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confidences to her father were not full。 She told her father that her
engagement was broken for reasons that did not mean anything very wrong
in Mr。 Burnamy but that convinced her they could never be happy together。
As she did not give the reasons； he found a natural difficulty in
accepting them； and there was something in the situation which appealed
strongly to his contrary…mindedness。 Partly from this； partly from his
sense of injury in being obliged so soon to adjust himself to new
conditions； and partly from his comfortable feeling of security from an
engagement to which his assent had been forced； he said； 〃I hope you're
not making a mistake。〃
〃Oh； no；〃 she answered； and she attested her conviction by a burst of
sobbing that lasted well on the way to the first stop of the train。
LXIX。
It would have been always twice as easy to go direct from Berlin to the
Hague through Hanover； but the Marches decided to go by Frankfort and the
Rhine； because they wished to revisit the famous river； which they
remembered from their youth； and because they wished to stop at
Dusseldorf； where Heinrich Heine was born。 Without this Mrs。 March； who
kept her husband up to his early passion for the poet with a feeling that
she was defending him from age in it； said that their silver wedding
journey would not be complete； and he began himself to think that it
would be interesting。
They took a sleeping…car for Frankfort and they woke early as people do
in sleeping…cars everywhere。 March dressed and went out for a cup of the
same coffee of which sleeping…car buffets have the awful secret in Europe
as well as America； and for a glimpse of the twilight landscape。 One
gray little town； towered and steepled and red…roofed within its
mediaeval walls； looked as if it would have been warmer in something
more。 There was a heavy dew； if not a light frost； over all； and in
places a pale fog began to lift from the low hills。 Then the sun rose
without dispersing the cold； which was afterwards so severe in their room
at the Russischer Hof in Frankfort that in spite of the steam…radiators
they sat shivering in all their wraps till breakfast…time。
There was no steam on in the radiators； of course； when they implored the
portier for at least a lamp to warm their hands by he turned on all the
electric lights without raising the temperature in the slightest degree。
Amidst these modern comforts they were so miserable that they vowed each
other to shun； as long as they were in Germany； or at least while the
summer lasted； all hotels which were steam…heated and electric…lighted。
They heated themselves somewhat with their wrath； and over their
breakfast they relented so far as to suffer themselves a certain interest
in the troops of all arms beginning to pass the hotel。 They were
fragments of the great parade； which had ended the day before； and they
were now drifting back to their several quarters of the empire。 Many of
them were very picturesque； and they had for the boys and girls running
before and beside them； the charm which armies and circus processions
have for children everywhere。 But their passage filled with cruel
anxiety a large old dog whom his master had left harnessed to a milk…cart
before the hotel door； from time to time he lifted up his voice； and
called to the absentee with hoarse； deep barks that almost shook him from
his feet。
The day continued blue and bright and cold； and the Marches gave the
morning to a rapid survey of the city； glad that it was at least not wet。
What afterwards chiefly remained to them was the impression of an old
town as quaint almost and as Gothic as old Hamburg； and a new town；
handsome and regular； and； in the sudden arrest of some streets；
apparently overbuilt。 The modern architectural taste was of course
Parisian； there is no other taste for the Germans； but in the prevailing
absence of statues there was a relief from the most oppressive
characteristic of the imperial capital which was a positive delight。
Some sort of monument to the national victory over France there must have
been； but it must have been unusually inoffensive； for it left no record
of itself in the travellers' consciousness。 They were aware of gardened
squares and avenues； bordered by stately dwellings； of dignified civic
edifices； and of a vast arid splendid railroad station； such as the state
builds even in minor European cities； but such as our paternal
corporations have not yet given us anywhere in America。 They went to the
Zoological Garden； where they heard the customary Kalmucks at their
public prayers behind a high board fence； and as pilgrims from the most
plutrocratic country in the world March insisted that they must pay their
devoirs at the shrine of the Rothschilds； whose natal banking…house they
revered from the outside。
It was a pity； he said； that the Rothschilds were not on his letter of
credit； he would have been willing to pay tribute to the Genius of
Finance in the percentage on at least ten pounds。 But he consoled
himself by reflecting that he did not need the money； and he consoled
Mrs。 March for their failure to penetrate to the interior of the
Rothschilds' birthplace by taking her to see the house where Goethe was
born。 The public is apparently much more expected there； and in the
friendly place they were no doubt much more welcome than they would have
been in the Rothschild house。 Under that roof they renewed a happy
moment of Weimar； which after the lapse of a week seemed already so
remote。 They wondered； as they mounted the stairs from the basement
opening into a clean little court； how Burnamy was getting on； and
whether it had yet come to that understanding between him and Agatha；
which Mrs。 March； at least； had meant to be inevitable。 Then they became
part of some such sight…seeing retinue as followed the custodian about in
the Goethe horse in Weimar； and of an emotion indistinguishable from that
of their fellow sight…seers。 They could make sure； afterwards； of a
personal pleasure in a certain prescient classicism of the house。 It
somehow recalled both the Goethe houses at Weimar； and it somehow
recalled Italy。 It is a separate house of two floors above the entrance；
which opens to a little court or yard； and gives access by a decent
stairway to the living…rooms。 The chief of these is a sufficiently
dignified parlor or salon； and the most important is the little chamber
in the third story where the poet first opened his eyes to the light
which he rejoiced in for so long a life； and which； dying； he implored to
be with him more。 It is as large as his death…chamber in Weimar； where
he breathed this prayer； and it looks down into the Italian…looking
court； where probably he noticed the world for the first time； and
thought it a paved enclosure thirty or forty feet square。 In the birth…
room they keep his puppet theatre； and the place is fairly suggestive of
his childhood； later； in his youth； he could look from the parlor windows
and see the house where his earliest love dwelt。 So much remains of
Goethe in the place where he was born； and as such things go； it is not a
little。 The house is that of a prosperous and well…placed citizen； and
speaks of the senatorial quality in his family which Heine says he was
fond of recalling； rather than the sartorial quality of the ancestor who；
again as Heine says； mended the Republic's breeches。
From the Goethe house； one drives by the Goethe monument to the Romer；
the famous town…hall of the old free imperial city which Frankfort once
was； and by this route the Marches drove to it； agreeing with their
coachman that he was to keep as much in the sun as possible。 It was
still so cold that when they reached the Romer； and he stopped in a broad
blaze of the only means of heating that they have in Frankfort in the
summer； the travellers were loath to leave it for the chill interior；
where the German emperors were elected for so many centuries。 As soon as
an emperor was chosen； in the great hall effigied round with the
portraits of his predecessors； he hurried out in the balcony； ostensibly
to show himself to the people； but really； March contended； to warm up a
little in the sun。 The balcony was undergoing repairs that day； and the
travellers could not go out on it； but under the spell of the historic
interest of the beautiful old Gothic place； they lingered in the interior
till they were half…torpid with the cold。 Then she abandoned to him the
joint duty of viewing the cathedral； and hurried to their carriage where
she basked in the sun till he came to her。 He returned shivering； after
a half…hour's absence； and pretended that she had missed the greatest
thing in the world； but as he could never be got to say just what she had
lost； and under the closest cross…examination could not prove that this
cathedral was memorably different from hundreds of other fourteenth…
century cathedrals； she remained in a lasting content with the easier
part she had chosen。 His only definite impression at the cathedral
seemed to be confined to a Bostonian of gloomily correct type； whom he
had seen doing it with his Baedeker； and not letting