“Idon’tthinkitwouldbeniceintheleast。”saidMrs。March，“andifyoudon’twanttotalkseriously，Iwouldrathernottalkatall。”
“Well，then，let’stalkaboutourSilverWeddingJourney。”
“Isee。YoumerelywanttoteaseandIamnotinthehumorforit。”
Shesaidthisinagreatmanydifferentways，andthenshewasreallysilent。Heperceivedthatshewashurt；andhetriedtowinherbacktogood-humor。HeaskedherifshewouldnotliketogoovertoHobokenandlookatoneoftheHanseaticLeaguesteamers，someday；andsherefused。
Whenhesentthenextdayandgotapermittoseetheboat；sheconsentedtogo。
Hewasoneofthosemenwholivefromtheinsideoutward；heoftentookahintforhisactionsfromhisfancies；andnowbecausehehadfanciedsomepeoplegoingtolookatsteamersonSundays，hechosethenextSundayhimselffortheirvisittotheHanseaticboatatHoboken。Tobesureitwasaleisuredaywithhim，buthemighthavetakentheafternoonofanyotherday，forthatmatter，anditwasreallythatinvisiblethreadofassociationwhichdrewhim。
TheColmanniahadbeeninlongenoughtohavemadehertoiletfortheoutwardvoyage，andwaslookingherbest。Shewastippedandedgedwithshiningbrass，withoutandwithin，andwasred-carpetedandwhite-paintedasonlyashipknowshowtobe。Alittleuniformedstewardranbeforethevisitors，andshowedthemthroughthedimwhitecorridorsintotypicalstate-roomsonthedifferentdecks；andthenletthemverifytheirfirstimpressionofthegrandeurofthedining-saloon，andtheluxuryoftheladies’parlorandmusic-room。Marchmadehiswifeobservethatthetablesandsofasandeasy-chairs，whichseemedsocarelesslyscatteredabout，wereallsuggestivelyscrewedfasttotheflooragainstroughweather；andheamusedhimselfwiththeheavyGermanbrownsandgreensandcoppersinthedecorations，whichhesaidmusthavebeenstudiedincolorfromsausage，beer，andspinach，totheeffectofthoselargemarch-panesintheroof。Shelaughedwithhimatthetastelessnessoftheracewhichtheyweredestinedtomarvelatmoreandmore；butshemadehimownthatthestewardesseswhomtheysawwerecharminglylikeserving-maidsinthe’FliegendeBlatter’；whentheywentashoreshechallengedhissilenceforsomeassenttoherownconclusionthattheColmanniawasperfect。
“Shehasonlyonefault。”heassented。“She’saship。”
“Yes。”saidhiswife，“andIshallwanttolookattheNorumbiabeforeI
decide。”
Thenhesawthatitwasonlyaquestionwhichsteamertheyshouldtake，andnotwhethertheyshouldtakeany。Heexplained，atfirstgentlyandafterwardssavagely，thattheirvisittotheColmanniawasquiteenoughforhim，andthatthevesselwasnotbuiltthathewouldbewillingtocrosstheAtlanticin。
Whenamanhasgonesofarasthathehascommittedhimselftotheoppositecourseinalmostsomanywords；andMarchwasneithersurprisednorabashedwhenhediscoveredhimself，beforetheyreachedhome，offeringhiswifemanyreasonswhytheyshouldgotoEurope。Sheansweredtoall，No，hehadmadeherrealizethehorrorofitsomuchthatshewasgladtogiveitup。Shegaveitup，withthebestfeeling；
allthatshewouldaskofhimwasthatheshouldnevermentionEuropetoheragain。Shecouldimaginehowmuchhedislikedtogo，ifsuchashipastheColmanniadidnotmakehimwanttogo。
Atthebottomofhisheartheknewthathehadnotusedherverywell。
HehadkindledherfancywiththosenotionsofaSabbaticalyearandaSilverWeddingJourney，andwhenshewaswillingtorenouncebothhehadpersistedintakinghertoseetheship，onlytotellherafterwardsthathewouldnotgoabroadonanyaccount。ItwasbyapsychologicaljugglewhichsomemenwillunderstandthatheallowedhimselfthenextdaytogetthesailingsoftheNorumbiafromthesteamshipoffice；healsogotaplanoftheshipshowingthemostavailablestaterooms，sothattheymightbeabletochoosebetweenherandtheColmanniafromallthefacts。
Fromthistimetheirdecisiontogowasnonethelessexplicitbecausesoperfectlytacit。
Theybegantoamassmapsandguides。ShegotaBaedekerforAustriaandhegotaBradshawforthecontinent，whichwasneveroftheleastusethere，butwasforthepresentamineofunavailableinformation。Hegotaphrase-book，too，andtriedtorubuphisGerman。HeusedtoreadGerman，whenhewasaboy，withayoungenthusiasmforitsromanticpoetry，andnow，forthesakeofSchillerandUhlandandHeine，heheldimaginaryconversationswithabarber，abootmaker，andabanker，andtriedtotastethejoywhichhehadnotknowninthelanguageofthosepoetsforawholegeneration。Heperceived，ofcourse，thatunlessthebarber，thebootmaker，andthebankeransweredhimintermswhichtheauthorofthephrase-bookdirectedthemtouse，heshouldnotgetonwiththembeyondhisfirstquestion；buthedidnotallowthistospoilhispleasureinit。Infact，itwaswithatenderemotionthatherealizedhowlittletheworld，whichhadchangedineverythingelsesogreatly，hadchangedinitsidealofaphrase-book。
