“Oh，youmaylaugh！Butthereissomethingveryexciting！”Shetoldhimwhathadhappened，andofherbeliefthatBurnamy’shandsomebehaviorhadsomehownotbeenmetinkind。
　　Marchgavehimselfthepleasureofanimmenselaugh。“ItseemstomethatthisMr。Burnamyofyourswantedalittlemoregratitudethanhewasentitledto。Whyshouldn’thehaveofferedhimthelowerberth？Andwhyshouldn’ttheoldgentlemanhavetakenitjustashedid？Didyouwanthimtomakeacounterofferofhisdaughter’shand？Ifhedoes，IhopeMr。Burnamywon’tcomeforyouradvicetillafterhe’sacceptedher。”
　　“Hewasn’tverycandid。Ihopedyouwouldspeakaboutthat。Don’tyouthinkitwasrathernatural，though？”
　　“Forhim，verylikely。ButIthinkyouwouldcallitsinuousinsomeoneyouhadn’ttakenafancyto。”
　　“No，no。Iwishtobejust。Idon’tseehowhecouldhavecomestraightatit。Andhedidownupatlast。”SheaskedhimwhatBurnamyhaddoneforthemagazine，andhecouldremembernothingbutthatonesmallpoem，yetunprinted；hewasrathervagueaboutitsvalue，butsaidithadtemperament。
　　“Hehastemperament，too。”shecommented，andshehadmadehimtellhereverythingheknew，orcouldbeforcedtoimagineaboutBurnamy，beforesheletthetalkturntootherthings。
　　Thelifeofthepromenadehadalreadysettledintoseafaringform；thesteamerchairswerefull，andpeoplewerereadingordozinginthemwithaneffectoflonghabit。Thosewhowouldbewalkingupanddownhadbeguntheirwalks；somehadbegungoinginandoutofthesmoking-room；
　　ladieswhowereeasilyaffectedbythemotionwerelyingdowninthemusic-room。Groupsofbothsexeswerestandingatintervalsalongtherail，andthepromenaderswereobligedtodoubleonabriefercourseorworkslowlyroundthem。Shuffleboardpartiesatonepointandring-tosspartiesatanotherwereformingamongtheyoungpeople。Itwasaslivelyanditwasasdullasitwouldbetwothousandmilesatsea。Itwasnottheleastcooler，yet；butifyousatstillyoudidnotsuffer。
　　Inthepromptmonotonythetimewasalreadypassingswiftly。Thedeck-
　　stewardseemedhardlytohavebeenroundwithteaandbouillon，andhehadnotyetgatheredupalltheemptycups，whenthehornforlunchsounded。Itwastheyoungestofthetable-stewardswhogavethesummonstomeals；andwhenevertheprettyboyappearedwithhisbugle，funnypassengersgatheredroundhimtomakehimlaugh，andstophimfromwindingit。Hispartofthejokewastofulfillhisdutywithgravity，andonlytogivewaytoasmileoftriumphashewalkedoff。
　　Atlunch，inthefadedexcitementoftheirfirstmeeting，thepeopleattheMarches’tabledidnotrenewtheprematureintimacyoftheirbreakfasttalk。Mrs。Marchwenttoliedowninherberthafterwards，andMarchwentondeckwithouther。Hebegantowalktoandfromthebarrierbetweenthefirstandsecondcabinpromenades；lingeringnearit，andmusingpensively，forsomeofthepeoplebeyonditlookedasintelligentandassociallyacceptable，eventotheirclothes，astheirpecuniarybettersofthesaloon。
