“Ican’t，exceptinFrench，andthat’sworsethanEnglish，inGermany，Ihear。”
“Thenyoumustletmebeyourinterpreteruptothelastmoment。Willyou？”
Shedidnotanswer。“Itmustberatherlate，isn’tit？”sheasked。Heletherseehiswatch，andshesaid，“Yes，it’sverylate。”andledthewaywithin。“Imustlookaftermypacking；papa’salwayssoprompt，andImustjustifymyselfformakinghimletmegiveupmymaidwhenwelefthome；weexpecttogetoneinDresden。Good-night！”
Burnamylookedafterherdriftingdowntheircorridor，andwonderedwhetheritwouldhavebeenafitreturnforherexpressionofasenseofnoveltyinhimasaliterarymanifhehadtoldherthatshewasthefirstyoungladyhehadknownwhohadamaid。Thefactawedhim；MissTriscoeherselfdidnotawehimsomuch。
Thenextmorningwasmerelyatransitionalperiod，fullofturmoilanddisorder，betweenthebrokenlifeoftheseaandtheuntriedlifeoftheshore。Nooneattemptedtoresumetheroutineofthevoyage。Peoplewentandcamebetweentheirroomsandthesaloonsandthedecks，andwerenolongercarefultotaketheirownsteamerchairswhentheysatdownforamoment。
Inthecabinstheberthswerenotmadeup，andthosewhoremainedbelowhadtositontheirhardedges，oronthesofas，whichwerecumberedwith，hand-bagsandrollsofshawls。Atanearlyhourafterbreakfastthebedroomstewardsbegantogetthesteamertrunksoutandpiletheminthecorridors；theservantsallbecamemorecaressinglyattentive；andpeoplewhohadleftoffsettlingtheamountofthefeestheyweregoingtogive，anxiouslyconferredtogether。Thequestionwhetheryououghtevertogivetheheadstewardanythingpressedcruciallyattheearlylunch，andKenbybroughtonlyapartialreliefbysayingthathealwaysregardedtheheadstewardasanofficeroftheship。Marchmadetheexperimentofofferinghimsixmarks，andtheheadstewardtookthemquiteasifhewerenotanofficeroftheship。Healsocollectedahandsomefeeforthemusic，whichisthetaxleviedonallGermanshipsbeyondthetollsexactedonthesteamersofothernations。
AfterlunchtheflatshoreatCuxhavenwassonearthatthesummercottagesofthelittlewatering-placeshowedthroughthewarmdrizzlemuchlikethesummercottagesofourownshore，andifithadnotbeenforthestrange，lowsky，theAmericansmighteasilyhavefanciedthemselvesathomeagain。
EveryonewaitedonfootwhilethetendercameoutintothestreamwheretheNorumbiahaddroppedanchor。Peoplewhohadbroughttheirhand-
baggagewiththemfromtheirroomslookedsomuchsaferwithitthatpeoplewhohadlefttheirstotheirstewardshadtogobackandpledgethemafreshnottoforgetit。Thetendercamealongside，andthetransferoftheheavytrunksbegan，butitseemedsuchanendlessworkthateveryonesatdowninsomeother’schair。Atlastthetrunkswereallonthetender，andthebareheadedstewardsbegantorundownthegangwayswiththehand-baggage。“IsthisHoboken？”Marchmurmuredinhiswife’sear，withabewilderedsenseofsomethinginthescenelikethereversedactionofthekinematograph。
Onthedeckofthetendertherewasabriefmomentofreunionamongthecompanionsofthevoyage，themoreintimatefortheirbeingcrowdedtogetherundercoverfromthedrizzlewhichnowturnedintoadashingrain。Burnamy’ssmileappeared，andthenMrs。MarchrecognizedMissTriscoeandherfatherintheirtraveldress；theywerenotfarfromBurnamy’ssmile，butheseemedrathertohavechargeoftheEltwins，whomhewashelpinglookaftertheirbagsandbundles。RoseAddingwastalkingwithKenby，andapparentlyaskinghisopinionofsomething；Mrs。
Addingsatnearthemtranquillyenjoyingherson。
Mrs。Marchmadeherhusbandidentifytheirbaggage，largeandsmall，andafterhehadsatisfiedher，hefurtivelysatisfiedhimselfbyafreshcountthatitwasallthere。Butheneednothavetakenthetrouble；
theirlong，calmbedroom-stewardwaskeepingguardoverit；hiseyesexpressedacontemptuouspityfortheiranxiety，whoselikehemusthavebeenverytiredof。Hebroughttheirhandbagsintothecustoms-roomatthestationwheretheylanded；andtheretookalastleaveandalastfeewithunexpectedcordiality。
Againtheircompanionshipsufferedeclipseinthedistractionwhichthecustomsinspectorsofallcountriesbringtotravellers；andagaintheywereunitedduringthelongdelayinthewaiting-room，whichwasalsotherestaurant。Itwasfullofstrangenoisesandfiguresandodors——theshufflingoffeet，theclashofcrockery，theexplosionofnervousGermanvoices，mixedwiththesmellofbeerandham，andthesmokeofcigars。
