heglancedroundthestate-roomandsawthathehadpassedthenightaloneinit。Thenhesplashedhimselfhastilyatthebasinnexthisberth，andjumpedintohisclothes，andwentondeck，anxioustolosenofeatureoremotionoftheship’sdeparture。
Whenshewasfairlyoffhereturnedtohisroomtochangethethickcoathehadputonattheinstigationoftheearlymorningair。Hisroom-matewasstillabsent，buthewasnowrepresentedbyhisstate-roombaggage，andBurnamytriedtoinferhimfromit。Heperceivedasocialqualityinhisdress-coatcase，capaciousgladstone，hat-box，rug，umbrella，andsole-leathersteamertrunkwhichhecouldnotattributetohisownequipment。Thethingswerenotsonewashis；theyhadaneffectofpoliteexperience，withaforeignregistryandcustomslabelonthemhereandthere。Theyhadbeenchosenwithbothtasteandknowledge，andBurnamywouldhavesaidthattheywerecertainlyEnglishthings，ifithadnotbeenfortheinitialsU。S。A。whichfollowedthenameofE。B。
Triscoeontheendofthesteamertrunkshowingitselfunderthefootofthelowerberth。
ThelowerberthhadfallentoBurnamythroughthedefaultofthepassengerwhosetickethehadgotatthelasthour；theclerkinthesteamerofficehadbeencarefultoimpresshimwiththisadvantage，andhenowimaginedatrespassonhisproperty。Buthereassuredhimselfbyaglanceathisticket，andwentouttowatchtheship’spassagedownthestreamandthroughtheNarrows。Afterbreakfasthecametohisroomagain，toseewhatcouldbedonefromhisvalisetomakehimlookbetterintheeyesofagirlwhomhehadseenacrossthetable；ofcourseheprofessedamuchmoregeneralpurpose。Heblamedhimselffornothavinggotatleastapairofthewhitetennis-shoeswhichsomanyofthepassengerswerewearing；hisrussetshoeshadturnedshabbyonhisfeet；
buttherewasa，pairofenamelledleatherbootsinhisbagwhichhethoughtmightdo。
Hisroomwasinthegroupofcabinsontheupperdeck；hehadalreadymissedhiswaytoitoncebymistakingthecorridorwhichitopenedinto；
andhewasnotsurethathewasnotblunderingagainwhenhepeereddownthenarrowpassagewherehesupposeditwas。Aladywasstandingatanopenstate-roomdoor，restingherhandsagainstthejambsandleaningforwardwithherheadwithinandtalkingtosomeonethere。Beforehecoulddrawbackandtryanothercorridorheheardhersay：“Perhapshe’ssomeyoungman，andwouldn’tcare。
Burnamycouldnotmakeouttheanswerthatcamefromwithin。Theladyspokeagaininatoneofreluctantassent，“No，Idon’tsupposeyoucould；butifheunderstood，perhapshewouldoffer。”
Shedrewherheadoutoftheroom，steppingbackapace，andlingeringamomentatthethreshold。ShelookedroundoverhershoulderanddiscoveredBurnamy，wherehestoodhesitatingattheheadofthepassage。
Sheebbedbeforehim，andthenflowedroundhiminherinstantescape；
withsomemurmuredincoherenciesaboutspeakingtoherfather，shevanishedinacorridorontheothersideoftheship，whilehestoodstaringintothedoorwayofhisroom。
Hehadseenthatshewastheyoungladyforwhomhehadcometoputonhisenamelledshoes，andhesawthatthepersonwithinwastheelderlygentlemanwhohadsatnextheratbreakfast。Hebeggedhispardon，asheentered，andsaidhehopedheshouldnotdisturbhim。“I’mafraidIleftmythingsallovertheplace，whenIgotupthismorning。”
Theotherentreatedhimnottomentionitandwentontakingfromhishand-bagavarietyoftoiletapplianceswhichthesightofmadeBurnamyvowtokeephisownsimplecombsandbrushesshutinhisvaliseallthewayover。“Yousleptonboard，then。”hesuggested，arrestinghimselfwithapairoflowshoesinhishand；hedecidedtoputtheminacertainpocketofhissteamerbag。
“Oh，yes。”Burnamylaughed，nervously：“Icamenearoversleeping，andgettingofftoseawithoutknowingit；andIrushedouttosavemyself，andso——“
HebegantogatheruphisbelongingswhilehefollowedthemovementsofMr。Triscoewithawistfuleye。Hewouldhavelikedtoofferhislowerberthtothisseniorofhis，whenhesawhimarrangingtotakepossessionoftheupper；buthedidnotquiteknowhowtomanageit。Henoticedthatastheothermovedabouthelimpedslightly，unlessitwereratherawearyeasingofhispersonfromonelimbtotheother。Hestoopedtopullhistrunkoutfromundertheberth，andBurnamysprangtohelphim。
“Letmegetthatoutforyou！”Hecaughtitupandputitonthesofaundertheport。“Isthatwhereyouwantit？”
“Why，yes。”theotherassented。“You’reverygood。”andashetookouthiskeytounlockthetrunkherelentedalittlefarthertotheintimaciesofthesituation。“Haveyouarrangedwiththebath-stewardyet？It’ssuchafullboat。”
