TheyallcametothetrainwhentheMarchesstarteduptoLondon，andstoodwavingtothemastheypulledoutofthestation。“Well，Ican’tseebutthat’sallright。”hesaidashesankbackinhisseatwithasighofrelief。“Ineversupposedweshouldgetoutoftheirmarriagehalfsowell，andIdon’tfeelthatyouquitemadethematcheither，mydear。”
ShewasforcedtoagreewithhimthattheKenbysseemedhappytogether，andthattherewasnothingtofearforRoseintheirhappiness。HewouldbeastenderlycaredforbyKenbyashecouldhavebeenbyhismother，andfarmorejudiciously。Sheownedthatshehadtrembledforhimtillshehadseenthemalltogether；andnowsheshouldnevertrembleagain。
“Well？”Marchprompted，atacertaininconclusivenessinhertoneratherthanherwords。
“Well，youcanseethatit，isn’tideal。”
“Whyisn’titideal？IsupposeyouthinkthatthemarriageofBurnamyandAgathaTriscoewillbeideal，withtheirignorancesandinexperiencesandillusions。”
“Yes！It’stheillusions：nomarriagecanbeperfectwithoutthem，andattheiragetheKenbyscan’thavethem。”
“Kenbyisasolidmassofillusion。AndIbelievethatpeoplecangoandgetasmanynewillusionsastheywant，wheneverthey’velosttheiroldones。”
“Yes，butthenewillusionswon’twearsowell；andinmarriageyouwantillusionsthatwilllast。No；youneedn’ttalktome。It’sallverywell，butitisn’tideal。”
Marchlaughed。“Ideal！Whatisideal？”
“Goinghome！”shesaidwithsuchpassionthathehadnotthehearttopointoutthattheyweremerelyreturningtotheiroldduties，caresandpains，withtheworn-outillusionthatthesewouldbealtogetherdifferentwhentheytookthemupagain。
InfulfilmentofanotheridealMrs。MarchtookstraightwaytoherberthwhenshegotonboardtheCupania，andtoherhusband’sadmirationsheremainedtheretillthedaybeforetheyreachedNewYork。Hertheorywasthatthecompleterestwoulddomorethananythingelsetocalmhershakennerves；andshedidnotadmitintohercalculationsthechancesofadverseweatherwhichMarchwouldnotsuggestasprobableinthelastweekinSeptember。Theeventjustifiedherunconsciousfaith。Theship’srunwasofunparalledswiftness，evenfortheCupania，andofunparalledsmoothness。Fordaystheseawasassleekasoil；therackswereneveronthetablesonce；thevoyagewasofthesortwhichthosewhomakeitnomorebelieveinatthetimethanthosewhomtheyafterwardswearyinboastingofit。
Theshipwasveryfull，butMrs。Marchdidnotshowtheslightestcuriositytoknowwhoherfellow-passengerswere。Shesaidthatshewishedtobeletperfectlyalone，evenbyherownemotions，andforthisreasonsheforbadeMarchtobringheralistofthepassengerstillaftertheyhadleftQueenstownlestitshouldbetooexciting。Hedidnottakethetroubletolookitup，therefore；andthefirstnightouthesawnoonewhomheknewatdinner；butthenextmorningatbreakfasthefoundhimselftohisgreatsatisfactionatthesametablewiththeEltwins。
TheyweresomuchateasewithhimthatevenMrs。Eltwintookpartinthetalk，andtoldhimhowtheyhadspentthetimeofherhusband’srigorousafter-cureinSwitzerland，andnowhewasgoinghomemuchbetterthantheyhadexpected。ShesaidtheyhadratherthoughtofspendingthewinterinEurope，buthadgivenitupbecausetheywerebothalittlehomesick。Marchconfessedthatthiswasexactlythecasewithhiswifeandhimself；andhehadtoaddthatMrs。Marchwasnotverywellotherwise，andheshouldbegladtobeathomeonheraccount。TherecurrenceofthewordhomeseemedtodeepenEltwin’shabitualgloom，andMrs。EltwinhastenedtoleavethesubjectoftheirreturnforinquiryintoMrs。March’scondition；herinterestdidnotsofarovercomehershynessthatsheventuredtoproposeavisittoher；andMarchfoundthatthefactoftheEltwins’presenceonboarddidnotagitatehiswife。