Mrs。MarchpostponedthestudyofherBaedekertothetimeandplaceforit；andaddressedherselftotheimmediatebusinessofascertainingtherespectivemeritsoftheColmanniaandNorumbia。Shecarriedonherresearchessolelyamongpersonsofherownsex；itsexperienceswerealoneofthatpositivecharacterwhichbringsconviction，andshevaluedthemequallyatfirstorsecondhand。SheheardofladieswhowouldnotcrossinanyboatbuttheColmannia，andwhowaitedformonthstogetaroomonher；shetalkedwithladieswhosaidthatnothingwouldinducethemtocrossinher。TherewereladieswhosaidshehadtwicethemotionthattheNorumbiahad，andthevibrationfromhertwinscrewswasfrightful；italwayswas，onthosetwin-screwboats，anditdidnotaffecttheirtestimonywithMrs。MarchthattheNorumbiawasatwin-screwboattoo。Itwasrepeatedtoherinthethirdorfourthdegreeofhear-
saythatthedisciplineontheColmanniawasasperfectasthatontheCunarders；ladieswhosefriendshadtriedeverylineassuredherthatthetableoftheNorumbiawasalmostasgoodasthetableoftheFrenchboats。Tothebestofthebeliefofladywitnessesstilllivingwhohadfriendsonboard，theColmanniahadoncegotaground，andtheNorumbiahadoncehadherbridgecarriedoffbyatidalwave；oritmightbetheColmannia；theypromisedtoaskandletherknow。Theirlightestwordavailedwithheragainstthemostsolemnassurancesoftheirhusbands，fathers，orbrothers，whomightbeallverywellonland，butinnavigationwerenottobetrusted；theywouldsayanythingfromarecklessandculpableoptimism。SheobligedMarchallthesametoaskamongthem，butsherecognizedtheirguiltyinsinceritywhenhecamehomesayingthatonemanhadtoldhimyoucouldhaveplayedcroquetonthedeckoftheColmanniathewholewayoverwhenhecrossed，andanotherthatheneversawtheracksoninthreepassageshehadmadeintheNorumbia。
Theweightofevidencewas，hethought，infavoroftheNorumbia，butwhentheywentanotherSundaytoHoboken，andsawtheship，Mrs。MarchlikedhersomuchlessthantheColmanniathatshecouldhardlywaitforMondaytocome；shefeltsureallthegoodroomsontheColmanniawouldbegonebeforetheycouldengageone。
Fromaconsensusofthenervesofalltheladiesleftintownsolateintheseason，sheknewthattheonlyplaceonanysteamerwhereyourroomoughttobewasprobablyjustwheretheycouldnotgetit。Ifyouwenttoohigh，youfelttherollingterribly，andpeopletrampingupanddownonthepromenadeunderyourwindowkeptyouawakethewholenight；ifyouwenttoolow，youfelttheenginethump，thump，thumpinyourheadthewholewayover。Ifyouwenttoofarforward，yougotthepitching；ifyouwentaft，onthekitchenside，yougotthesmellofthecooking。Theonlyplace，really，wasjustbackofthedining-saloononthesouthsideoftheship；itwassmooththere，anditwasquiet，andyouhadthesuninyourwindowallthewayover。Heaskedherifhemusttaketheirroomthereornowhere，andsheansweredthathemustdohisbest，butthatshewouldnotbesatisfiedwithanyotherplace。
Inhisdespairhewentdowntothesteameroffice，andtookaroomwhichoneoftheclerkssaidwasthebest。Whenhegothome，itappearedfromreferencetotheship’splanthatitwastheveryroomhiswifehadwantedfromthebeginning，andshepraisedhimasifhehadusedawisdombeyondhissexingettingit。
Hewasintheenjoymentofhisunmeritedhonorwhenabelatedladycamewithherhusbandforaneveningcall，beforegoingintothecountry。AtsightoftheplansofsteamersontheMarches’table，sheexpressedthegreatestwonderanddelightthattheyweregoingtoEurope。Theyhadsupposedeverybodyknewit，bythistime，butshesaidshehadnotheardawordofit；andshewentonwithsomefelicitationswhichMarchfoundratherundulyfilial。Ingettingalittlepasttheprimeoflifehedidnotliketobeusedwithtoogreatconsiderationofhisyears，andhedidnotthinkthatheandhiswifeweresooldthattheyneedbetreatedasiftheyweregoingonagoldenweddingjourney，andheapedwithallsortsofimpertinentpropheciesoftheirenjoyingitsomuchandbeingsomuchthebetterforthelittleouting！Underhisbreath，heconfoundedthisladyforherimpudence；butheschooledhimselftoletherrejoiceattheirgoingonaHanseaticboat，becausetheGermanswerealwayssocarefulofyou。Shemadeherhusbandagreewithher，anditcameoutthathehadcrossedseveraltimesonboththeColmanniaandtheNorumbia。
HevolunteeredtosaythattheColmannia，wasacapitalsea-boat；shedidnothavehernoseunderwaterallthetime；shewassteadyasarock；andthecaptainandthekitchenweresimplyoutofsight；somepeopledidcallherunlucky。
“Unlucky？”Mrs。Marchechoed，faintly。“Whydotheycallherunlucky？”
“Oh，Idon’tknow。Peoplewillsayanythingaboutanyboat。Youknowshebrokehershaft，once，andonceshegotcaughtintheice。”
Mrs。Marchjoinedhiminderidingthesuperstitionofpeople，andshepartedgaylywiththisover-goodyoungcouple。Assoonastheyweregone，Marchknewthatshewouldsay：“Youmustchangethatticket，mydear。WewillgointheNorumbia。”
“SupposeIcan’tgetasgoodaroomontheNorumbia？”
“Thenwemuststay。”