“No，Ihaven’t。”saidBurnamy，asifhehadtriedandfailed；tillthenhehadnotknownthattherewasabath-steward。“ShallIgethimforyou？”
“No；no。Ourbedroom-stewardwillsendhim，Idaresay，thankyou。”
Mr。Triscoehadgothistrunkopen，andBurnamyhadnolongeranexcuseforlingering。Inhisdefeatconcerningthebath-steward，ashefeltittobe，hehadnotthecourage，now，toofferthelowerberth。Hewentaway，forgettingtochangehisshoes；buthecameback，andassoonashegottheenamelledshoeson，andshuttheshabbyrussetpairinhisbag，hesaid，abruptly：“Mr。Triscoe，Iwishyou’dtakethelowerberth。I
gotitattheeleventhhourbysomefellow’sgivingitup，anditisn’tasifI’dbargainedforitamonthago。”
TheeldermangavehimoneofhisstaccatoglancesinwhichBurnamyfanciedsuspicionandevenresentment。Buthesaid，afterthemomentofreflectionwhichhegavehimself，“Why，thankyou，ifyoudon’tmind，really。”
“Notatall！”criedtheyoungman。“Ishouldliketheupperberthbetter。We’ll，havethestewardchangethesheets。”
“Oh，I’llseethathedoesthat。”saidMr。Triscoe。“Icouldn’tallowyoutotakeanytroubleaboutit。”HenowlookedasifhewishedBurnamywouldgo，andleavehimtohisdomesticarrangements。
IntellingabouthimselfBurnamytouchedonlyuponthepointswhichhebelievedwouldtakehislistener’sintelligentfancy，andhestoppedsolongbeforehehadtiredhimthatMarchsaidhewouldliketointroducehimtohiswife。Hesawintheagreeableyoungfellowanimageofhisownyouth，withsomedifferenceswhich，hewaswillingtoown，weretotheyoungfellow’sadvantage。ButtheywerebothfromthemiddleWest；
intheirnativeaccentandtheirlocaltraditiontheywerethesame；theywerethesameintheiraspirations；theywereofonebloodintheirliteraryimpulsetoexternatetheirthoughtsandemotions。
Burnamyanswered，withaglanceathisenamelledshoes，thathewouldbedelighted，andwhenherhusbandbroughthimuptoher，Mrs。Marchsaidshewasalwaysgladtomeetthecontributorstothemagazine，andaskedhimwhetherheknewMr。Kendricks，whowasherfavorite。Withoutgivinghimtimetoreplytoaquestionthatseemedtodepresshim，shesaidthatshehadasonwhomustbenearlyhisownage，andwhomhisfatherhadleftinchargeof’EveryOtherWeek’forthefewmonthstheyweretobegone；thattheyhadadaughtermarriedandlivinginChicago。ShemadehimsitdownbyherinMarch’schair，andbeforeheleftthemMarchheardhimmagnanimouslyaskingwhetherMr。Kendrickswasgoingtodosomethingmoreforthemagazinesoon。HesaunteredawayanddidnotknowhowquicklyBurnamyleftthisquestiontosay，withthelaughandblushwhichbecamehiminhereyes：
“Mrs。March，thereissomethingIshouldliketotellyouabout，ifyouwillletme。”
“Why，certainly，Mr。Burnamy。”shebegan，butshesawthathedidnotwishhertocontinue。
“Because。”hewenton，“it’salittlematterthatIshouldn’tliketogowrongin。”
HetoldherofhishavingoverheardwhatMissTriscoehadsaidtoherfather，andhisbeliefthatshewastalkingaboutthelowerberth。Hesaidhewouldhavewishedtoofferit，ofcourse，butnowhewasafraidtheymightthinkhehadoverheardthemandfeltobligedtodoit。
“Isee。”saidMrs。March，andsheadded，thoughtfully，“Shelookslikeratheraproudgirl。”
“Yes。”theyoungfellowsighed。
“Sheisverycharming。”shecontinued，thoughtfully，butnotsojudicially。
“Well。”Burnamyowned，“thatiscertainlyoneofthecomplications。”andtheylaughedtogether。
Shestoppedherselfaftersaying，“Iseewhatyoumean。”andsuggested，“IthinkIshouldbeguidedbycircumstances。Itneedn’tbedoneatonce，Isuppose。”
“Well。”Burnamybegan，andthenhebrokeout，withalaughofembarrassment，“I’vedoneitalready。”
“Oh！Thenitwasn’tmyadvice，exactly，thatyouwanted。”
“No！”
“Andhowdidhetakeit？”
“HesaidheshouldbegladtomaketheexchangeifIreallydidn’tmind。”
Burnamyhadrisenrestlessly，andshedidnotaskhimtostay。Shemerelysaid：
“Oh，well，I’mgladitturnedoutsonicely。”
“I’msogladyouthinkitwasthethingtodo。”Hemanagedtolaughagain，buthecouldnothidefromherthathewasnotfeelingaltogethersatisfied。“WouldyoulikemetosendMr。March，ifIseehim？”heasked，asifhedidnotknowonwhatothertermstogetaway。
“Do，please！”sheentreated，anditseemedtoherthathehadhardlyleftherwhenherhusbandcameup。“Why，whereintheworlddidhefindyousosoon？”
“Didyousendhimforme？Iwasjusthangingroundforhimtogo。”Marchsankintothechairatherside。“Well，ishegoingtomarryher？”
