"It was merely their kind of English." The company were in the excitement of a novel situation which disposes people to acquaintance, and this exchange of small pleasantries made every one laugh, except the father and daughter; but they had the effect of being tacitly amused.
The mother of the nice boy said to Mrs.March, "You may not get what you ordered, but it will be good." "Even if you don't know what it is!" said the young bride, and then blushed, as if she had been too bold.
Mrs.March liked the blush and the young bride for it, and she asked, "Have you ever been on one of these German boats before?
They seem very comfortable." "Oh, dear, no! we've never been on any boat before." She made a little petted mouth of deprecation, and added, simple-heartedly, "My husband was going out on business, and he thought he might as well take me along." The husband seemed to feel himself brought in by this, and said he did not see why they should not make it a pleasure-trip, too.

They put themselves in a position to be patronized by their deference, and in the pauses of his talk with the gentleman at the head of the table, March heard his wife abusing their inexperience to be unsparingly instructive about European travel.

He wondered whether she would be afraid to own that it was nearly thirty years since she had crossed the ocean; though that might seem recent to people who had never crossed at all.
They listened with respect as she boasted in what an anguish of wisdom she had decided between the Colmannia and the Norumbia.

The wife said she did not know there was such a difference in steamers, but when Mrs.
March perfervidly assured her that there was all the difference in the world, she submitted and said she supposed she ought to be thankful that they, had hit upon the right one.

They had telegraphed for berths and taken what was given them; their room seemed to be very nice.
"Oh," said Mrs.March, and her husband knew that she was saying it to reconcile them to the inevitable, "all the rooms on the Norumbia are nice.