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with their cottages； and not held in vast homeless tracts by the nobles
as in North Germany。
The Bavarian who had imparted this fact to March at breakfast； not
without a certain tacit pride in it to the disadvantage of the Prussians；
was at the supper table； and was disposed to more talk； which he managed
in a stout； slow English of his own。 He said he had never really spoken
English with an English…speaking person before； or at all since he
studied it in school at Munich。
〃I should be afraid to put my school…boy German against your English；〃
March said； and； when he had understood； the other laughed for pleasure；
and reported the compliment to his wife in their own parlance。 〃You
Germans certainly beat us in languages。〃
〃Oh； well；〃 he retaliated； 〃the Americans beat us in some other things；〃
and Mrs。 March felt that this was but just； she would have liked to
mention a few； but not ungraciously； she and the German lady kept smiling
across the table； and trying detached vocables of their respective
tongues upon each other。
The Bavarian said he lived in Munich still； but was in Ansbach on an
affair of business； he asked March if he were not going to see the
manoeuvres somewhere。 Till now the manoeuvres had merely been the
interesting background of their travel； but now； hearing that the Emperor
of Germany； the King of Saxony； the Regent of Bavaria； and the King of
Wurtemberg； the Grand…Dukes of Weimar and Baden； with visiting potentates
of all sorts； and innumerable lesser highhotes； foreign and domestic；
were to be present； Mrs。 March resolved that they must go to at least one
of the reviews。
〃If you go to Frankfort； you can see the King of Italy too；〃 said the
Bavarian； but he owned that they probably could not get into a hotel
there； and he asked why they should not go to Wurzburg； where they could
see all the sovereigns except the King of Italy。
〃Wurzburg？ Wurzburg？〃 March queried of his wife。 〃Where did we hear of
that place？〃
〃Isn't it where Burnamy said Mr。 Stoller had left his daughters at
school？〃
〃So it is！ And is that on the way to the Rhine？〃 he asked the Bavarian。
〃No； no！ Wurzburg is on the Main； about five hours from Ansbach。 And it
is a very interesting place。 It is where the good wine comes from。〃
〃Oh； yes；〃 said March； and in their rooms his wife got out all their
guides and maps and began to inform herself and to inform him about
Wurzburg。 But first she said it was very cold and he must order some
fire made in the tall German stove in their parlor。 The maid who came
said 〃Gleich；〃 but she did not come back； and about the time they were
getting furious at her neglect； they began getting warm。 He put his hand
on the stove and found it hot； then he looked down for a door in the
stove where he might shut a damper； there was no door。
〃Good heavens！〃 he shouted。 〃It's like something in a dream；〃 and he ran
to pull the bell for help。
〃No； no！ Don't ring！ It will make us ridiculous。 They'll think
Americans don't know anything。 There must be some way of dampening the
stove； and if there isn't； I'd rather suffocate than give myself away。〃
Mrs。 March ran and opened the window； while her husband carefully
examined the stove at every point； and explored the pipe for the damper
in vain。 〃Can't you find it？〃 The night wind came in raw and damp； and
threatened to blow their lamp out； and she was obliged to shut the
window。
〃Not a sign of it。 I will go down and ask the landlord in strict
confidence how they dampen their stoves in Ansbach。〃
〃Well； if you must。 It's getting hotter every moment。〃 She followed him
timorously into the corridor； lit by a hanging lamp； turned low for the
night。
He looked at his watch； it was eleven o'clock。 〃I'm afraid they're all
in bed。〃
〃Yes； you mustn't go！ We must try to find out for ourselves。 What can
that door be for？〃
It was a low iron door； half the height of a man； in the wall near their
room； and it yielded to his pull。 〃Get a candle；〃 he whispered； and when
she brought it； he stooped to enter the doorway。
〃Oh； do you think you'd better？〃 she hesitated。
〃You can come； too； if you're afraid。 You've always said you wanted to
die with me。〃
〃Well。 But you go first。〃
He disappeared within； and then came back to the doorway。 〃Just come in
here； a moment。〃 She found herself in a sort of antechamber； half the
height of her own room； and following his gesture she looked down where
in one corner some crouching monster seemed showing its fiery teeth in a
