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William； brought up his children with that severity which Solomon urged
but probably did not practise。 It is a vast place； but they had time for
it all； though the custodian made the most of them as the latest comers
of the day； and led them through it with a prolixity as great as their
waiter's。 He was a most friendly custodian； and when he found that they
had some little notion of what they wanted to see； he mixed zeal with his
patronage； and in a manner made them his honored guests。 They saw
everything but the doorway where the faithful royal father used to lie in
wait for his children and beat them； princes and princesses alike； with
his knobby cane as they came through。 They might have seen this doorway
without knowing it； but from the window overlooking the parade…ground
where his family watched the manoeuvres of his gigantic grenadiers； they
made sure of just such puddles as Frederick William forced his family to
sit with their feet in； while they dined alfresco on pork and cabbage；
and they visited the room of the Smoking Parliament where he ruled his
convives with a rod of iron； and made them the victims of his bad jokes。
The measuring…board against which he took the stature of his tall
grenadiers is there； and one room is devoted to those masterpieces which
he used to paint in the agonies of gout。 His chef d'oeuvre contains a
figure with two left feet； and there seemed no reason why it might not。
have had three。 In another room is a small statue of Carlyle； who did so
much to rehabilitate the house which the daughter of it； Wilhelmina； did
so much to demolish in the regard of men。
The palace is now mostly kept for guests； and there is a chamber where
Napoleon slept； which is not likely to be occupied soon by any other
self…invited guest of his nation。 It is perhaps to keep the princes of
Europe humble that hardly a palace on the Continent is without the
chamber of this adventurer； who； till he stooped to be like them； was
easily their master。 Another democracy had here recorded its invasion in
the American stoves which the custodian pointed out in the corridor when
Mrs； March； with as little delay as possible； had proclaimed their
country。 The custodian professed an added respect for them from the
fact； and if he did not feel it； no doubt he merited the drink money
which they lavished on him at parting。
Their driver also was a congenial spirit； and when he let them out of his
carriage at the station； he excused the rainy day to them。 He was a
merry fellow beyond the wont of his nation； and he…laughed at the bad
weather； as if it had been a good joke on them。
His gayety； and the red sunset light； which shone on the stems of the
pines on the way back to Berlin； contributed to the content in which they
reviewed their visit to Potsdam。 They agreed that the place was
perfectly charming； and that it was incomparably expressive of kingly
will and pride。 These had done there on the grand scale what all the
German princes and princelings had tried to do in imitation and emulation
of French splendor。 In Potsdam the grandeur； was not a historical growth
as at Versailles； but was the effect of family genius； in which there was
often the curious fascination of insanity。
They felt this strongly again amidst the futile monuments of the
Hohenzollern Museum； in Berlin； where all the portraits； effigies；
personal belongings and memorials of that gifted； eccentric race are
gathered and historically disposed。 The princes of the mighty line who
stand out from the rest are Frederick the Great and his infuriate。
father； and in the waxen likeness of the son； a small thin figure；
terribly spry； and a face pitilessly alert； appears something of the
madness which showed in the life of the sire。
They went through many rooms in which the memorials of the kings and
queens； the emperors and empresses were carefully ordered； and felt no
kindness except before the relics relating to the Emperor Frederick and
his mother。 In the presence of the greatest of the dynasty they
experienced a kind of terror which March expressed； when they were safely
away； in the confession of his joy that those people were dead。
LXVI。
The rough weather which made Berlin almost uninhabitable to Mrs。 March
had such an effect with General Triscoe at Weimar that under the orders
of an English…speaking doctor he retreated from it altogether and went to
bed。 Here he escaped the bronchitis which had attacked him； and his
convalesence left him so little to complain of that he could not always
keep his temper。 In the absence of actual offence； either from his
daughter or from Burnamy； his sense of injury took a retroactive form； it
centred first in Stoller and the twins； then it diverged toward Rose
Adding； his mother and Kenby； and finally involved the Marches in the
same measure of inculpation； for they had each and all had part； directly
or indirectly； in the chances that brought on his cold。
He owed to Burnamy the comfort of the best room in the hotel； and he was
constantly dependent upon his kindness； but he made it evident that he
did not over…value Burnamy's sacrifice and devotion； and that it was not
an unmixed pleasure； however great a convenience； to have him about。 In
giving up his room； Burnamy had proposed going out of the hotel
altogether； but General Triscoe heard of this with almost as great
vexation as he had accepted the room。 He besought him not to go； but so
ungraciously that his daughter was ashamed； and tried to atone for his
manner by the kindness of her own。
Perhaps General Triscoe would not have been without excuse if he were not
eager to have her share with destitute merit the fortune which she had
hitherto shared only with him。 He was old； and certain luxuries had
become habits if not necessaries with him。 Of course he did not say this
to himself； and still less did he say it to her。 But he let her see that
he did not enjoy the chance which had thrown them again in such close
relations with Burnamy； and he did pot hide his belief that the Marches
were somehow to blame for it。 This made it impossible for her to write
at once to Mrs。 March as she had promised； but she was determined that it
should not make her unjust to Burnamy。 She would not avoid him； she
would not let anything that had happened keep her from showing that she
felt his kindness and was glad of his help。
Of course they knew no one else in Weimar； and his presence merely as a
fellow…countryman would have been precious。 He got them a doctor；
against General Triscoe's will； he went for his medicines； he lent him
books and papers； he sat with him and tried to amuse him。 But with the
girl he attempted no return to the situation at Carlsbad； there is
nothing like the delicate pride of a young man who resolves to forego
unfair advantage in love。
The day after their arrival； when her father was making up for the sleep
he had lost by night； she found herself alone in the little reading…room
of the hotel with Burnamy for the first time； and she said： 〃I suppose
you must have been all over Weimar by this time。〃
〃Well； I've been here； off and on； almost a month。 It's an interesting
place。 There's a good deal of the old literary quality left。〃
〃And you enjoy that！ I saw〃she added this with a little unnecessary
flush〃your poem in the paper you lent papa。〃
〃I suppose I ought to have kept that back。 But I couldn't。〃 He laughed；
and she said：
〃You must find a great deal of inspiration in such a literary place。〃
〃It isn't lying about loose； exactly。〃 Even in the serious and
perplexing situation in which he found himself he could not help being
amused with her unliterary notions of literature； her conventional and
commonplace conceptions of it。 They had their value with him as those of
a more fashionable world than his own； which he believed was somehow a
greater world。 At the same time he believed that she was now interposing
them between the present and the past； and forbidding with them any
return to the mood of their last meeting in Carlsbad。 He looked at her
ladylike composure and unconsciousness； and wondered if she could be the
same person and the same person as they who lost themselves in the crowd
that night and heard and said words palpitant with fate。 Perhaps there
had been no such words； perhaps it was all a hallucination。 He must
leave her to recognize that it was reality； till she did so； he felt
bitterly that there was nothing for him but submission and patience； if
she never did so； there was nothing for him but acquiescence。
In this talk and in the talks they had afterwards she seemed willing
enough to speak of what had happened since： of coming on to Wurzburg with
the Addings and of finding the Marches there； of Rose's collapse； and of
his mother's flight seaward with him in the care of Kenby； who was so
fortunately going to Holland； too。 He on his side told her of going to
Wurzburg for the manoeuvres； and they agreed that it was very strange
they had not met。
She did not try to keep their relations from taking the domestic
character which was inevitable； and it seemed to him that this in