Itseemedrathertocomforther，andshesaidshehopedhewouldseeallhecouldofthepooroldthings。Sheaskedifhehadmetanyoneelseheknew，andhewasabletotellherthatthereseemedtobeagoodmanyswellsonboard，andthischeeredherverymuch，thoughhedidnotknowthem；shelikedtobeneartherose，thoughitwasnotaflowerthatshereallycaredfor。
Shedidnotaskwhotheswellswere，andMarchtooknotroubletofindout。Hetooknotroubletogetapassenger-list，andhehadthemoretroublewhenhetriedatlast；thelistsseemedtohaveallvanished，astheyhaveahabitofdoing，afterthefirstday；theonethathemadeinterestforwiththeheadstewardwasasecond-handcopy，andhadnooneheknewinitbuttheEltwins。Thesocialsolitude，however，wasratherfavorabletocertainotherimpressions。ThereseemedevenmoreelderlypeoplethantherewereontheNorumbia；thehumanatmospherewasgrayandsober；therewasnothingofthegayexpansionoftheoutwardvoyage；
therewaslittletalkingorlaughingamongthoseautumnalmenwhoweregoingseriouslyandanxiouslyhome，withfacesfiercelysetforthecominggrapple；ornecksmeeklybowedfortheyoke。Theyhadeatentheircake，andithadbeengood，butthereremainedadiscomfortinthedigestion。Theysataboutinsilence，andMarchfanciedthattheflownsummerwasasdreamliketoeachofthemasitnowwastohim。Hehatedtobeoftheirdrearycompany，butspirituallyheknewthathewasofit；
andhevainlyturnedtocheerhimselfwiththeyoungerpassengers。Somematronswhowentaboutcladinfursamusedhim，fortheymusthavebeenunpleasantlywarmintheirjacketsandboas；nothingbutthehopeofbeingabletotellthecustomsinspectorwithagoodconsciencethatthethingshadbeenworn，wouldhavesustainedoneladydrapedfromheadtofootinAstrakhan。
Theywereallgettingthemselvesreadyforthefrayortheplayofthecomingwinter；butthereseemednothingjoyousinthepreparation。Thereweremanyyounggirls，astherealwaysareeverywhere，buttherewerenotmanyyoungmen，andsuchastherewerekepttothesmoking-room。Therewasnosignofflirtationamongthem；hewouldhavegivenmuchforamomentofthepivotalgirl，toseewhethershecouldhavebrightenedthosegloomysurfaceswithherimpartiallamp。Marchwishedthathecouldhavebroughtsomereportfromtheouterworldtocheerhiswife，ashedescendedtotheirstate-room。Theyhadtakenwhattheycouldgetattheeleventhhour，andtheyhadgotnosuchidealroomastheyhadintheNorumbia。Itwas，asMrs。Marchgraphicallysaid，abasementroom。
Itwasonthenorthsideoftheship，whichisacoldexposure，andiftherehadbeenanysunitcouldnothavegotintotheirwindow，whichwashalfthetimeunderwater。Thegreenwaves，lacedwithfoam，hissedastheyranacrosstheport；andtheelectricfaninthecorridormoanedlikethewindinagable。
Hefeltasinkingoftheheartashepushedthestate-roomdooropen，andlookedathiswifelyingwithherfaceturnedtothewall；andhewasgoingtowithdraw，thinkingherasleep，whenshesaidquietly，“Arewegoingdown？”
“NotthatIknowof。”heansweredwithagayetyhedidnotfeel。“ButI’llasktheheadsteward。”
Sheputoutherhandbehindherforhimtotake，andclutchedhisfingersconvulsively。“IfI’mneveranybetter，youwillalwaysrememberthishappy，summer，won’tyou？Oh，it’sbeensuchahappysummer！Ithasbeenonelongjoy，onecontinuedtriumph！Butitwastoolate；weweretooold；andit’sbrokenme。”
Thetimehadbeenwhenhewouldhaveattemptedcomfort；whenhewouldhavetriedmocking；butthattimewaslongpast；hecouldonlyprayinwardlyforsomesortofdiversion，butwhatitwastobeintheirbarrencircumstancehewasobligedtoleavealtogethertoProvidence。
Heventured，pendingananswertohisprayersuponthequestion，“Don’tyouthinkI’dbetterseethedoctor，andgetyousomesortoftonic？”
