“It’snothing，mother。”hecalledtoher，andasshedroppedonherkneesbeforehimhesanklimplyagainsther。“ItwaslikewhatIhadinCarlsbad；that’sall。Don’tworryaboutme，please！”
“I’mnotworrying，Rose。”shesaidwithcourageofthesametextureashisown。“You’vebeenwalkingtoomuch。Youmustgobackinthecarriagewithus。Can’tyouhaveitcomehere？”sheaskedKenby。
“There’snoroad，Mrs。Adding。ButifRosewouldletmecarryhim——“。
“Icanwalk。”theboyprotested，tryingtolifthimselffromherneck。
“No，no！youmustn’t。”ShedrewawayandlethimfallintothearmsthatKenbyputroundhim。Heraisedthefrailburdenlightlytohisshoulder，andmovedstronglyaway，followedbytheeyesofthespectatorswhohadgatheredaboutthelittlegroup，butwhodispersednow，andwentbacktotheirdevotions。
MarchhurriedafterKenbywithMrs。Adding，whomhetoldhehadjustmissedRoseandwaslookingaboutforhim，whenKenbycamewithhermessageforthem。Theymadesurethathewasnowhereaboutthechurch，andthenstartedtogetherdowntheterraces。Atthesecondorthirdstationbelowtheyfoundtheboyclingingtothebarrierthatprotectedthebass-relieffromthezealofthedevotees。Helookedwhiteandsick，thoughheinsistedthathewaswell，andwhenheturnedtocomeawaywiththemhereeledandwouldhavefallenifKenbyhadnotcaughthim。Kenbywantedtocarryhim，butRosewouldnotlethim，andhadmadehiswaydownbetweenthem。
“Yea，hehassuchaspirit。”shesaid，“andI’venodoubthe’ssufferingnowmorefromMr。Kenby’skindnessthanfromhisownsicknesshehadoneofthesegiddyturnsinCarlsbad，though，andIshallcertainlyhaveadoctortoseehim。”
“IthinkIshould，Mrs。Adding。”saidMarch，nottoogravely，foritseemedtohimthatitwasnotquitehisbusinesstoalarmherfurther，ifshewasherselftakingtheaffairwiththatseriousness。
Hequestionedwhethershewastakingitquiteseriouslyenough，whensheturnedwithalaugh，andcalledtoGeneralTriscoe，whowaslimpingdownthestepsofthelastterracebehindthem：
“Oh，poorGeneralTriscoe！Ithoughtyouhadgoneonahead。”
GeneralTriscoecouldnotenterintothejokeofbeingforgotten，apparently。Heassistedwithgravityatthedispositionofthepartyforthereturn，whentheyallreachedthecarriage。Rosehadtheplacebesidehismother，andKenbywishedMarchtotakehiswiththegeneralandlethimsitwiththedriver；butheinsistedthathewouldratherwalkhome，andhedidwalktilltheyhaddrivenoutofeight。Thenhecalledapassingone-spanner，anddrovetohishotelincomfortandsilence。
KenbydidnotcometotheSwanbeforesupper；thenhereportedthatthedoctorhadsaidRosewasonthevergeofanervouscollapse。Hehadoverworkedatschool，buttheimmediatetroublewasthehigh，thinair，whichthedoctorsaidhemustbegotoutofatonce，intoaquietplaceatthesea-shoresomewhere。HehadsuggestedOstend；orsomepointontheFrenchcoast；KenbyhadthoughtofSchevleningen，andthedoctorhadsaidthatwoulddoadmirably。
“IunderstoodfromMrs。Adding。”heconcluded，“thatyouweregoing。
thereforyourafter-cure，Mr。March，andIdidn’tknowbutyoumightbegoingsoon。”
AtthementionofSchevleningentheMarcheshadlookedateachotherwithaguiltyalarm，whichtheybothtriedtogivethecastofaffectionatesympathybutshedismissedherfearthathemightbegoingtolethiscompassionprevailwithhimtohishurtwhenhesaid：“Why，weoughttohavebeentherebeforethis，butI’vebeentakingmylifeinmyhandsintryingtoseealittleofGermany，andI’mafraidnowthatMrs。MarchhashermindtoofirmlyfixedonBerlintoletmethinkofgoingtoSchevleningentillwe’vebeenthere。”
“It’stoobad！”saidMrs。March，withrealregret。“Iwishweweregoing。”Butshehadnottheleastnotionofgratifyingherwish；andtheywereallsilenttillKenbybrokeout：