　　Thereweretwowomen，amotheranddaughter，whomhefanciedtobeteachers，bytheirlooks，goingoutforalittlerest，orperhapsforalittlefurtherstudytofitthemmoreperfectlyfortheirwork。Theygazedwistfullyacrossathimwheneverhecameuptothebarrier；andhefeignedaconversationwiththemandtriedtoconvincethemthatthestampofinferioritywhichtheirpovertyputuponthemwasjust，orifnotjust，theninevitable。Hearguedwiththemthatthesortofbarrierwhichherepreventedtheirbeingfriendswithhim，iftheywishedit，raninvisiblythroughsocietyeverywherebuthefeltashamedbeforetheirkind，patient，intelligentfaces，andfoundhimselfwishingtoexcusethefacthewasdefending。Wasitanyworse，heaskedthem，thantheirnotbeinginvitedtotheentertainmentsofpeopleinupperFifthAvenue？Hemadethemownthatiftheywereletacrossthatbarrierthewholesecondcabinwouldhavealogicalrighttofollow；andtheyweresilenced。Buttheycontinuedtogapeathimwiththeirsincere，gentleeyeswheneverhereturnedtothebarrierinhiswalk，tillhecouldbearitnolonger，andstrolledofftowardthesteerage。
　　Therewasmorereasonwhythepassengersthereshouldbepennedintoalittlespaceoftheirowninthesortofpitmadebythenarrowingdeckatthebow。Theyseemedtobeallforeigners，andifanyhadmadetheirfortunesinourcountrytheywerehidingtheirprosperityinthereturntotheirown。Theycouldhardlyhavecometousmoreshabbyandsqualidthantheyweregoingaway；buthethoughttheiraveragelessapatheticthanthatofthesaloonpassengers，asheleanedovertherailandlookeddownatthem。Someonehadbroughtoutanelectricbattery，andthelumpishboysandslatterngirlswereshoutingandlaughingastheywrithedwiththecurrent。Ayoungmotherseatedflatonthedeck，withherbarefeetstuckout，inattentivelynursedherbabe，whileshelaughedandshoutedwiththerest；amanwithhisheadtiedinashawlwalkedaboutthepenandsmiledgrotesquelywiththewellsideofhistoothache-
　　swollenface。Theownerofthebatterycarrieditaway，andagroupoflittlechildren，withblueeyesandyellowhair，gatheredinthespacehehadleft，andlookedupatapassengernearMarchwhowaseatingsomeplumsandcherrieswhichhehadbroughtfromtheluncheontable。Hebegantothrowthefruitdowntothem，andthechildrenscrambledforit。
　　Anelderlyman，withathin，grave，aquilineface，said，“Ishouldn’twantachildofminedownthere。”
　　“No。”Marchresponded，“itisn’tquitewhatonewouldchooseforone’sown。It’sastonishing，though，howwereconcileourselvestoitinthecaseofothers。”
　　“Isupposeit’ssomethingwe’llhavetogetusedtoontheotherside。”
　　suggestedthestranger。
　　“Well。”answeredMarch，“youhavesomeopportunitiestogetusedtoitonthisside，ifyouhappentoliveinNewYork。”andhewentontospeakoftheraggednesswhichoftenpenetratedthefrontierofcomfortwherehelivedinStuyvesantSquare，andwhichseemedasgladofalmsinfoodormoneyasthispovertyofthesteerage。
　　Theotherlistenedrestivelylikeamanwhoseidealsaredisturbed。
　　“Idon’tbelieveIshouldliketoliveinNewYork，much。”hesaid，andMarchfanciedthathewishedtobeaskedwherehedidlive。ItappearedthathelivedinOhio，andhenamedhistown；hedidnotbragofit，buthesaiditsuitedhim。HeaddedthathehadneverexpectedtogotoEurope，butthathehadbeguntorundownlately，andhisdoctorthoughthehadbettergooutandtryCarlsbad。
　　Marchsaid，toinvitehisfurtherconfidence，thatthiswasexactlyhisowncase。TheOhiomanmettheoverturefromacommoninvalidismasifitdetractedfromhisowndistinction；andheturnedtospeakofthedifficulty，hehadinarranginghisaffairsforleavinghome。Hisheartopenedalittlewiththeword，andhesaidhowcomfortableheandhiswifewereintheirhouse，andhowmuchtheybothhatedtoshutitup。
