“Ialwaystellpapathatthere’snocountrylike’Americaforrealunselfishness；andifthey’realllikethat，inChicago！”Thegirlstopped，andaddedwithalaugh，“ButI’malwaysquarrellingwithpapaaboutAmerica。”
“WehaveadaughterlivinginChicago。”saidMrs。March，alluringly。
ButMissTriscoerefusedthebait，eitherbecauseshehadsaidallshemeant，orbecauseshehadsaidallshewould，aboutChicago，whichMrs。
MarchfeltforthepresenttobeonewithBurnamy。Shegaveanotherofherleaps。“Idon’tseewhypeoplearesoanxioustogetitlikeEurope，athome。Theysaythattherewasatimewhentherewerenochaperonsbeforehoops，youknow。”ShelookedsuggestivelyatMrs。March，restingoneslimhandonthetable，andcontrollingherskirtwiththeother，asifsheweregettingreadytoriseatanymoment。“Whentheyusedtositontheirsteps。”
“Itwasverypleasantbeforehoops——ineveryway。”saidMrs。March。
“Iwasyoung，then；andIlivedinBoston，whereIsupposeitwasalwayssimplerthaninNewYork。Iusedtositonoursteps。Itwasdelightfulforgirls——thefreedom。”
“IwishIhadlivedbeforehoops。”saidMissTriscoe。
“Well，theremustbeplaceswhereit’sbeforehoopsyet：Seattle，andPortland，Oregon，forallIknow。”Mrs。Marchsuggested。“Andtheremustbepeopleinthatepocheverywhere。”
“Likethatyoungladywhotwistsandturns？”saidMissTriscoe，givingfirstonesideofherfaceandthentheother。“Theyhaveagoodtime。
IsupposeifEuropecametousinonewayithadtocomeinanother。Ifitcameingalleriesandallthatsortofthing，ithadtocomeinchaperons。You’llthinkI’magreatextremist，Mrs。March；butsometimesIwishtherewasmoreAmericainsteadofless。Idon’tbelieveit’sasbadaspeoplesay。DoesMr。March。”sheasked，takingholdofthechairwithonehand，tosecureherfootingfromanycapriceofthesea，whileshegatheredherskirtmorefirmlyintotheother，assherose，“doeshethinkthatAmericaisgoing——allwrong？”
“Allwrong？How？”
“Oh，inpolitics，don’tyouknow。Andgovernment，andallthat。Andbribing。Andthelowerclasseshavingeverythingtheirownway。Andthehorridnewspapers。Andeverythinggettingsoexpensive；andnoregardforfamily，oranythingofthatkind。”
Mrs。MarchthoughtshesawwhatMissTriscoemeant，butsheanswered，stillcautiously，“Idon’tbelievehedoesalways。Thoughtherearetimeswhenheisverymuchdisgusted。Thenhesaysthatheisgettingtooold——andwealwaysquarrelaboutthat——toseethingsastheyreallyare。Hesaysthatiftheworldhadbeengoingthewaythatpeopleoverfiftyhavealwaysthoughtitwasgoing，itwouldhavegonetosmashinthetimeoftheanthropoidalapes。”
“Oh，yes：Darwin。”saidMissTriscoe，vaguely。“Well，I’mgladhedoesn’tgiveitup。Ididn’tknowbutIwasholdingoutjustbecauseI
hadarguedsomuch，andwasdoingitoutof——opposition。Goodnight！”
Shecalledhersalutationgaylyoverhershoulder，andMrs。Marchwatchedherglidingoutofthesaloonwithagracefultilttohumortheslightrolloftheship，andalittlelurchtocorrectit，onceortwice，andwonderedifBurnamywasafraidofher；itseemedtoherthatifshewereayoungmansheshouldnotbeafraidofMissTriscoe。
Thenextmorning，justaftershehadarrangedherselfinhersteamerchair，heapproachedher，bowingandsmiling，withthefirstofhismanybowsandsmilesfortheday，andatthesametimeMissTriscoecametowardherfromtheoppositedirection。Shenoddedbrightlytohim，andhegaveherabowandsmiletoo；healwayshadsomanyofthemtospare。
“Hereisyourchair！”Mrs。Marchcalledtoher，drawingtheshawloutofthechairnextherown。“Mr。Marchiswanderingabouttheshipsomewhere。”
“I’llkeepitforhim。”saidMissTriscoe，andasBurnamyofferedtotaketheshawlthathunginthehollowofherarm，sheletitslipintohishandwithan“Oh；thankyou。”whichseemedalsoapermissionforhimtowrapitaboutherinthechair。
Hestoodtalkingbeforetheladies，buthelookedupanddownthepromenade。Thepivotalgirlshowedherselfatthecornerofthemusic-
room，asshehaddonethedaybefore。Atfirstsherevolvedthereasifsheweresheddingherlightonsomeonehiddenroundthecorner；thenshemovedafewpacesfartheroutandshowedherselfmoreobviouslyalone。