Throughitallpiercedthewailofapostmanstandingatthedoorwithaletterinhishandandcallingoutatregularintervals，“Krahnay，Krahnay！“WhenMarchcouldbearitnolongerhewentuptohimandshouted，“Crane！Crane！”andthemanbowedgratefully，andbegantocry，“Kren！Kren！”ButwhetherMr。Cranegothisletterornot，heneverknew。
Peoplewereswarmingatthewindowofthetelegraph-office，andsendinghomecablegramstoannouncetheirsafearrival；Marchcouldnotforbearcablingtohisson，thoughhefeltitabsurd。Therewasagreatdealoftalking，butnolaughing，exceptamongtheAmericans，andthegirlsbehindthebarwhotriedtounderstand，whattheywanted，andthenservedthemwithwhattheychoseforthem。OtherwisetheGermans，thoughvoluble，wereunsmiling，andhereonthethresholdoftheirempirethetravellershadtheirfirsthintoftheanxiousmoodwhichseemshabitualwiththeseamiablepeople。
Mrs。AddingcamescreamingwithgleetoMarchwherehesatwithhiswife，andleanedoverhersontoask，“Doyouknowwhatlese-majestyis？RoseisafraidI’vecommittedit！”
“No，Idon’t。”saidMarch。“Butit’stheunpardonablesin。Whathaveyoubeendoing？”
“Iaskedtheofficialatthedoorwhenourtrainwouldstart，andwhenhesaidathalfpastthree，Isaid，’Howtiresome！’Rosesaystherailroadsbelongtothestatehere，andthatifIfindfaultwiththetime-table，it’sconstructivecensureoftheEmperor，andthat’slese-majesty。”Shegavewaytohermirth，whiletheboystudiedMarch’sfacewithanappealingsmile。
“Well，Idon’tthinkyou’llbearrestedthistime，Mrs。Adding；butI
hopeitwillbeawarningtoMrs。March。She’sbeencomplainingofthecoffee。”
“IndeedIshallsaywhatIlike。”saidMrs。March。“I’manAmerican。”
“Well，you’llfindyou’reaGerman，ifyouliketosayanythingdisagreeableaboutthecoffeeintherestaurantoftheEmperor’srailroadstation；thefirstthingyouknowIshallbegiventhreemonthsonyouraccount。”
Mrs。Addingasked：“Thentheywon’tpunishladies？There，Rose！I’msafe，yousee；andyou’restillaminor，thoughyouaresowiseforyouryears。”
Shewentbacktohertable，whereKenbycameandsatdownbyher。
“Idon’tknowthatIquitelikeherplayingonthatsensitivechild。”，saidMrs。March。“Andyou’vejoinedwithherinherjoking。Goandspeak，tohim！”
Theboywasslowlyfollowinghismother，withhisheadfallen。Marchovertookhim，andhestartednervouslyatthetouchofahandonhisshoulder，andthenlookedgratefullyupintotheman’sface。Marchtriedtotellhimwhatthecrimeoflese-majestywas，andhesaid：“Oh，yes。
Iunderstoodthat。ButIgottothinking；andIdon’twantmymothertotakeanyrisks。”
“Idon’tbelieveshewill，really，Rose。ButI’llspeaktoher，andtellhershecan’tbetoocautious。”
“Notnow，please！”theboyentreated。
“Well，I’llfindanotherchance。”Marchassented。HelookedroundandcaughtasmilingnodfromBurnamy，whowasstillwiththeEltwins；theTriscoeswereatatablebythemselves；MissTriseoenoddedtoo，butherfatherappearednottoseeMarch。“It’sallright，withRose。”hesaid，whenhesatdownagainbyhiswife；“butIguessit’salloverwithBurnamy。”andhetoldherwhathehadseen。“Doyouthinkitcametoanydispleasurebetweenthemlastnight？Doyousupposeheofferedhimself，andshe——“
“Whatnonsense！“saidMrs。March，butshewasnotatpeace。“It’sherfatherwho’skeepingherawayfromhim。”
“Ishouldn’tmindthat。He’skeepingherawayfromus，too。”ButatthatmomentMissTriscoeasifshehadfollowedhisreturnfromafar，cameovertospeaktohiswife。ShesaidtheyweregoingontoDresdenthatevening，andshewasafraidtheymighthavenochancetoseeeachotheronthetrainorinHamburg。March，atthisadvance，wenttospeakwithherfather；hefoundhimnomorereconciledtoEuropethanAmerica。
“They’reGoths。”hesaidoftheGermans。“Icouldhardlygetthatstupidbruteinthetelegraph-officetotakemydespatch。”
OnhiswaybacktohiswifeMarchmetMissTriscoe；hewasnotaltogethersurprisedtomeetBurnamywithher，now。Theyoungfellowaskedifhecouldbeofanyusetohim，andthenhesaidhewouldlookhimupinthetrain。Heseemedinahurry，butwhenhewalkedawaywithMissTriscoehedidnotseeminahurry。
Marchremarkeduponthechangetohiswife，andshesighed，“Yes，youcanseethatasfarasthey’reconcerned。”
“It’sagreatpitythatthereshouldbeparentstocomplicatetheseaffairs。”hesaid。“Howsimpleitwouldbeiftherewerenopartiestothembutthelovers！Butnatureisalwaysinsistinguponfathersandmothers，andfamiliesonbothsides。”
