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Their Silver Wedding Journey V3
by William Dean Howells
PART III。
XLVIII。
At the first station where the train stopped； a young German bowed
himself into the compartment with the Marches； and so visibly resisted an
impulse to smoke that March begged him to light his cigarette。 In the
talk which this friendly overture led to between them he explained that
he was a railway architect； employed by the government on that line of
road； and was travelling officially。 March spoke of Nuremberg； he owned
the sort of surfeit he had suffered from its excessive mediaevalism； and
the young man said it was part of the new imperial patriotism to cherish
the Gothic throughout Germany； no other sort of architecture was
permitted in Nuremberg。 But they would find enough classicism at
Ansbach； he promised them； and he entered with sympathetic intelligence
into their wish to see this former capital when March told him they were
going to stop there； in hopes of something typical of the old disjointed
Germany of the petty principalities； the little paternal despotisms now
extinct。
As they talked on； partly in German and partly in English； their purpose
in visiting Ansbach appeared to the Marches more meditated than it was。
In fact it was somewhat accidental； Ansbach was near Nuremberg； it was
not much out of the way to Holland。 They took more and more credit to
themselves for a reasoned and definite motive； in the light of their
companion's enthusiasm for the place； and its charm began for them with
the drive from the station through streets whose sentiment was both
Italian and French； and where there was a yellowish cast in the gray of
the architecture which was almost Mantuan。 They rested their
sensibilities； so bruised and fretted by Gothic angles and points；
against the smooth surfaces of the prevailing classicistic facades of the
houses as they passed； and when they arrived at their hotel； an old
mansion of Versailles type； fronting on a long irregular square planted
with pollard sycamores； they said that it might as well have been Lucca。
The archway and stairway of the hotel were draped with the Bavarian
colors； and they were obscurely flattered to learn that Prince Leopold；
the brother of the Prince…Regent of the kingdom； had taken rooms there；
on his way to the manoeuvres at Nuremberg； and was momently expected with
his suite。 They realized that they were not of the princely party；
however； when they were told that he had sole possession of the dining…
room； and they went out to another hotel； and had their supper in keeping
delightfully native。 People seemed to come there to write their letters
and make up their accounts； as well as to eat their suppers； they called
for stationery like characters in old comedy； and the clatter of crockery
and the scratching of pens went on together； and fortune offered the
Marches a delicate reparation for their exclusion from their own hotel in
the cold popular reception of the prince which they got back just in time
to witness。 A very small group of people； mostly women and boys； had
gathered to see him arrive； but there was no cheering or any sign of
public interest。 Perhaps he personally merited none； he looked a dull；
sad man； with his plain； stubbed features； and after he had mounted to
his apartment； the officers of his staff stood quite across the landing；
and barred the passage of the Americans； ignoring even Mrs。 March's
presence； as they talked together。
〃Well； my dear；〃 said her husband； 〃here you have it at last。 This is
what you've been living for； ever since we came to Germany。 It's a great
moment。〃
〃Yes。 What are you going to do？〃
〃Who？ I？ Oh； nothing！ This is your affair； it's for you to act。〃
If she had been young； she might have withered them with a glance； she
doubted now if her dim eyes would have any such power； but she advanced
steadily upon them； and then the officers seemed aware of her； and stood
aside。
March always insisted that they stood aside apologetically； but she held
as firmly that they stood aside impertinently； or at least indifferently；
and that the insult to her American womanhood was perfectly ideal。 It is
true that nothing of the kind happened again during their stay at the
hotel； the prince's officers were afterwards about in the corridors and
on the stairs； but they offered no shadow of obstruction to her going and
coming； and the landlord himself was not so preoccupied with his
highhotes but he had time to express his grief that she had been obliged
to go out for supper。
They satisfied the passion for the little obsolete capital which had been
growing upon them by strolling past the old Resident at an hour so
favorable for a first impression。 It loomed in the gathering dusk even
vaster than it was； and it was really vast enough for the pride of a King
of France； much more a Margrave of Ansbach。 Time had blackened and
blotched its coarse limestone walls to one complexion with the statues
swelling and strutting in the figure of Roman legionaries before it； and
standing out against the evening sky along its balustraded roof； and had
softened to the right tint the stretch of half a dozen houses with
mansard roofs and renaissance facades obsequiously in keeping with the
Versailles ideal of a Resident。 In the rear； and elsewhere at fit
distance from its courts； a native architecture prevailed； and at no
great remove the Marches found themselves in a simple German town again。
There they stumbled upon a little bookseller's shop blinking in a quiet
corner； and bought three or four guides and small histories of Ansbach；
which they carried home； and studied between drowsing and waking。 The
wonderful German syntax seems at its most enigmatical in this sort of
literature； and sometimes they lost themselves in its labyrinths
completely； and only made their way perilously out with the help of
cumulative declensions； past articles and adjectives blindly seeking
their nouns； to long…procrastinated verbs dancing like swamp…fires in the
distance。 They emerged a little less ignorant than they went in； and
better qualified than they would otherwise have been for their second
visit to the Schloss； which they paid early the next morning。
They were so early； indeed； that when they mounted from the great inner
court； much too big for Ansbach； if not for the building； and rung the
custodian's bell； a smiling maid who let them into an ante…room； where
she kept on picking over vegetables for her dinner； said the custodian
was busy； and could not be seen till ten o'clock。 She seemed； in her
nook of the pretentious pile； as innocently unconscious of its history
as any hen…sparrow who had built her nest in some coign of its
architecture； and her friendly； peaceful domesticity remained a wholesome
human background to the tragedies and comedies of the past； and held them
in a picturesque relief in which they were alike tolerable and even
charming。
The history of Ansbach strikes its roots in the soil of fable； and above
ground is a gnarled and twisted growth of good and bad from the time of
the Great Charles to the time of the Great Frederick。 Between these
times she had her various rulers； ecclesiastical and secular； in various
forms of vassalage to the empire； but for nearly four centuries her
sovereignty was in the hands of the margraves； who reigned in a
constantly increasing splendor till the last sold her outright to the
King of Prussia in 1791； and went to live in England on the proceeds。
She had taken her part in the miseries and glories of the wars that
desolated Germany； but after the Reformation； when she turned from the
ancient faith to which she owed her cloistered origin under St。
Gumpertus； her people had peace except when their last prince sold them
to fight the battles of others。 It is in this last transaction that her
history； almost in the moment when she ceased to have a history of her
own； links to that of the modern world； and that it came home to the
Marches in their national character； for two thousand of those poor
Ansbach mercenaries were bought up by England and sent to put down a
rebellion in her American colonies。
Humanly； they were more concerned for the Last Margrave； because of
certain qualities which made him the Best Margrave； in spite of the
defects of his qualities。 He was the son of the Wild Margrave； equally
known in the Ansbach annals； who may not have been the Worst Margrave；
but who had certainly a bad trick of putting his subjects to death
without trial； and in cases where there was special haste； with his own
hand。 He sent his son to the university at Utrecht because he believed
that the republican influences in Holland would be wholesome for him； and
then he sent him to travel in Italy； but when the boy came home looking
frail and sick； the Wild Margrave charged his official travelling
companion with neglect； and had the unhappy Hofrath Meyer hanged without
process for this crime。 One of the gentlemen of his realm； for a
pasquinade on the Margrave； was brought to the scaffold； he had； at
various times； twenty…two of his soldiers shot with arrows and bull