Thedinnerwasuncommonlygood，asthefirstdinneroutisapttobe；anditwentgaylyonfromsouptofruit，whichwasoftheAmericanabundanceandvariety，andasyetnotoftheveteranfreshnessimpartedbytheice-
closet。Everybodywaseatingit，whenbyacommonconsciousnesstheywereawareofalienwitnesses。Theylookedupasbyasingleimpulse，andsawattheportthegauntfaceofasteeragepassengerstaringdownupontheirluxury；heheldonhisarmachildthatsharedhisregardwithyethungriereyes。Aboy’snoseshoweditselfasiftiptoedtotheheightoftheman’selbow；ayounggirlpeeredoverhisotherarm。
Thepassengersglancedatoneanother；thetwotable-stewards，withtheirnapkinsintheirhands，smiledvaguely，andmadesomeindefinitemovements。
Thebachelorattheheadofthetablebrokethespell。“I’mgladitdidn’tbeginwiththeLittleNeckclams！”
“Probablytheyonlyletthosepeoplecomeforthedessert。”Marchsuggested。
Thewidownowfollowedthedirectionoftheothereyes；andlookedupoverhershoulder；shegavealittlecry，andshrankdown。Theyoungbridemadeherpettedmouth，inappealtothecompany；herhusbandlookedsevere，asifheweregoingtodosomething，butrefrained，nottomakeascene。Thereticentfatherthrewoneofhisstaccatoglancesattheport，andMrs。MarchwassurethatshesawthedaughterstealalookatBurnamy。
Theyoungfellowlaughed。“Idon’tsupposethere’sanythingtobedoneaboutit，unlesswepassoutaplate。”
Mr。Kenbyshookhishead。“Itwouldn’tdo。Wemightsendforthecaptain。Orthechiefsteward。”
Thefacesattheportvanished。Atotherportsprofilespassedandrepassed，asifthesteeragepassengershadtheirpromenadeunderthem，buttheypausednomore。
TheMarcheswentuptotheirsteamerchairs，andfromherexasperatednervesMrs。Marchdenouncedthearrangementoftheshipwhichhadmadesuchacruelthingpossible。
“Oh。”hemocked，“theyhadprobablyhadagoodsubstantialmealoftheirown，andthesceneofourbanquetwasofthequalityofapicture，apurelyaesthetictreat。Butsupposingitwasn’t，we’redoingsomethinglikeiteverydayandeverymomentofourlives。TheNorumbiaisapieceofthewholeworld’scivilizationsetafloat，andpassingfromshoretoshorewithunchangedclasses，andconditions。Aship’smerelyasmallstage，wherewe’rebroughttoclosequarterswiththedailydramaofhumanity。”
“Well，then。”sheprotested，“Idon’tlikebeingbroughttoclosequarterswiththedailydramaofhumanity，asyoucallit。AndIdon’tbelievethatthelargeEnglishshipsarebuiltsothatthesteeragepassengerscanstareinatthesaloonwindowswhileoneiseating；andI’msorrywecameontheNorumbia。”
“Ah，youthinktheNorumbiadoesn’thideanything。”hebegan，andhewasgoingtospeakofthemeninthefurnacepitsofthesteamer，howtheyfedthefiresinaweldingheat，andasiftheyhadperishedinitcreptoutontheforecastlelikeblanchedphantasmsoftoil；butsheinterposedintime。
“Ifthere’sanythingworse，forpity’ssakedon’ttellme。”sheentreated，andheforebore。
Hesatthinkinghowoncetheworldhadnotseemedtohaveevendeathinit，andthenhowashehadgrownolderdeathhadcomeintoitmoreandmore，andsufferingwaslurkingeverywhere，andcouldhardlybekeptoutofsight。HewonderedifthatyoungBurnamynowsawtheworldasheusedtoseeit，aplaceformakingverseandmakinglove，andfullofbeautyofallkindswaitingtobefittedwithphrases。Hehadlivedahappylife；Burnamywouldbeluckyifheshouldliveonehalfashappy；andyetifhecouldshowhimhiswholehappylife，justasithadtrulybeen，mustnottheyoungmanshrinkfromsuchapictureofhisfuture？
“Saysomething。”saidhiswife。“Whatareyouthinkingabout？”
“Oh，Burnamy。”heanswered，honestlyenough。
“Iwasthinkingaboutthechildren。”shesaid。“IamgladBelladidn’ttrytocomefromChicagotoseeusoff；itwouldhavebeentoosilly；sheisgettingtobeverysensible。IhopeTomwon’ttakethecoversoffthefurniturewhenhehasthefellowsintoseehim。”
“Well，Iwanthimtogetallthecomforthecanoutoftheplace，evenifthemothseatupeverystickoffurniture。”
“Yes，sodoI。Andofcourseyou’rewishingthatyouweretherewithhim！”Marchlaughedguiltily。“Well，perhapsitwasacrazythingforustostartoffaloneforEurope，atourage。”
“Nothingofthekind。”heretortedinthenecessityheperceivedforstayingherdroopingspirits。“Iwouldn’tbeanywhereelseonanyaccount。Isn’titperfectlydelicious？ItputsmeinmindofthatnightontheLakeOntarioboat，whenwewerestartingforMontreal。Therewasthesamesortofredsunset，andtheairwasn’tabitsofterthanthis。”
