it seemed
so often without philosophy. He made desperate attempts at times to
interest himself in the pool-selling in the smoking-room where the
betting on the ship's wonderful run was continual.

He thought that people talked less and less as they drew nearer home;
but on the last day out there was a sudden expansion, and some whom he
had not spoken with voluntarily addressed him. The sweet, soft air was
like midsummer the water rippled gently, without a swell, blue under the
clear sky, and the ship left a wide track that was silver in the sun.
There were more sail; the first and second class baggage was got up and
piled along the steerage deck.

Some people dressed a little more than usual for the last dinner which
was earlier than usual, so as to be out of the way against the arrival
which had been variously predicted at from five to seven-thirty. An
indescribable nervousness culminated with the appearance of the customs
officers on board, who spread their papers on cleared spaces of the
dining-tables, and summoned the passengers to declare that they had
nothing to declare, as a preliminary to being searched like thieves at
the dock.

This ceremony proceeded while the Cupania made her way up the Narrows,
and into the North River, where the flare of lights from the crazy
steeps and cliffs of architecture on the New York shore seemed a
persistence of the last Fourth of July pyrotechnics. March blushed for
the grotesque splendor of the spectacle, and was confounded to find some
Englishmen admiring it, till he remembered that aesthetics were not the
strong point of our race. His wife sat hand in hand with Miss Triscoe,
and from time to time made him count the pieces of small baggage in
the keeping of their steward; while General Triscoe held aloof in a
sarcastic calm.

The steamer groped into her dock; the gangways were lifted to her side;
the passengers fumbled and stumbled down their incline, and at the
bottom the Marches found themselves respectively in the arms of their
son and daughter. They all began talking at once, and ignoring
and trying to remember the Triscoes to whom the young Marches were
presented. Bella did her best to be polite to Agatha, and Tom offered
to get an inspector for the general at the same time as for his father.
Then March, remorsefully remembered the Eltwins, and looked about for
them, so that his son might get them an inspector too. He found the
major already in the hands of an inspect