Thenextmorning，atfiveo’clock，theNorumbiacametoanchorintheprettyharborofPlymouth。Inthecoolearlylightthetownlaydistinctalongtheshore，quaintwithitssmallEnglishhouses，andstatelywithcomepublicedificesofunknownfunctionontheuplands；acountry-seatofaristocraticaspectshoweditselfononeoftheheights；onanotherthetowerofacountrychurchpeeredoverthetree-tops；therewerelinesoffortifications，aspeaceful，attheirdistance，asthestonewallsdividingthegreenfields。Theveryiron-cladsintheharborcloseathandcontributedtotheamiablegayetyofthesceneunderthepaleblueEnglishsky，alreadybrokenwithcloudsfromwhichtheflushofthesunrisehadnotquitefaded。Thebreathofthelandcamefreshlyoutoverthewater；onecouldalmostsmellthegrassandtheleaves。Gullswheeledanddartedoverthecrispwater；thetonesoftheEnglishvoicesonthetenderwerepleasanttotheear，asitfussedandscuffledtotheship’sside。Afewscoreofthepassengerslefther；withtheirbaggagetheyformedpicturesquegroupsonthetender’sdeck，andtheysetoutfortheshorewavingtheirhandsandtheirhandkerchiefstothefriendstheyleftclusteringalongtherailoftheNorumbia。Mr。andMrs。LeffersbadeMarchfarewell，inthefinalfondnessinspiredbyhishavingcoffeewiththembeforetheylefttheship；theysaidtheyhatedtoleave。
Thestophadrousedeverybody，andthebreakfasttableswerepromptlyfilled，exceptsuchasthepassengerslandingatPlymouthhadvacated；
thesewerestrippedoftheircloths，andtheremainingcommensalsplacedatothers。TheseatsoftheLeffersesweregiventoMarch’soldOhiofriendandhiswife。Hetriedtoengagetheminthetallywhichbegantobegeneralintheexcitementofhavingtouchedland；buttheyshylyheldaloof。
SomeEnglishnewspapershadcomeaboardfromthetug，andtherewastheusualgood-naturedadjustmentoftheAmericanself-satisfaction，amongthosewhohadseenthem，totheever-surprisingfactthatourcontinentisapparentlyofnointeresttoEurope。ThereweresomemeagreNewYorkstock-marketquotationsinthepapers；aparagraphinfineprintannouncedthelynchingofanegroinAlabama；anotherrecordedacoal-
miningstrikeinPennsylvania。
“Ialwayshavetogetusedtoitoveragain。”saidKenby。“ThisisthetwentiethtimeIhavebeenacross，andI’mjustasmuchastonishedasI
wasthefirst，tofindoutthattheydon’twanttoknowanythingaboutushere。”
“Oh。”saidMarch，“curiosityandtheweatherbothcomefromthewest。
SanFranciscowantstoknowaboutDenver，DenveraboutChicago，ChicagoaboutNewYork，andNewYorkaboutLondon；butcuriositynevertravelstheotherwayanymorethanahotwaveoracoldwave。”
“Ah，butLondondoesn’tcarearapaboutVienna。”saidKenby。
“Well，somepressuresgiveoutbeforetheyreachthecoast，onourownside。Itisn’taninfallibleanalogy。”
Triscoewasfiercelychewingamorsel，asifinhastetotakepartinthediscussion。Hegulpedit，andbrokeout。“Whyshouldtheycareaboutus，anyway？”
Marchlightlyventured，“Oh，menandbrothers，youknow。”
“Thatisn’tsufficientground。TheChinesearemenandbrothers；soaretheSouth-AmericansandCentral-Africans，andHawaiians；butwe’renotimpatientforthelatestnewsaboutthem。It’scivilizationthatinterestscivilization。”
“Ihopethatfactdoesn’tleaveusoutinthecoldwiththebarbarians？”
Burnamyputin，withasmile。
“Doyouthinkwearecivilized？”retortedtheother。
“WehavethatsuperstitioninChicago。”saidBurnamy。Headded，stillsmiling，“AbouttheNew-Yorkers，Imean。”
“You’remoresuperstitiousinChicagothanIsupposed。NewYorkisananarchy，temperedbyvigilancecommittees。”
“Oh，Idon’tthinkyoucansaythat。”Kenbycheerfullyprotested，“sincetheReformerscamein。Lookatourstreets！”
“Yes，ourstreetsareclean，forthetimebeing，andwhenwelookatthemwethinkwehavemadeacleansweepinourmannersandmorals。ButhowlongdoyouthinkitwillbebeforeTammanywillbeinthesaddleagain？”
“Oh，neverintheworld！”saidtheoptimisticheadofthetable。
“IwishIhadyourfaith；orIshouldifIdidn’tfeelthatitisoneofthethingsthathelptoestablishTammanyswithus。YouwillseeourTammanyinpowerafterthenextelection。”Kenbylaughedinalarge-