Hespokeofanightontheirwedding-journeywhentheyweresillnewenoughfromEuropetobecomparingeverythingathomewiththingsthere。
“Well，perhapsweshallgetintothespiritofitagain。”shesaid，andtheytalkedalongtimeofthepast。
Allthemechanicalnoisesweremuffledinthedullair，andthewashoftheship’scoursethroughthewavelessseamadeitselfpleasantlyheard。
Intheoffingasteamerhomewardboundswamsmoothlyby，soclosethatherlightsoutlinedhertotheeye；shesentupsomesignalrocketsthatsoaredagainstthepurpleheaveningreenandcrimson，andspoketotheNorumbiainthemysteriousmutephrasesofshipsthatmeetinthedark。
Mrs。MarchwonderedwhathadbecomeofBurnamy；thepromenadesweremuchfreernowthantheyhadbeensincetheshipsailed；whensherosetogobelow，shecaughtsightofBurnamywalkingthedecktransverselywithsomelady。Sheclutchedherhusband’sarmandstayedhiminrichconjecture。
“Doyousupposehecanhavegothertowalkingwithhimalready？”
TheywaitedtillBurnamyandhiscompanioncameinsightagain。Shewastiltingforward，andturningfromthewaist，nowtohimandnowfromhim。
“No；it’sthatpivotalgirl。”saidMarch；andhiswifesaid，“Well，I’mgladhewon’tbeputdownbythem。”
Inthemusic-roomsatthepeopleshemeant，andattheinstantshepassedondownthestairs，thedaughterwassayingtothefather，“Idon’tseewhyyoudidn’ttellmesooner，papa。”
“ItwassuchanunimportantmatterthatIdidn’tthinktomentionit。
Heofferedit，andItookit；thatwasall。Whatdifferencecouldithavemadetoyou？”
“None。Butonedoesn’tliketodoanyoneaninjustice。”
“Ididn’tknowyouwerethinkinganythingaboutit。”
“No，ofcoursenot。”
ThevoyageoftheNorumbiawasoneofthosewhichpassengerssaytheyhaveneverseenanythinglike，thoughforthefirsttwoorthreedaysoutneitherthedoctornorthedeck-stewardcouldbegot，toprophesywhentheshipwouldbein。Therewasonlyadayortwowhenitcouldreallybecalledrough，andthesea-sicknesswasconfinedtothosewhoseemedwilfulsufferers；theylayonthecushionedbenchingaroundthestairs-
landing，andsubsistedonbiscuitandbeefteawithoutqualifyingthemonotonouswell-beingoftheotherpassengers，whopassedwithoutnoticingthem。
Thesecondmorningtherewasrain，andtheairfreshened，buttheleadensealaylevelasbefore。Thesunshoneintheafternoon；withthesunsetthefogcamethickandwhite；theshiploweddismallythroughthenight；
fromthedensefoldsofthemistansweringnoisescalledbacktoher。
Justbeforedarktwomeninadoryshouteduptohercloseunderherbows，andthenmeltedoutofsight；whenthedarkfellthelightsoffishing-schoonerswereseen，andtheirbellspealed；onceloudcriesfromavesselnearathandmadethemselvesheard。Somepeopleinthedining-
saloonsanghymns；thesmoking-roomwasdensewithcigarfumes，andthecard-playersdealttheirhandsinanatmosphereemulousofthefogwithout。
TheNorumbiawasofftheBanks，andtheseconddayoffogwascoldasificebergswerehauntingtheopaquepalloraroundher。Intheranksofsteamerchairspeoplelaylikemummiesintheirdensewrappings；inthemusic-roomthelittlechildrenoftraveldiscussedthedifferentlinesofsteamersonwhichtheyhadcrossed，andbabesoffiveandsevendisputedaboutthemotionontheCunardersandWhiteStars；theirnursestriedinvaintostilltheminbehalfofolderpassengerstryingtowritelettersthere。
Bythenextmorningtheshiphadrunoutofthefog；andpeoplewhocouldkeeptheirfeetsaidtheyweregladofthegreatermotionwhichtheyfoundbeyondtheBanks。Theynowtalkedoftheheatofthefirstdaysout，andhowmuchtheyhadsuffered；somewhohadpassedthenightonboardbeforesailingtriedtoimpartasenseoftheirmiseryintryingtosleep。
Adayortwolaterastormstrucktheship，andthesailorsstretchedcanvasalongtheweatherpromenadeandputupasheathingofboardsacrossthebowendtokeepofftherain。Yetadayortwomoreandtheseahadfallenagainandtherewasdancingonthewidestspaceoftheleepromenade。
Thelittleeventsoftheseaoutsidethesteamerofferedthemselvesintheirpoorvariety。Onceashipintheoffing，withallitssquaresailsset，liftedthemlikethreewhitetowersfromthedeep。Ontherimoftheoceanthelengthofsomewestwardlinerblockeditselfoutagainstthehorizon，andswiftlytraileditssmokeoutofsight。Afewtrampsteamers，loungingandlungingthroughthetroughofthesea，wereovertakenandleftbehind；anoldbrigantinepassedsoclosethatherrustyironsidesshowedplain，andonecoulddiscernthefacesofthepeopleonboard。
