Sheturnedherface，andaskedsternly，“Whatisit？”
Thenhesaid，with，analmostequalseverity，“MissTriscoeisonboard。
MissTriscoe-and-her-father。Shewishestocomedownandseeyou。”
Mrs。Marchsatupandbegantotwistherhairintoshape。“AndBurnamy？”
“ThereisnoBurnamyphysically，orsofarasIcanmakeout，spiritually。Shedidn’tmentionhim，andItalkedatleastfiveminuteswithher。”
“Handmemydressing-sack。”saidMrs。March，“andpokethosethingsonthesofaundertheberth。Shutupthatwash-stand，andpullthecurtainacrossthathideouswindow。Stop！Throwthosetowelsintoyourberth。
Putmyshoes，andyourslippersintotheshoe-bagonthedoor。Slipthebrushesintothatotherbag。Beatthedentoutofthesofacushionthatyourheadhasmade。Now！”
“Then——thenyonwillseeher？”
“Seeher！”
Hervoicewassoterriblethathefledbeforeit，andhereturnedwithMissTriscoeinadreamlikesimultaneity。Heremembered，asheledthewayintohiscorridor，toapologizeforbringingherdownintoabasementroom。
“Oh，we’reinthebasement，too；itwasallwecouldget。”shesaidinwordsthatendedwithinthestate-roomheopenedtoher。Thenhewentbackandtookherchairandwrapsbesideherfather。
Heletthegeneralhimselfleadthewayuptohishealth，whichhewasnotslowinreaching，andwasnotquickinleaving。HeremindedMarchofthestatehehadseenhiminatWurzburg，andhesaidithadgonefrombadtoworsewithhim。AtWeimarhehadtakentohisbedandmerelyescapedfromitwithhislife。ThentheyhadtriedSchevleningenforaweek，where，hesaidinatoneofsomeinjury，theyhadratherthoughttheymightfindthem，theMarches。Theairhadbeenpoisontohim，andtheyhadcomeovertoEnglandwithsomenotionofBournemouth；butthedoctorinLondonhadthoughtnot，andurgedtheirgoinghome。“AllEuropeisdamp，youknow，anddarkasapocketinwinter。”heended。
TherehadbeennothingaboutBurnamy，andMarchdecidedthathemustwaittoseehiswifeifhewishedtoknowanything，whenthegeneral，whohadbeensilent，twistedhisheadtowardshim，andsaidwithoutregardtothecontext，“Itwascomplicated，atWeimar，bythatyoungmaninthemostdevilishway。DidmydaughterwritetoMrs。Marchabout——Wellitcametonothing，afterall；andIdon’tunderstandhow，tothisday。Idoubtiftheydo。Itwassomesortofquarrel，Isuppose。Iwasn’tconsultedinthemattereitherway。Itappearsthatparentsarenotconsultedinthesetriflingaffairs，nowadays。”Hehadmarriedhisdaughter’smotherinopendefianceofherfather；butintheglareofhisdaughter’swilfulnessthisfacthadwhitenedintopiousobedience。“IdaresayI
shallbetold，by-and-by，andshallbeexpectedtoapproveoftheresult。”
AfancypossessedMarchthatbyoperationoftemperamentallawsGeneralTriscoewasnomoresatisfiedwithBurnamy’sfinalrejectionthanwithhisacceptance。Iftheengagementwasevertoberenewed，itmightbeanotherthing；butasitstood，Marchdivinedacertainfavorfortheyoungmaninthegeneral’sattitude。Buttheaffairwasaltogethertoodelicateforcomment；thegeneral’saristocraticfranknessindealingwithitmighthavegonefartherifhisknowledgehadbeengreater；butinanycaseMarchdidnotseehowhecouldtouchit。Hecouldonlysay，HehadalwayslikedBurnamy，himself。
Hehadhisgoodqualities，thegeneralowned。Hedidnotprofesstounderstandtheyoungmenofourtime；butcertainlythefellowhadtheinstinctsofagentleman。Hehadnothingtosayagainsthim，unlessinthatbusinesswiththatman——whatwashisname？
“Stoller？”Marchprompted。“Idon’texcusehiminthat，butIdon’tblamehimsomuch，either。Ifpunishmentmeansatonement，hehadtheopportunityofmakingthatrightverysuddenly，andifpardonmeansexpunction，thenIdon’tseewhythatoffencehasn’tbeenprettywellwipedout。
“Thosethingsarenotsosimpleastheyusedtoseem。”saidthegeneral，withaseriousnessbeyondhiswontinthingsthatdidnotimmediatelyconcernhisowncomfortoradvantage。
InthemeantimeMrs。MarchandMissTriscoewerediscussinganotheroffenceofBurnamy’s。
“Itwasn’t。”saidthegirl，excitedly，afteraplungethroughalltheminorfactstotheheartofthematter，“thathehadn’taperfectrighttodoit，ifhethoughtIdidn’tcareforhim。IhadrefusedhimatCarlsbad，andIhadforbiddenhimtospeaktomeabout——onthesubject。