　　WhenMarchofferedhimhiscard，hesaidhehadnoneofhisownwithhim，butthathisnamewasEltwin。HebetrayedasimplewishtohaveMarchrealizethelocalimportancehehadleftbehindhim；anditwasnothardtocomply；MarchsawaGrandArmybuttoninthelapelofhiscoat，andheknewthathewasinthepresenceofaveteran。
　　Hetriedtoguesshisrank；intellinghiswifeabouthim，whenhewentdowntofindherjustbeforedinner，butheendedwithacertainsenseofaffliction。“Therearetoomanyelderlyinvalidsonthisship。Iknockagainstpeopleofmyownageeverywhere。Whyaren’tyouryouthfulloversmoreinevidence，mydear？Idon’tbelievetheyarelovers，andIbegintodoubtifthey’reyoungeven。”
　　“Itwasn’tverysatisfactoryatlunch，certainly。”sheowned。“ButI
　　knowitwillbedifferentatdinner。”Shewasputtingherselftogetherafteranapthathadmadeupforthelostsleepofthenightbefore。
　　“Iwantyoutolookverynice，dear。Shallyoudressfordinner？”sheaskedherhusband’simageinthestate-roomglasswhichshewaspreoccupying。
　　“Ishalldressinmypea-jacketandsea-boots。”itanswered。
　　“IhaveheardthattheyalwaysdressfordinneronthebigCunardandWhiteStarboats，whenit’sgoodweather。”shewenton，placidly。
　　“Ishouldn’twantthosepeopletothinkyouwerenotupintheconvenances。”
　　Theybothknewthatshemeantthereticentfatheranddaughter，andMarchflungout，“Ishouldn’twantthemtothinkyouweren’t。There’ssuchathingasoverdoing。”
　　Sheattackedhimatanotherpoint。“Whathasannoyedyou？Whatelsehaveyoubeendoing？”
　　“Nothing。I’vebeenreadingmostoftheafternoon。”
　　“TheMaidenKnight？”
　　Thiswasthebookwhichnearlyeverybodyhadbroughtonboard。Itwasjustout，andhadcaughtaninstantfavor，whichswelledlatertoatidalwave。Itdepictedaheroicgirlineverytryingcircumstanceofmediaevallife，andgratifiedtheperennialpassionofbothsexesforhistoricalromance，whileitflatteredwoman’sinstinctofsuperioritybythecelebrationofherunintermittedtriumphs，endinginapreposterousandwhollysuperfluousself-sacrifice。
　　Marchlaughedforpleasureinherguess，andshepursued，“Isupposeyoudidn’twastetimelookingifanybodyhadbroughtthelastcopyof’EveryOtherWeek’？”
　　“Yes，Idid；andIfoundtheoneyouhadleftinyoursteamerchair——foradvertisingpurposes，probably。”
　　“Mr。Burnamyhasanother。”shesaid。“Isawitstickingoutofhispocketthismorning。”
　　“Oh，yes。HetoldmehehadgotitonthetrainfromChicagotoseeifithadhispoeminit。He’saningenuoussoul——insomeways。”
　　“Well，thatistheveryreasonwhyyououghttofindoutwhetherthemenaregoingtodress，andlethimknow。Hewouldneverthinkofithimself。”
　　“NeitherwouldI。”saidherhusband。
　　“Verywell，ifyouwishtospoilhischanceattheoutset。”shesighed。
　　Shedidnotquiteknowwhethertobegladornotthatthemenwereallinsacksandcutawaysatdinner；itsavedher，fromshameforherhusbandandMr。Burnamy；butitputherinthewrong。Everyonetalked；eventhefatheranddaughtertalkedwitheachother，andatonemomentMrs。Marchcouldnotbequitesurethatthedaughterhadnotlookedatherwhenshespoke。ShecouldnotbemistakenintheremarkwhichthefatheraddressedtoBurnamy，thoughitledtonothing。