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officers as they passed on through the adjoining room。
〃My dear！〃 cried Mrs。 March。 〃Didn't you suppose he classed us with
Burnamy in that business？ Why should he be polite to us？〃
〃Perhaps he wants you to chaperon his daughters。 He's probably heard of
your performance at the Kurhaus ball。 But he knows that I thought
Burnamy in the wrong。 This may be Stoller's way of wiping out an
obligation。 Wouldn't you like to go with him？〃
〃The mere thought of his being in the same town is prostrating。 I'd far
rather he hated us； then he would avoid us。〃
〃Well； he doesn't own the town； and if it comes to the worst； perhaps we
can avoid him。 Let us go out； anyway； and see if we can't。〃
〃No； no； I'm too tired； but you go。 And get all the maps and guides you
can； there's so very little in Baedeker； and almost nothing in that great
hulking Bradshaw of yours； and I'm sure there must be the most
interesting history of Wurzburg。 Isn't it strange that we haven't the
slightest association with the name？〃
〃I've been rummaging in my mind； and I've got hold of an association at
last；〃 said March。 〃It's beer； a sign in a Sixth Avenue saloon window
Wurzburger Hof…Brau。〃
〃No matter if it is beer。 Find some sketch of the history； and we'll try
to get away from the Stollers in it。 I pitied those wild girls； too。
What crazy images of the world must fill their empty minds！ How their
ignorant thoughts must go whirling out into the unknown！ I don't envy
their father。 Do hurry back！ I shall be thinking about them every
instant till you come。〃
She said this； but in their own rooms it was so soothing to sit looking
through the long twilight at the lovely landscape that the sort of bruise
given by their encounter with the Stollers had left her consciousness
before March returned。 She made him admire first the convent church on a
hill further up the river which exactly balanced the fortress in front of
them； and then she seized upon the little books he had brought； and set
him to exploring the labyrinths of their German； with a mounting
exultation in his discoveries。 There was a general guide to the city；
and a special guide； with plans and personal details of the approaching
manoeuvres and the princes who were to figure in them； and there was a
sketch of the local history： a kind of thing that the Germans know how to
write particularly； well； with little gleams of pleasant humor blinking
through it。 For the study of this； