Thelistdidnotsayofitself，butwiththehelpoftheheadsteward’sdiagramitsaidthatthegentlemanattheheadofthetablewasMr。R。
M。Kenby；thefatherandthedaughterwereMr。E。B。TriscoeandMissTriscoe；thebridalpairwereMr。andMrs。Leffers；themotherandhersonwereMrs。AddingandMr。RoswellAdding；theyoungmanwhocameinlastwasMr。L。J。Burnamy。Marchcarriedthelist，withthesenamescarefullycheckedandrearrangedonaneatplanofthetable，tohiswifeinhersteamerchair，andlefthertomakeoutthehistoryandthecharacterofthepeoplefromit。Inthissortofconjecturelongexperiencehadtaughthimhisfutility，andhestrolledupanddownandlookedatthelifeabouthimwithnowishtopenetrateitdeeply。
LongIslandwasnowalowyellowlineontheleft。Somefishing-boatsflickeredofftheshore；theymetafewsail，andleftmorebehind；butalready，andsonearoneofthegreatestportsoftheworld，thespacioussolitudeoftheoceanwasbeginning。Therewasnoswell；thesealayquiteflat，withafinemeshofwrinklesonitssurface，andthesunflameddownuponitfromaskywithoutacloud。Withthelightfairwind，therewasnoresistanceinthesultryair，thethin，dunsmokefromthesmoke-stackfellaboutthedeckslikeastiflingveil。
Thepromenades，wereasuncomfortablycrowdedasthesidewalkofFourteenthStreetonasummer’sday，andshowedmuchthesocialaverageofaNewYorkshoppingthoroughfare。Distinctionissomethingthatdoesnotalwaysrevealitselfatfirstsightonland，andatseaitisstillmoreretrusive。AcertaindemocracyoflooksandclotheswasthemostnotablethingtoMarchintheapatheticgroupsanddetachedfigures。Hiscriticismdisabledthesaloonpassengersofevensomuchpersonalappealasheimaginedinsomeofthesecond-cabinpassengerswhomhesawacrosstheirbarrier；theyhadatleastthepathosoftheirexclusion，andhecouldwonderiftheyfeltitorenviedhim。AtHobokenhehadseencertainpeoplecomingonboardwholookedlikeswells；buttheyhadnoweitherretiredfromthecrowd，ortheyhadalreadyconformedtotheprevailingtype。Itwasverywellasatype；hewasofithimself；buthewishedthatbeautyaswellasdistinctionhadnotbeensolostinit。
Infact，henolongersawsomuchbeautyanywhereasheoncedid。Itmightbethathesawlifemoretrulythanwhenhewasyoung，andthathisglasseswerebetterthanhiseyeshadbeen；buttherewereanalogiesthatforbadehisthinkingso，andhesometimeshadhismisgivingsthatthetroublewaswithhisglasses。Hemadewhathecouldofaprettygirlwhohadtheairofnotmeaningtoloseamomentfromflirtation，andwasluringherfellow-passengersfromunderhersailorhat。Shehadalreadyattachedoneofthem；andshewashookingoutformore。Shekeptmovingherselffromthewaistup，asifsheworkedthereonapivot，showingnowthissideandnowthatsideofherface，andvisitingtheadmirershehadsecuredwithasmileasfromthelampofarevolvinglightassheturned。
Whilehewasdwellinguponthisfolly，withasenseofimpersonalpleasureinitascompletethroughhisyearsasifhewerealreadyadisembodiedspirit，thepulseoftheenginessuddenlyceased，andhejoinedthegeneralrushtotherail，withafantasticexpectationofseeinganotherdistractedmotherputoff；butitwasonlythepilotleavingtheship。Hewasclimbingdowntheladderwhichhungovertheboat，risingandsinkingontheseabelow，whilethetwomeninherheldherfromtheship’ssidewiththeiroars；intheoffinglaythewhitesteam-yachtwhichnowreplacesthepicturesquepilot-sloopofothertimes。TheNorumbia’sscrewsturnedagainunderhalfaheadofsteam；
thepilotdroppedfromthelastrungoftheladderintotheboat，andcaughtthebundleofletterstossedafterhim。Thenhismenletgothelinethatwastowingtheircraft，andtheincidentofthesteamer’sdeparturewasfinallyclosed。Ithadbeendramaticallyheightenedperhapsbyherfinalimpatiencetobeoffatsomeaddedriskstothepilotandhismen，butnotpainfullyso，andMarchsmiledtothinkhowmenwhoselivesareallofdangerouschancesseemalwaystotakeasmanyofthemastheycan。
Heheardagirl’sfreshvoicesayingathisshoulder，“Well，nowweareoff；andIsupposeyou’reglad，papa！”
“I’mgladwe’renottakingthepiloton，atleast。”answeredtheelderlymanwhomthegirlhadspokento；andMarchturnedtoseethefatheranddaughterwhosereticenceatthebreakfasttablehadinterestedhim。Hewonderedthathehadleftheroutoftheaccountinestimatingthebeautyoftheship’spassengers：hesawnowthatshewasnotonlyextremelypretty，butasshemovedawayshewasverygraceful；sheevenhaddistinction。Hehadfanciedatoneoftolerance，andatthesametimeofreproachinhervoice，whenshespoke，andatoneofdefianceandnotverysuccessfuldenialinherfather’s；andhewentbackwiththeseimpressionstohiswife，whomhethoughtheoughttotellwhytheshiphadstopped。
Shehadnotnoticedtheship’sstopping，inherstudyofthepassengerlist，andshedidnotcareforthepilot’sleaving；butsheseemedtothinkhishavingoverheardthosewordsofthefatheranddaughteraneventofprimeimportance。Withawoman’swillingnesstoadaptthemeanstotheendshesuggestedthatheshouldfollowthemupandtrytooverhearsomethingmore；sheonlypartiallyrealizedtheinfamyofhersuggestionwhenhelaughedinscornfulrefusal。
“OfcourseIdon’twantyoutoeavesdrop，butIdowantyoutofindoutaboutthem。AndaboutMr。Burnamy，too。Icanwait，abouttheothers，ormanageformyself，butthesearedrivingmetodistraction。Now，willyou？”
Hesaidhewoulddoanythinghecouldwithhonor，andatoneoftheearliestturnshemadeontheothersideoftheshiphewassmilinglyhaltedbyMr。Burnamy，whoaskedtobeexcused，andthenaskedifhewerenotMr。Marchof’EveryOtherWeek’；hehadseenthenameonthepassengerlist，andfeltsureitmustbetheeditor’s。HeseemedsotrustfullytoexpectMarchtorememberhisownnameasthatofawriterfromwhomhehadacceptedashortpoem，yetunprinted，thattheeditorfeignedtodosountilhereallydiddimlyrecallit。Heevenrecalledtheshortpoem，andsomecivilwordshesaidaboutitcausedBurnamytooverruninconfidencesthatatoncetouchedandamusedhim。
Burnamy，itseemed，hadtakenpassageontheNorumbiabecausehefound，whenhearrivedinNewYorkthedaybefore，thatshewasthefirstboatout。HistrainwassomuchbehindtimethatwhenhereachedtheofficeoftheHanseaticLeagueitwasnominallyshut，buthepushedinbysufferanceofthejanitor，andfoundaberth，whichhadjustbeengivenup，inoneofthesaloon-deckrooms。Itwasthatornothing；andhefeltrichenoughtopayforithimselfiftheBirdofPrey，whohadcabledhimtocomeouttoCarlsbadashissecretary，wouldnotstandthedifferencebetweenthepriceandthatofthelower-decksix-in-a-roomberthwhichhewouldhavetakenifhehadbeenallowedachoice。
Withthethreehundreddollarshehadgotforhisbook，lessthepriceofhispassage，changedintoGermanbank-notesandgoldpieces，andsafelybuttonedinthebreastpocketofhiswaistcoat，hefeltassafefrompillageasfrompovertywhenhecameoutfrombuyinghisticket；hecovertlypressedhisarmagainsthisbreastfromtimetotime，forthejoyoffeelinghismoneythereandnotfromanyfearoffindingitgone。
Hewantedtosing，hewantedtodance；hecouldnotbelieveitwashe，asherodeupthelonelylengthofBroadwayinthecable-car，betweenthewild，irregularwallsofthecanyonwhichthecable-carshavealltothemselvesattheendofasummerafternoon。
Hewentanddined，andhethoughthedinedwell，ataSpanish-Americanrestaurant，forfiftycents，withahalf-bottleofCaliforniaclaretincluded。WhenhecamebacktoBroadwayhewasawarethatitwasstiflinglyhotinthepinkishtwilight，buthetookacable-caragaininlackofotherpastime，andthemotionservedthepurposeofabreeze，whichhemadethemostofbykeepinghishatoff。Itdidnotreallymattertohimwhetheritwashotorcool；hewasimparadisedinweatherwhichhadnothingtodowiththetemperature。Partlybecausehewasborntosuchweather，inthegayetyofsoulwhichamusedsomepeoplewithhim，andpartlybecausetheworldwasbehavingashehadalwaysexpected，hewasopulentlycontentwiththepresentmoment。Buthethoughtverytolerantlyofthefuture，andheconfirmedhimselfinthedecisionhehadalreadymade，tosticktoChicagowhenhecamebacktoAmerica。NewYorkwasverywell，andhehadnosentimentaboutChicago；buthehadgotafootholdthere；hehaddonebetterwithanEasternpublisher，hebelieved，byhailingfromtheWest，andhedidnotbelieveitwouldhurthimwiththeEasternpublictokeeponhailingfromtheWest。
