"But I talked so much with people after we
decided to go, that I feel as if I had been a hundred times."
"I know," said the other lady, with caressing intelligence. "That is just
the way with--" She stopped, and looked at the young man whom the head
steward was bringing up to take the vacant place next to March. He came
forward, stuffing his cap into the pocket of his blue serge sack, and
smiled down on the company with such happiness in his gay eyes that March
wondered what chance at this late day could have given any human creature
his content so absolute, and what calamity could be lurking round the
corner to take it out of him. The new-comer looked at March as if he knew
him, and March saw at a second glance that he was the young fellow who
had told him about the mother put off after the start. He asked him
whether there was any change in the weather yet outside, and he answered
eagerly, as if the chance to put his happiness into the mere sound of
words were a favor done him, that their ship had just spoken one of the
big Hanseatic mailboats, and she had signalled back that she had met ice;
so that they would probably keep a southerly course, and not have it
cooler till they were off the Banks.
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