heartedincredulity；andhislaughwaslikefueltotheother’sflame。
“NewYorkispoliticallyamediaevalItalianrepublic，andit’smorallyafrontiermining-town。Sociallyit’s——“Hestoppedasifhecouldnotsaywhat。
“Ithinkit’saplacewhereyouhaveaverynicetime，papa。”saidhisdaughter，andBurnamysmiledwithher；notbecauseheknewanythingaboutit。
Herfatherwentonasifhehadnotheardher。“It’sasvulgarandcrudeasmoneycanmakeit。Nothingcountsbutmoney，andassoonasthere’senough，itcountsforeverything。Inlessthanayearyou’llhaveTammanyinpower；itwon’tbemorethanayeartillyou’llhaveitinsociety。”
“Ohno！Ohno！“camefromKenby。Hedidnotcaremuchforsociety，buthevaguelyrespecteditasthestrongholdoftheproprietiesandtheamenities。
“Isn’tsocietyagoodplaceforTammanytobein？”askedMarchinthepauseTriscoeletfollowuponKenby’slaugh。
“There’snoreasonwhyitshouldn’tbe。Societyisasbadasalltherestofit。AndwhatNewYorkis，politically，morally，andsocially，thewholecountrywishestobeandtriestobe。”
Therewasthatmeasureoftruthinthewordswhichsilences；noonecouldfindjustthetermsofrefutation。
“Well。”saidKenbyatlast，“it’sagoodthingtherearesomanylinestoEurope。We’vestillgottherighttoemigrate。”
“Yes，buteventherewedon’tescapetheabuseofourinfamousnewspapersforexercisingaman’srighttolivewherehechooses。AndthereisnocountryinEurope——exceptTurkey，orSpain——thatisn’tabetterhomeforanhonestmanthantheUnitedStates。”
TheOhioanhadoncebeforeclearedhisthroatasifheweregoingtospeak。Now，heleanedfarenoughforwardtocatchTriscoe’seve，andsaid，slowlyanddistinctly：“Idon’tknowjustwhatreasonyouhavetofeelasyoudoaboutthecountry。Ifeeldifferentlyaboutitmyself——
perhapsbecauseIfoughtforit。”
Atfirst，theothersweregladofthisarrogance；itevenseemedananswer；butBurnamysawMissTriscoe’scheek，flush，andthenhedoubteditsvalidity。
Triscoenervouslycrushedabiscuitinhishand，asiftoexpendaviolentimpulseuponit。Hesaid，coldly，“Iwasspeakingfromthatstand-point。”
TheOhioanshrankbackinhisseat，andMarchfeltsorryforhim，thoughhehadputhimselfinthewrong。Hisoldhandtrembledbesidehisplate，andhisheadshook，whilehislipsformedsilentwords；andhisshywifewassharinghispainandshame。
KenbybegantotalkaboutthestopwhichtheNorumbiawastomakeatCherbourg，andaboutwhathourthenextdaytheyshouldallbeinCuxhaven。MissTriscoesaidtheyhadnevercomeontheHanseaticLinebefore，andaskedseveralquestions。Herfatherdidnotspeakagain，andafteralittlewhileherosewithoutwaitingforhertomakethemovefromtable；hehadpunctiliouslydeferredtoherhitherto。Eltwinroseatthesametime，andMarchfearedthathemightbegoingtoprovokeanotherdefeat，insomeway。
Eltwinliftedhisvoice，andsaid，tryingtocatchTriscoe’seye，“I
thinkIoughttobegyourpardon，sir。Idobegyourpardon。”
MarchperceivedthatEltwinwishedtomaketheofferofhisreparationasdistinctashisaggressionhadbeen；andnowhequakedforTriscoe，whosedaughterhesawglanceapprehensivelyatherfatherassheswayedasidetoletthetwomencometogether。
“Thatisallright，Colonel——“
“Major。”Eltwinconscientiouslyinterposed。
“Major。”Triscoebowed；andheputouthishandandgraspedthehandwhichhadbeentremulouslyrisingtowardhim。“Therecan’tbeanydoubtofwhatwedid，nomatterwhatwe’vegot。”
“No，no！”saidtheother，eagerly。“ThatwaswhatImeant，sir。I
don’tthinkasyoudo；butIbelievethatamanwhohelpedtosavethecountryhasarighttothinkwhathepleasesaboutit。”
Triscoesaid，“Thatisallright，mydearsir。MayIaskyourregiment？”
TheMarcheslettheoldfellowswalkawaytogether，followedbythewifeoftheoneandthedaughteroftheother。Theysawtheyounggirlmakingsomegracefuloverturesofspeechtotheelderwomanastheywent。
“Thatwasratherfine，mydear。”saidMrs。March。
“Well，Idon’tknow。Itwasalittletoodramatic，wasn’tit？Itwasn’twhatIshouldhaveexpectedofreallife。”
“Oh，youspoileverything！Ifthat’sthespirityou’regoingthroughEuropein！”
“Itisn’t。AssoonasItouchEuropeansoilIshallreform。”