Shesuddenlyturnedandfacedhim。“Thedoctor！Why，I’mnotsick，Basil！Ifyoucanseethepurserandgetourroomschanged，ordosomethingtostopthosewavesfromslappingagainstthathorribleblinkingone-eyedwindow，youcansavemylife；butnotonicisgoingtohelpme。”
Sheturnedherfacefromhimagain，andburieditinthebedclothes，whilehelookeddesperatelyattheracingwaves，andtheportthatseemedtoopenandshutlikeawearyeye。
“Oh，goaway！”sheimplored。“Ishallbebetterpresently，butifyoustandtherelikethat——Goandseeifyoucan’tgetsomeotherroom，whereIneedn’tfeelasifIweredrowning，allthewayover。”
Heobeyed，sofarastogoawayatonce，andhavingoncestarted，hedidnotstopshortofthepurser’soffice。HemadeanexcuseofgettinggreenbacksforsomeEnglishbank-notes，andthenhesaidcasuallythathesupposedtherewouldbenochanceofhavinghisroomonthelowerdeckchangedforsomethingalittlelessintimatewiththesea。Thepurserwasnottheretotakethehumorousview，butheconceivedthatMarchwantedsomethinghigherup，andhewasabletoofferhimaroomofthoseonthepromenadewherehehadseenswellsgoinginandout，forsixhundreddollars。Marchdidnotblench，butsaidhewouldgethiswifetolookatitwithhim，andthenhewentoutsomewhatdizzilytotakecounselwithhimselfhowheshouldputthemattertoher。Shewouldbesuretoaskwhatthepriceofthenewroomwouldbe，andhedebatedwhethertotakeitandtellhersomekindlylieaboutit，ortrusttothebracingeffectofthesumnamedinhelpingrestorethelostbalanceofhernerves。Hewasnotsorichthathecouldthrowsixhundreddollarsaway，buttheremightbeworsethings；andhewalkedupanddownthinking。Allatonceitflasheduponhimthathehadbetterseethedoctor，anyway，andfindoutwhethertherewerenotsomelasthopeinmedicinebeforehetookthedesperatestepbeforehim。Heturnedinhalfhiscourse，andranintoaladywhohadjustemergedfromthedoorofthepromenadeladenwithwraps，andwhodroppedthemallandclutchedhimtosaveherselffromfalling。
“Why，Mr。March！”sheshrieked。
“MissTriscoe！”hereturned，intheastonishmentwhichhesharedwithhertotheextentoflettingtheshawlshehadknockedfromherholdliebetweenthemtillshebegantopickthemupherself。Thenhejoinedherandinthereliefoftheircommonoccupationtheycontrivedtopossesseachotherofthereasonoftheirpresenceon，thesameboat。ShehadsorrowedoverMrs。March’ssadstate，andhehadgrievedtohearthatherfatherwasgoinghomebecausehewasnotatallwell，beforetheyfoundthegeneralstretchedoutinhissteamer-chair，andwaitingwithagrimimpatienceforhisdaughter。
“Buthowisityou’renotinthepassenger-list？”heinquiredofthemboth，andMissTriscoeexplainedthattheyhadtakentheirpassageatthelastmoment，toolate，shesupposed，togetintothelist。TheywereinLondon，andhadrundowntoLiverpoolonthechanceofgettingberths。
Beyondthisshewasnotdefinite，andtherewasanabsenceofBurnamynotonlyfromhercompanybutfromherconversationwhichmystifiedMarchthroughallhisselfishpreoccupationswithhiswife。Shewasagirlwhohadherreserves，butforagirlwhohadsolatelyandrapturouslywrittenthemofherengagement，therewasasilenceconcerningherbetrothedthathadalmostpositivequality。WithhislongingtotryMissTriscoeuponMrs。March’smaladyasaremedialagent，hehadnowthedesiretotryMrs。MarchuponMissTriscoe’smysteryasasolvent。Shestoodtalkingtohim，andrefusingtositdownandbewrappedupinthechairnextherfather。ShesaidthatifheweregoingtoaskMrs。Marchtolethercometoher，itwouldnotbeworthwhiletositdown；andhehurriedbelow。
“Didyougetit？”askedhiswife，withoutlookinground，butnotsoapatheticallyasbefore。
“Oh，yes。That’sallright。Butnow，Isabel，there’ssomethingI’vegottotellyou。You’dfinditout，andyou’dbetterknowitatonce。”
