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store。 You ought to have told her you had a married daughter in Chicago。
Don't miss another such chance。〃
〃We shall need another bag if we keep on buying books at this rate；〃 said
his wife with tranquil irrelevance； and not to give him time for protest；
she pushed him into a shop where the valises in the window perhaps
suggested her thought。 March made haste to forestall her there by saying
they were Americans； but the mistress of the shop seemed to have her
misgivings； and 〃Born Americans； perhaps？〃 she ventured。 She had
probably never met any but the naturalized sort； and supposed these were
the only sort。 March re…assured her； and then she said she had a son
living in Jersey City； and she made March take his address that he might
tell him he had seen his mother； she had apparently no conception what a
great way Jersey City is from New York。
Mrs。 March would not take his arm when they came out。 〃Now； that is what
I never can get used to in you； Basil； and I've tried to palliate it for
twenty…seven years。 You know you won't look up that poor woman's son！
Why did you let her think you would？〃
〃How could I tell her I wouldn't？ Perhaps I shall。〃
〃No； no！ You never will。 I know you're good and kind； and that's why I
can't understand your being so cruel。 When we get back； how will you
ever find time to go over to Jersey City？〃
He could not tell； but at last he said ： 〃I'll tell yon what！ You must
keep me up to it。 You know how much you enjoy making me do my duty； and
this will be such a pleasure！〃
She laughed forlornly； but after a moment she took his arm； and he began；
from the example of this good mother； to philosophize the continuous
simplicity and sanity of the people of Ansbach under all their civic
changes。 Saints and soldiers； knights and barons； margraves； princes；
kings； emperors； had come and gone； and left their single…hearted；
friendly subjectfolk pretty much what they found them。 The people had
suffered and survived through a thousand wars； and apparently prospered
on under all governments and misgovernments。 When the court was most
French； most artificial； most vicious； the citizen life must have
remained immutably German； dull； and kind。 After all； he said； humanity
seemed everywhere to be pretty safe； and pretty much the same。
〃Yes； that is all very well；〃 she returned； 〃and you can theorize
interestingly enough； but I'm afraid that poor mother； there； had no more
reality for you than those people in the past。 You appreciate her as a
type； and you don't care for her as a human being。 You're nothing but a
dreamer； after all。 I don't blame you；〃 she went on。 〃It's your
temperament； and you can't change； now。〃
〃I may change for the worse；〃 he threatened。 〃I think I have； already。
I don't believe I could stand up to Dryfoos； now； as I did for poor old
Lindau； when I risked your bread and butter for his。 I look back in
wonder and admiration at myself。 I've steadily lost touch with life
since then。 I'm a trifler； a dilettante； and an amateur of the right and
the good as I used to be when I was young。 Oh； I have the grace to be
troubled at times； now； and once I never was。 It never occurred to me
then that the world wasn't made to interest me； or at the best to
instruct me； but it does； now； at times。〃
She always came to his defence when he accused himself； it was the best
ground he could take with her。 〃I think you behaved very well with
Burnamy。 You did your duty then。〃
〃Did I？ I'm not so sure。 At any rate； it's the last time I shall do it。
I've served my term。 I think I should tell him that he was all right in
that business with Stoller； if I were to meet him； now。〃
〃Isn't it strange；〃 she said； provisionally； 〃that we don't come upon a
trace of him anywhere in Ansbach？〃
〃Ah； you've been hoping he would turn up！〃
〃Yes。 I don't deny it。 I feel very unhappy about him。〃
〃I don't。 He's too much like me。 He would have been quite capable of
promising that poor woman to look up her son in Jersey City。 When I
think of that； I have no patience with Burnamy。〃
〃I am going to ask the landlord about him； now he's got rid of his
highhotes；〃 said Mrs。 March。
XLIX。
They went home to their hotel for their midday dinner； and to the comfort
of having it nearly all to themselves。 Prince Leopold had risen early；
like all the hard…working potentates of the continent； and got away to
the manoeuvres somewhere at six o'clock； the decorations had been
removed； and the court…yard where the hired coach and pair of the prince
had rolled in the evening before had only a few majestic ducks waddling
about in it and quacking together； indifferent to the presence of a
yellow mail…wagon； on which the driver had been apparently dozing till
the hour of noon should sound。 He sat there immovable； but at the last
stroke of the clock he woke up and drove vigorously away to the station。
The dining…room which they had been kept out of by the prince the night
before was not such as to embitter the sense of their wrong by its
splendor。 After all； the tastes of royalty must be simple； if the prince
might have gone to the Schloss and had chosen rather to stay at this
modest hotel； but perhaps the Schloss was reserved for more immediate
royalty than the brothers of prince…regents； and in that case he could
not have done better than dine at the Golden Star。 If he paid no more
than two marks； he dined as cheaply as a prince could wish； and as
abundantly。 The wine at Ansbach was rather thin and sour； but the bread；
March declared； was the best bread in the whole world； not excepting the
bread of Carlsbad。
After dinner the Marches had some of the local pastry； not so
incomparable as the bread； with their coffee； which they had served them
in a pavilion of the beautiful garden remaining to the hotel from the
time when it was a patrician mansion。 The garden had roses in it and
several sorts of late summer flowers； as well as ripe cherries； currants；
grapes； and a Virginia…creeper red with autumn； all harmoniously
contemporaneous； as they might easily be in a climate where no one of the
seasons can very well know itself from the others。 It had not been
raining for half an hour； and the sun was scalding hot； so that the
shelter of their roof was very grateful； and the puddles of the paths
were drying up with the haste which puddles have to make in Germany；
between rains； if they are ever going to dry up at all。
The landlord came out to see if they were well served； and he was
sincerely obliging in the English he had learned as a waiter in London。
Mrs。 March made haste to ask him if a young American of the name of
Burnamy had been staying with him a few weeks before； and she described
Burnamy's beauty and amiability so vividly that the landlord； if he had
been a woman； could not have failed to remember him。 But he failed； with
a real grief； apparently； and certainly a real politeness； to recall
either his name or his person。 The landlord was an intelligent； good…
looking young fellow； he told them that he was lately married； and they
liked him so much that they were sorry to see him afterwards privately
boxing the ears of the piccolo； the waiter's little understudy。 Perhaps
the piccolo deserved it； but they would rather not have witnessed his
punishment； his being in a dress…coat seemed to make it also an
indignity。
In the late afternoon they went to the caf？in the old Orangery of the
Schloss for a cup of tea； and found themselves in the company of several
Ansbach ladies who had brought their work； in the evident habit of coming
there every afternoon for their coffee and for a dish of gossip。 They
were kind； uncomely； motherly…looking bodies； one of them combed her hair
at the table； and they all sat outside of the caf？with their feet on the
borders of the puddles which had not dried up there in the shade of the
building。
A deep lawn； darkened at its farther edge by the long shadows of trees；
stretched before them with the sunset light on it； and it was all very
quiet and friendly。 The tea brought to the Marches was brewed from some
herb apparently of native growth； with bits of what looked like willow
leaves in it； but it was flavored with a clove in each cup； and they sat
contentedly over it and tried to make out what the Ansbach ladies were；
talking about。 These had recognized the strangers for Americans； and one
of them explained that Americans spoke the same language as the English
and yet were not quite the same people。
〃She differs from the girl in the book…store；〃 said March； translating to
his wife。 〃Let us get away before she says that we are not so nice as
the English；〃 and they made off toward the avenue of trees beyond the
lawn。
There were a few people walking up and down in the alley； making the most
of the moment of dry weather。 They saluted one another like
acquaintances； and three clean…shaven； walnut…faced old peasants bowed in
response to March's stare； with a self…respectful civility。 They were
yeomen of the region of Ansbach； where the country round about is dotted
with their cottages； and not held in vast homeless tracts by