“Lookhere！YouknowhowIfeelaboutMrsAdding！I’vebeenprettyfrankwithMr。Marchmyself，andI’vehadmysuspicionsthatshe’sbeenfrankwithyou，Mrs。March。Thereisn’tanydoubtaboutmywantingtomarryher，anduptothistimetherehasn’tbeenanydoubtabouthernotwantingtomarryme。Butitisn’taquestionofherorofme，now。It’saquestionofRose。Ilovetheboy。”andKenby’svoiceshook，andhefalteredamoment。“Pshaw！Youunderstand。”
“IndeedIdo，Mr。Kenby。”saidMrs。March。“Iperfectlyunderstandyou。”
“Well，Idon’tthinkMrs。Addingisfittomakethejourneywithhimalone，ortoplaceherselfinthebestwayaftershegetstoSchevleningen。She’sbeenbadlyshakenup；shebrokedownbeforethedoctor；shesaidshedidn’tknowwhattodo；Isupposeshe’sfrightened——“
Kenbystoppedagain，andMarchasked，“Whenisshegoing？”
“To-morrow。”saidKenby，andheadded，“Andnowthequestionis，whyshouldn’tIgowithher？”
Mrs。Marchgavealittlestart，andlookedatherhusband，buthesaidnothing，andKenbyseemednottohavesupposedthathewouldsayanything。
“IknowitwouldbeveryAmerican，andallthat，butIhappentobeanAmerican，anditwouldn’tbeoutofcharacterforme。Isuppose。”heappealedtoMrs。March，“thatit’ssomethingImightoffertodoifitwerefromNewYorktoFlorida——andIhappenedtobegoingthere？AndI
didhappentobegoingtoHolland。”
“Why，ofcourse，Mr。Kenby。”sheresponded，withsuchsolemnitythatMarchgavewayinanoutrageouslaugh。
Kenbylaughed，andMrs。Marchlaughedtoo，butwithaninnernoteofprotest。
“Well。”Kenbycontinued，stilladdressingher，“whatIwantyoutodoistostandbymewhenIproposeit。”
Mrs。Marchgatheredstrengthtosay，“No，Mr。Kenby，it’syourownaffair，andyoumusttaketheresponsibility。”
“Doyoudisapprove？”
“Itisn’tthesameasitwouldbeathome。Youseethatyourself。”
“Well。”saidKenby，rising，“Ihavetoarrangeabouttheirgettingawayto-morrow。Itwon’tbeeasyinthishurly-burlythat’scomingoff。”
“GiveRoseourlove；andtellMrs。AddingthatI’llcomeroundandseeherto-morrowbeforeshestarts。”
“Oh！I’mafraidyoucan’t，Mrs。March。They’retostartatsixinthemorning。”
“Theyare！Thenwemustgoandseethemtonight。We’llbetherealmostassoonasyouare。”
Marchwentuptotheirroomswith，hiswife，andshebeganonthestairs：
“Well，mydear，Ihopeyourealizethatyourlaughingsogaveuscompletelyaway。Andwhatwastheretokeepgrinningabout，allthrough？”
“Nothingbutthedisingenuous，hypocriticalpassionoflove。It’salwaysthemostamusingthingintheworld；buttoseeittryingtopassitselfoffinpooroldKenbyasdutyandhumanity，anddisinterestedaffectionforRose，wasmorethanIcouldstand。Idon’tapologizeforlaughing；
Iwantedtoyell。”
Hiseffronteryandhisphilosophybothhelpedtosavehim；andshesaidfromthepointwherehehadside-trackedhermind：“Idon’tcallitdisingenuous。Hewasbrutallyfrank。He’smadeitimpossibletotreattheaffairwithdignity。Iwantyoutoleavethewholethingtome，fromthisout。Now，willyou？”
OntheirwaytotheSpanischerHofshearrangedinherownmindforMrs。
Addingtogetamaid，andforthedoctortosendanassistantwithheronthejourney，butshewasinsuchdespairwithherschemethatshehadnotthecouragetorightherselfwhenMrs。Addingmetherwiththeappeal：
“Oh，Mrs。March，I’msogladyouapproveofMr。Kenby’splan。Itdoesseemtheonlythingtodo。Ican’ttrustmyselfalonewithRose，andMr。
Kenby’sintendingtogotoSchevleningenafewdayslateranyway。Thoughit’stoobadtolethimgiveupthemanoeuvres。”
“I’msurehewon’tmindthat。”Mrs。March’svoicesaidmechanically，whileherthoughtwasbusywiththequestionwhetherthisscandalousduplicitywasaltogetherKenby’s，andwhetherMrs。Addingwasasguiltlessofanyshareinitasshelooked。Shelookedpitifullydistracted；shemightnothaveunderstoodhisreport；orKenbymightreallyhavemistakenMrs。March’ssympathyforfavor。
