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refuse to let him order their baggage； little and large； loaded upon it。
By the time this was done； Mrs。 March and Miss Triscoe had so far
detached themselves from each other that they could separate after one
more formal expression of regret and forgiveness。 With a lament into
which she poured a world of inarticulate emotions； Mrs。 March wrenched
herself from the place； and suffered herself； to be pushed toward her
train。 But with the last long look which she cast over her shoulder；
before she vanished into the waiting…room； she saw Miss Triscoe and
Burnamy transacting the elaborate politenesses of amiable strangers with
regard to the very small bag which the girl had in her hand。 He
succeeded in relieving her of it； and then he led the way out of the
station on the left of the general； while Miss Triscoe brought up the
rear。
LXIII。
From the window of the train as it drew out Mrs。 March tried for a
glimpse of the omnibus in which her proteges were now rolling away
together。 As they were quite out of sight in the omnibus； which was
itself out of sight； she failed； but as she fell back against her seat
she treated the recent incident with a complexity and simultaneity of
which no report can give an idea。 At the end one fatal conviction
remained： that in everything she had said she had failed to explain to
Miss Triscoe how Burnamy happened to be in Weimar and how he happened to
be there with them in the station。 She required March to say how she had
overlooked the very things which she ought to have mentioned first； and
which she had on the point of her tongue the whole time。 She went over
the entire ground again to see if she could discover the reason why she
had made such an unaccountable break； and it appeared that she was led to
it by his rushing after her with Burnamy before she had had a chance to
say a word about him； of course she could not say anything in his
presence。 This gave her some comfort； and there was consolation in the
fact that she had left them together without the least intention or
connivance； and now； no matter what happened； she could not accuse
herself； and he could not accuse her of match…making。
He said that his own sense of guilt was so great that he should not dream
of accusing her of anything except of regret that now she could never
claim the credit of bringing the lovers together under circumstances so
favorable。 As soon as they were engaged they could join in renouncing
her with a good conscience； and they would probably make this the basis
of their efforts to propitiate the general。
She said she did not care； and with the mere removal of the lovers in
space； her interest in them began to abate。 They began to be of a minor
importance in the anxieties of the change of trains at Halle； and in the
excitement of settling into the express from Frankfort there were moments
when they were altogether forgotten。 The car was of almost American
length； and it ran with almost American smoothness； when the conductor
came and collected an extra fare for their seats； the Marches felt that
if the charge had been two dollars instead of two marks they would have
had every advantage of American travel。
On the way to Berlin the country was now fertile and flat； and now
sterile and flat； near the capital the level sandy waste spread almost to
its gates。 The train ran quickly through the narrow fringe of suburbs；
and then they were in one of those vast Continental stations which put
our outdated depots to shame。 The good 'traeger' who took possession of
them and their hand…bags； put their boxes on a baggage…bearing drosky；
and then got them another drosky for their personal transportation。 This
was a drosky of the first…class； but they would not have thought it so；
either from the vehicle itself； or from the appearance of the driver and
his horses。 The public carriages of Germany are the shabbiest in the
world； at Berlin the horses look like old hair trunks and the drivers
like their moth…eaten contents。
The Marches got no splendor for the two prices they paid； and their
approach to their hotel on Unter den Linden was as unimpressive as the
ignoble avenue itself。 It was a moist； cold evening； and the mean；
tiresome street； slopped and splashed under its two rows of small trees；
to which the thinning leaves clung like wet rags； between long lines of
shops and hotels which had neither the grace of Paris nor the grandiosity
of New York。 March quoted in bitter derision：
〃Bees； bees； was it your hydromel；
Under the Lindens？〃
and his wife said that if Commonwealth Avenue in Boston could be imagined
with its trees and without their beauty； flanked by the architecture of
Sixth Avenue； with dashes of the west side of Union Square； that would be
the famous Unter den Linden； where she had so resolutely decided that
they would stay while in Berlin。
They had agreed upon the hotel； and neither could blame the other because
it proved second…rate in everything but its charges。 They ate a poorish
table d'hote dinner in such low spirits that March had no heart to get a
rise from his wife by calling her notice to the mouse which fed upon the
crumbs about their feet while they dined。 Their English…speaking waiter
said that it was a very warm evening； and they never knew whether this
was because he was a humorist； or because he was lonely and wished to
talk； or because it really was a warm evening； for Berlin。 When they had
finished； they went out and drove about the greater part of the evening
looking for another hotel； whose first requisite should be that it was
not on Unter den Linden。 What mainly determined Mrs。 March in favor of
the large； handsome； impersonal place they fixed upon was the fact that
it was equipped for steam…heating； what determined March was the fact
that it had a passenger…office where when he wished to leave； he could
buy his railroad tickets and have his baggage checked without the
maddening anxiety； of doing it at the station。 But it was precisely in
these points that the hotel which admirably fulfilled its other functions
fell short。 The weather made a succession of efforts throughout their
stay to clear up cold； it merely grew colder without clearing up； but
this seemed to offer no suggestion of steam for heating their bleak
apartment and the chilly corridors to the management。 With the help of a
large lamp which they kept burning night and day they got the temperature
of their rooms up to sixty； there was neither stove nor fireplace； the
cold electric bulbs diffused a frosty glare； and in the vast； stately
dining…room with its vaulted roof； there was nothing to warm them but
their plates； and the handles of their knives and forks； which； by a
mysterious inspiration； were always hot。 When they were ready to go；
March experienced from the apathy of the baggage clerk and the reluctance
of the porters a more piercing distress than any he had known at the
railroad stations； and one luckless valise which he ordered sent after
him by express reached his bankers in Paris a fortnight overdue； with an
accumulation of charges upon it outvaluing the books which it contained。
But these were minor defects in an establishment which had many merits；
and was mainly of the temperament and intention of the large English
railroad hotels。 They looked from their windows down into a gardened
square； peopled with a full share of the superabounding statues of Berlin
and frequented by babies and nurse maids who seemed not to mind the cold
any more than the stone kings and generals。 The aspect of this square；
like the excellent cooking of the hotel and the architecture of the
imperial capital； suggested the superior civilization of Paris。 Even the
rows of gray houses and private palaces of Berlin are in the French
taste； which is the only taste there is in Berlin。 The suggestion of
Paris is constant； but it is of Paris in exile； and without the chic
which the city wears in its native air。 The crowd lacks this as much as
the architecture and the sculpture； there is no distinction among the men
except for now and then a military figure； and among the women no style
such as relieves the commonplace rash of the New York streets。 The
Berliners are plain and ill dressed； both men and women； and even the
little children are plain。 Every one is ill dressed； but no one is
ragged； and among the undersized homely folk of the lower classes there
is no such poverty…stricken shabbiness as shocks and insults the sight in
New York。 That which distinctly recalls our metropolis is the lofty
passage of the elevated trains intersecting the prospectives of many
streets； but in Berlin the elevated road is carried on massive brick
archways and not lifted upon gay； crazy iron ladders like ours。
When you look away from this； and regard Berlin on its aesthetic； side
you are again in that banished Paris； whose captive art…soul is made to
serve； so far as it may be enslaved to such an effect； in the celebration
of the German triumph over France。 Berlin has never the presence of a
great capital； however； in spite of its perpetual monumental insistence。
There is no