grin of derision。 This grin was the damper of their stove； and this was
where the maid had kindled the fire which had been roasting them alive；
and was still joyously chuckling to itself。 〃I think that Munich man was
wrong。 I don't believe we beat the Germans in anything。 There isn't a
hotel in the United States where the stoves have no front doors； and
every one of them has the space of a good…sized flat given up to the
convenience of kindling a fire in it。〃
L。
After a red sunset of shameless duplicity March was awakened to a rainy
morning by the clinking of cavalry hoofs on the pavement of the long…
irregular square before the hotel； and he hurried out to see the passing
of the soldiers on their way to the manoeuvres。 They were troops of all
arms； but mainly infantry； and as they stumped heavily through the groups
of apathetic citizens in their mud…splashed boots； they took the steady
downpour on their dripping helmets。 Some of them were smoking； but none
smiling； except one gay fellow who made a joke to a serving…maid on the
sidewalk。 An old officer halted his staff to scold a citizen who had
given him a mistaken direction。 The shame of the erring man was great；
and the pride of a fellow…citizen who corrected him was not less； though
the arrogant brute before whom they both cringed used them with equal
scorn； the younger officers listened indifferently round on horseback
behind the glitter of their eyeglasses； and one of them amused himself by
turning the silver bangles on his wrist。
Then the files of soldier slaves passed on； and March crossed the bridge
spanning the gardens in what had been the city moat； and found his way to
the market…place； under the walls of the old Gothic church of St。
Gumpertus。 The market； which spread pretty well over the square； seemed
to be also a fair； with peasants' clothes and local pottery for sale；
as well as fruits and vegetables； and large baskets of flowers； with old
women squatting before them。 It was all as picturesque as the markets
used to be in Montreal and Quebec； and in a cloudy memory of his wedding
journey long before； he bought so lavishly of the flowers to carry back
to his wife that a little girl； who saw his arm…load from her window as
he returned； laughed at him； and then drew shyly back。 Her laugh
reminded him how many happy children he had seen in Germany； and how
freely they seemed to play everywhere； with no one to make them afraid。
When they grow up the women laugh as little as the men； whose rude toil
the soldiering leaves them to。
He got home with his flowers； and his wife took them absently； and made
him join her in watching the sight which had fascinated her in the street
under their windows。 A slender girl； with a waist as slim as a corseted
officer's； from time to time came out of the house across the way to the
firewood which had been thrown from a wagon upon the sidewalk there。
Each time she embraced several of the heavy four…foot logs and
disappeared with them in…doors。 Once she paused from her work to joke
with a well…dressed man who came by； and seemed to find nothing odd in
her work； some gentlemen lounging at the window over head watched her
with no apparent sense of anomaly。
〃What do you think of that？〃 asked Mrs。 March。 〃I think it's good
exercise for the girl； and I should like to recommend it to those fat
fellows at the window。 I suppose she'll saw the wood in the cellar； and
then lug it up stairs； and pile it up in the stoves' dressing…rooms。〃
〃Don't laugh！ It's too disgraceful。〃
〃Well； I don't know！ If you like； I'll offer these gentlemen across the
way your opinion of it in the language of Goethe and Schiller。〃
〃I wish you'd offer my opinion of them。 They've been staring in here
with an opera…glass。〃
〃Ah； that's a different affair。 There isn't much going on in Ansbach；
and they have to make the most of it。〃
The lower casements of the houses were furnished with mirrors set at
right angles with them； and nothing which went on in the streets was
lost。 Some of the streets were long and straight； and at rare moments
they lay full of sun。 At such times the Marches were puzzled by the
sight of citizens carrying open umbrellas； and they wondered if they had
forgotten to put them down； or thought it not worth while in the brief
respites from the rain； or were profiting by such rare occasions to dry
them； and some other sights remained baffling to the last。 Once a man
with his hands pinioned before him； and a gendarme marching stolidly
after him with his musket on his shoulder； passed under their windows；
but who he was； or what he； had