Butthatwasmerelytemporary，andheoughttohaveknownit。HeoughttohaveknownthatIcouldn’taccepthim，onthespurofthemoment，thatway；andwhenhehadcomeback，aftergoingawayindisgrace，beforehehaddoneanythingtojustifyhimself。Icouldn’thavekeptmyself-
respect；andasitwasIhadthegreatestdifficulty；andheoughttohaveseenit。Ofcoursehesaidafterwardsthathedidn’tseeit。Butwhen——whenIfoundoutthatSHEhadbeeninWeimar，andallthattime，whileIhadbeensufferinginCarlsbadandWurzburg，andlongingtoseehim——lethimknowhowIwasreallyfeeling——hewasflirtingwiththat——
thatgirl，thenIsawthathewasafalsenature，andIdeterminedtoputanendtoeverything。AndthatiswhatIdid；andIshallalwaysthinkI——didright——and——“
TherestwaslostinAgatha’shandkerchief，whichsheputuptohereyes。
Mrs。Marchwatchedherfromherpillowkeepingthegirl’sunoccupiedhandinherown，andsoftlypressingittillthestormwaspastsufficientlytoallowhertobeheard。
Thenshesaid，“Menareverystrange——thebestofthem。Andfromtheveryfactthathewasdisappointed，hewouldbeallthemoreapttorushintoaflirtationwithsomebodyelse。”
MissTriscoetookdownherhandkerchieffromafacethathadcertainlynotbeenbeautifiedbygrief。“Ididn’tblamehimfortheflirting；ornotsomuch。Itwashiskeepingitfrommeafterwards。Heoughttohavetoldmetheveryfirstinstantwewereengaged。Buthedidn’t。Heletitgoon，andifIhadn’thappenedonthatbouquetImightneverhaveknownanythingaboutit。ThatiswhatImeanby——afalsenature。
Iwouldn’thavemindedhisdeceivingme；buttoletmedeceivemyself——
Oh，itwastoomuch！”
Agathahidherfaceinherhandkerchiefagain。Shewasperchingontheedgeoftheberth，andMrs。Marchsaid，withaglance，whichshedidnotsee，towardthesofa，“I’mafraidthat’sratherahardseatforyou。
“Oh，no，thankyou！I’mperfectlycomfortable——Ilikeit——ifyoudon’tmind？”
Mrs。Marchpressedherhandforanswer，andafteranotherlittledelay，sighedandsaid，“Theyarenotlikeus，andwecannothelpit。Theyaremoretemporizing。”
“Howdoyoumean？”Agathaunmaskedagain。
“Theycanbeartokeepthingsbetterthanwecan，andtheytrusttotimetobringthemright，ortocomerightofthemselves。”
“Idon’tthinkMr。Marchwouldtrustthingstocomerightofthemselves！”
saidAgathainindignantaccusalofMrs。March’ssincerity。
“Ah，that’sjustwhathewoulddo，mydear，andhasdone，allalong；andIdon’tbelievewecouldhavelivedthroughwithoutit：weshouldhavequarrelledourselvesintothegrave！”
“Mrs。March！”
“Yes，indeed。Idon’tmeanthathewouldeverdeceiveme。Buthewouldletthingsgoon，andhopethatsomehowtheywouldcomerightwithoutanyfuss。”
“Doyoumeanthathewouldletanybodydeceivethemselves？”
“I’mafraidhewould——ifhethoughtitwouldcomeright。Itusedtobeaterribletrialtome；anditisyet，attimeswhenIdon’trememberthathemeansnothingbutgoodandkindnessbyit。OnlytheotherdayinAnsbach——howlongagoitseems！——heletapooroldwomangivehimherson’saddressinJerseyCity，andallowedhertobelievehewouldlookhimupwhenwegotbackandtellhimwehadseenher。Idon’tbelieve，unlessIkeeprightroundafterhim，aswesayinNewEngland，thathe’llevergoneartheman。”
Agathalookeddaunted，butshesaid，“Thatisaverydifferentthing。”
“Itisn’tadifferentkindofthing。Anditshowswhatmenare，——thesweetestandbestofthem，thatis。Theyareterriblyapttobe——easy-going。”
“ThenyouthinkIwasallwrong？”thegirlaskedinatremor。
“No，indeed！Youwereright，becauseyoureallyexpectedperfectionofhim。Youexpectedtheideal。Andthat’swhatmakesallthetrouble，inmarriedlife：weexpecttoomuchofeachother——weeachexpectmoreoftheotherthanwearewillingtogiveorcangive。IfIhadtobeginoveragain，Ishouldnotexpectanythingatall，andthenIshouldbesureofbeingradiantlyhappy。Butallthistalkingandallthiswritingaboutloveseemstoturnourbrains；weknowthatmenarenotperfect，evenatourcraziest，becausewomenarenot，butweexpectperfectionofthem；andtheyseemtoexpectitofus，poorthings！Ifwecouldkeeponafterweareinlovejustaswewerebeforewewereinlove，andtakenicethingsasfavorsandsurprises，aswedidinthebeginning！Butwegetmoreandmoregreedyandexacting——“