“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。