ClearlyshewasthereforBurnamytocomeandwalkwithher；Mrs。Marchcouldseethat，andshefeltthatMissTriscoesawittoo。Shewaitedforhertodismisshimtohisflirtation；butMissTriscoekeptchattingon，andhekeptanswering，andmakingnomotiontogetaway。Mrs。Marchbegantobeassorryforherasshewasashamedforhim。Thensheheardhimsaying，“Wouldyoulikeaturnortwo？”andMissTriscoeanswering，“Why，yes，thankyou。”andpromptlygettingoutofherchairasifthepainstheyhadbothbeenattogethersettledinitwereallnothing。
Shehadthecomposuretosay，“Youcanleaveyourshawlwithme，MissTriscoe。”andtoreceiveherfervent，“Oh，thankyou。”beforetheysailedofftogether，withinhumanindifferencetothegirlatthecornerofthemusic-room。Thenshesankintoakindoftriumphalcollapse，fromwhichsherousedherselftopointherhusbandtothechairbesideherwhenhehappenedalong。
Hechosetobeperverseaboutherromance。“Well，now，youhadbetterletthemalone。RememberKendricks。”Hemeantoneoftheiryoungfriendswhoselove-affairtheyhadpromotedtillhishappymarriagelefttheminlastingdoubtofwhattheyhaddone。“Mysympathiesareallwiththepivotalgirl。Hadn’tsheasmuchrighttohim，forthetimebeing，orforgoodandall，asMissTriscoe？”
“ThatdependsuponwhatyouthinkofBurnamy。”
“Well，Idon’tliketoseeagirlhaveayoungmansnatchedawayfromherjustwhenshe’smadesureofhim。Howdoyousupposesheisfeelingnow？”
“Sheisn’tfeelingatall。She’slettingherrevolvinglightfalluponhalfadozenotheryoungmenbythistime，collectivelyorconsecutively。
Allthatshewantstomakesureofisthatthey’reyoungmen——oroldones，even。”
Marchlaughed，butnotaltogetheratwhathiswifesaid。“I’vebeenhavingalittletalkwithPapaTriscoe，inthesmoking-room。”
“Yousmelllikeit。”saidhiswife，nottoseemtooeager：“Well？”
“Well，PapaTriscoeseemstobeinapout。Hedoesn’tthinkthingsaregoingastheyshouldinAmerica。Hehasn’tbeenconsulted，orifhehas，hisopinionhasn’tbeenactedupon。”
“Ithinkhe’shorrid。”saidMrs。March。“Whoarethey？”
“Icouldn’tmakeout，andIcouldn’task。ButI’lltellyouwhatI
think。”
“What？”
“Thatthere’snochancefor，Burnamy。He’stakinghisdaughterouttomarryhertoacrownedhead。”
Itwasthisafternoonthatthedancetookplaceonthesouthpromenade。
Everybodycameandlooked，andthecirclearoundthewaltzerswasthreeorfourdeep。Betweenthesurroundingheadsandshoulders，thehatsoftheyoungladieswheelingandwhirling，andthefacesofthemenwhowerewheelingandwhirlingthem，roseandsankwiththerhythmoftheirsteps。
Thespaceallottedtothedancingwaswalledtoseawardwithcanvas，andwasprettilytreatedwithGerman，andAmericanflags：itwashardtogowrongwithflags，MissTriscoesaid，securingherselfunderMrs。March’swing。
WheretheystoodtheycouldseeBurnamy’sface，flashingandflushinginthedance；attheendofthefirstpiecehecametothem，andremainedtalkingandlaughingtillthemusicbeganagain。
“Don’tyouwanttotryit？”heaskedabruptlyofMissTriscoe。
“Isn’titrather——public？”sheaskedback。
Mrs。Marchcouldfeelthehandwhichthegirlhadputthroughherarmthrillwithtemptation；butBurnamycouldnot。
“Perhapsitisratherobvious。”hesaid，andhemadealongglideoverthedecktothefeetofthepivotalgirl，anticipatinganotheryoungmanwhowasrapidlyadvancingfromtheoppositequarter。Thenextmomentherhatandhisfaceshowedthemselvesinthenecessaryproximitytoeachotherwithinthecircle。
“Howwellshedances！”saidMissTriscoe。
“Doyouthinkso？Shelooksasifshehadbeenwoundupandsetgoing。”
“She’sverygraceful。”thegirlpersisted。
Thedayendedwithanentertainmentinthesaloonforoneofthemarinecharitieswhichaddressthemselvestotheheartsandpocketsofpassengersonallsteamers。TherewererecitationsinEnglishandGerman，andsongsfromseveralpeoplewhohadkindlyconsented，andevermorepianoperformance。Mostofthosewhotookpartwereoftheracegiftedinartandfinance；itschildrenexcelledinthemusic，anditsfatherscountedthegate-moneyduringthelasthalfoftheprogramme，withanaudibleclinkingofthesilveronthetablebeforethem。
MissTriscoewaswithherfather，andMrs。MarchwasherselfchaperonedbyMr。Burnamy：herhusbandhadrefusedtocometotheentertainment。
ShehopedtoleaveBurnamyandMissTriscoetogetherbeforetheeveningended；butMissTriscoemerelystoppedwithherfather，inquittingthesaloon，tolaughatsomefeaturesoftheentertainment，aspeoplewhotakenopartinsuchthingsdo；Burnamystooduptoexchangesomeunimpassionedwordswithher，andthentheysaidgood-night。