HewasgladofachancetoseeEurope，buthedidnotmeantocomehomesodazzledastoseenothingelseagainsttheAmericansky。Hefancied，forhereallyknewnothing，thatitwasthelightofEurope，notitsglarethathewanted，andhewanteditchieflyonhismaterial，soastoseeitmoreandmoreobjectively。Itwashispowerofdetachmentfromthisthathadenabledhimtodohissketchesinthepaperwithsuchcharmastolureacashpropositionfromapublisherwhenheputthemtogetherforabook，buthebelievedthathisbusinessfacultyhadmuchtodowithhissuccess；andhewasasproudofthatasofthebookitself。Perhapshewasnotsoveryproudofthebook；hewasatleastnotvainofit；hecould，detachhimselffromhisartaswellashismaterial。
Likeallliterarytemperamentshewasofacertainhardness，inspiteofthesusceptibilitiesthatcouldbeusedtogivecoloringtohiswork。
Heknewthiswellenough，buthebelievedthatthereweredepthsofunprofessionaltendernessinhisnature。Hewasgoodtohismother，andhesenthermoney，andwrotetoherinthelittleIndianatownwherehehadleftherwhenhecametoChicago。AfterhegotthatinvitationfromtheBirdofPrey，heexploredhisheartforsomeaffectionthathehadnotfeltforhimbefore，andhefoundawishthathisemployershouldnotknowitwashewhohadinventedthatnicknameforhim。HepromptlyavowedthisinthenewspaperofficewhichformedoneoftheeyriesoftheBirdofPrey，andmadethefellowspromisenottogivehimaway。HefailedtomovetheirimaginationwhenhebroughtupasareasonforsofteningtowardhimthathewasfromBurnamy’sownpartofIndiana，andwasabenefactorofTippecanoeUniversity，fromwhichBurnamywasgraduated。Butthey，relishedthecynicismofhisattempt；andtheyweregladofhisgoodluck，whichhewasgettingsquareandnotrhomboid，asmostpeopleseemtogettheirluck。Theylikedhim，andsomeofthemlikedhimforhiscleanyounglifeaswellasforhiscleverness。Hislifewasknowntobeascleanasagirl’s，andhelookedlikeagirlwithhissweeteyes，thoughhehadrathermorechinthanmostgirls。
Theconductorcametoreversehisseat，andBurnamytoldhimheguessedhewouldridebackwithhimasfarasthecarstotheHobokenFerry，iftheconductorwouldputhimoffattherightplace。Itwasnearlynineo’clock，andhethoughthemightaswellbegoingovertotheship，wherehehaddecidedtopassthenight。Afterhefoundher，andwentonboard，hewasgladhehadnotgonesooner。Aqueasyodorofdrainagestoleupfromthewatersofthedock，andmixedwiththerank，grosssweetnessofthebagsofbeet-rootsugarfromthefreight-steamers；therewasacomingandgoingofcartsandtrucksonthewharf，andontheshiparattlingofchainsandacluckingofpulleys，withsuddenoutbreaksandthensuddensilencesoftramplingsea-boots。Burnamylookedintothedining-saloonandthemusic-room，withthenotionoftryingforsomenapsthere；thenhewenttohisstate-room。Hisroom-mate，whoeverhewastobe，hadnotcome；andhekickedoffhisshoesandthrewoffhiscoatandtumbledintohisberth。
Hemeanttorestawhile，andthengetupandspendthenightinreceivingimpressions。HecouldnotthinkofanyonewhohaddonethefactsoftheeveofsailingonanAtlanticliner。Hethoughthewouldusethematerialfirstinalettertothepaperandafterwardsinapoem；buthefoundhimselfunabletograspthenotionofitsessentialrelationtothechoicebetweenchickencroquettesandsweetbreadsasentreesoftherestaurantdinnerwherehehadbeenofferedneither；heknewthathehadbeguntodream，andthathemustgetup。Hewasjustgoingtogetup，whenhewoketoasenseoffreshnessintheair，penetratingfromthenewdayoutside。Helookedathiswatchandfounditwasquarterpastsix；