgoingtoopenthewayintotheparlorwhereMarchwasstillclosetedwithBurnamy，andpretendthatshehadnotknowntheywerethere。Butasoberersecondthoughtthanthisprevailed，andshetoldthegirlwhoitwasthatwaswithinandexplainedtheaccidentofhispresence。“Ithink。”shesaidnobly，“thatyououghttohavethechanceofgoingawayifyoudon’twishtomeethim。”
Thegirl，withthatheroicprecipitationwhichMrs。Marchhadnotedinherfromthefirstwithregardtowhatshewantedtodo，whenBurnamywasinquestion，answered，“ButIdowishtomeethim，Mrs。March。”
Whiletheystoodlookingateachother，MarchcameouttoaskhiswifeifshewouldseeBurnamy，andshepermittedherselfsomuchstratagemastosubstituteAgatha，aftercatchingherhusbandasideandsubduinghisproposedgreetingofthegirltoahastyhandshake。
Halfanhourlatershethoughtittimetojointheyoungpeople，urgedlargelybythefranticinterestofherdaughter。Butshereturnedfromthehalf-opendoorwithoutentering。“Icouldn’tbringmyselftobreakinonthepoorthings。TheyarestandingatthewindowtogetherlookingoveratSt。George’s。”
Bellasilentlyclaspedherhands。Marchgavecynicallaugh，andsaid，“Wellweareinforit，mydear。”Thenheadded，“Ihopethey’lltakeuswiththemontheirSilverWeddingJourney。”
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