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American flat； not because it's humble； but because it's false。〃
〃Well； then；〃 said Mrs。 March； 〃let's look at houses。〃
He had been denouncing the flat in the abstract； and he had not expected
this concrete result。 But he said； 〃We will look at houses； then。〃
X。
Nothing mystifies a man more than a woman's aberrations from some point
at which he； supposes her fixed as a star。 In these unfurnished houses；
without steam or elevator； March followed his wife about with patient
wonder。 She rather liked the worst of them best： but she made him go
down into the cellars and look at the furnaces； she exacted from him a
rigid inquest of the plumbing。 She followed him into one of the cellars
by the fitful glare of successively lighted matches； and they enjoyed a
moment in which the anomaly of their presence there on that errand； so
remote from all the facts of their long…established life in Boston；
realized itself for them。
〃Think how easily we might have been murdered and nobody been any the
wiser！〃 she said when they were comfortably outdoors again。
〃Yes； or made way with ourselves in an access of emotional insanity；
supposed to have been induced by unavailing flat…hunting；〃 he suggested。
She fell in with the notion。 〃I'm beginning to feel crazy。 But I don't
want you to lose your head； Basil。 And I don't want you to
sentimentalize any of the things you see in New York。 I think you were
disposed to do it in that street we drove through。 I don't believe
there's any real sufferingnot real sufferingamong those people； that
is； it would be suffering from our point of view； but they've been used
to it all their lives； and they don't feel their' discomfort so much。〃
〃Of course； I understand that； and I don't propose to sentimentalize
them。 I think when people get used to a bad state of things they had
better stick to it； in fact； they don't usually like a better state so
well； and I shall keep that firmly in mind。〃
She laughed with him； and they walked along the L bestridden avenue；
exhilarated by their escape from murder and suicide in that cellar；
toward the nearest cross town track； which they meant to take home to
their hotel。 〃Now to…night we will go to the theatre；〃 she said； 〃and
get this whole house business out of our minds； and be perfectly fresh
for a new start in the morning。〃 Suddenly she clutched his arm。 〃Why；
did you see that man？〃 and she signed with her head toward a decently
dressed person who walked beside them； next the gutter； stooping over as
if to examine it； and half halting at times。
〃No。 What？〃
〃Why； I saw him pick up a dirty bit of cracker from the pavement and cram
it into his mouth and eat it down as if he were famished。 And look！ he's
actually hunting for more in those garbage heaps！〃
This was what the decent…looking man with the hard hands and broken nails
of a workman was doing…like a hungry dog。 They kept up with him； in the
fascination of the sight； to the next corner； where he turned down the
side street still searching the gutter。
They walked on a few paces。 Then March said； 〃I must go after him；〃 and
left his wife standing。
〃Are you in wanthungry？〃 he asked the man。
The man said he could not speak English； Monsieur。
March asked his question in French。
The man shrugged a pitiful； desperate shrug； 〃Mais； Monsieur〃
March put a coin in his hand； and then suddenly the man's face twisted
up； he caught the hand of this alms…giver in both of his and clung to it。
〃Monsieur！ Monsieur！〃 he gasped； and the tears rained down his face。
His benefactor pulled himself away； shocked and ashamed； as one is by
such a chance； and got back to his wife； and the man lapsed back into the
mystery of misery out of which he had emerged。
March felt it laid upon him to console his wife for what had happened。
〃Of course； we might live here for years and not see another case like
that； and； of course； there are twenty places where he could have gone
for help if he had known where to find them。〃
〃Ah； but it's the possibility of his needing the help so badly as that；〃
she answered。 〃That's what I can't bear； and I shall not come to a place
where such things are possible； and we may as well stop our house…hunting
here at once。〃
〃Yes？ And what part of Christendom will you live in？ Such things are
possible everywhere in our conditions。〃
〃Then we must change the conditions〃
〃Oh no； we must go to the theatre and forget them。 We can stop at
Brentano's for our tickets as we pass through Union Square。〃
〃I am not going to the theatre； Basil。 I am going home to Boston to…
night。 You can stay and find a flat。〃
He convinced her of the absurdity of her position； and even of its
selfishness； but she said that her mind was quite made up irrespective of
what had happened； that she had been away from the children long enough；
that she ought to be at home to finish up the work of leaving it。 The
word brought a sigh。 〃Ah； I don't know why we should see nothing but sad
and ugly things now。 When we were young〃
〃Younger；〃 he put in。 〃We're still young。〃
〃That's what we pretend； but we know better。 But I was thinking how
pretty and pleasant things used to be turning up all the time on our
travels in the old days。 Why； when we were in New York here on our
wedding journey the place didn't seem half so dirty as it does now； and
none of these dismal things happened。〃
〃It was a good deal dirtier；〃 he answered； 〃and I fancy worse in every
way…hungrier； raggeder； more wretchedly housed。 But that wasn't the
period of life for us to notice it。 Don't you remember； when we started
to Niagara the last time； how everybody seemed middle…aged and
commonplace； and when we got there there were no evident brides； nothing
but elderly married people？〃
〃At least they weren't starving；〃 she rebelled。
〃No； you don't starve in parlor…cars and first…class hotels； but if you
step out of them you run your chance of seeing those who do； if you're
getting on pretty well in the forties。 If it's the unhappy who see
unhappiness； think what misery must be revealed to people who pass their
lives in the really squalid tenement…house streetsI don't mean
picturesque avenues like that we passed through。〃
〃But we are not unhappy；〃 she protested； bringing the talk back to the
personal base again； as women must to get any good out of talk。 〃We're
really no unhappier than we were when we were young。〃
〃We're more serious。〃
〃Well； I hate it； and I wish you wouldn't be so serious； if that's what
it brings us to。〃
〃I will be trivial from this on；〃 said March。 〃Shall we go to the Hole
in the Ground to…night？〃
〃I am going to Boston。〃
〃It's much the same thing。 How do you like that for triviality？ It's a
little blasphemous； I'll allow。〃
〃It's very silly；〃 she said。
At the hotel they found a letter from the agent who had sent them the
permit to see Mrs。 Grosvenor Green's apartment。 He wrote that she had
heard they were pleased with her apartment； and that she thought she
could make the terms to suit。 She had taken her passage for Europe； and
was very anxious to let the flat before s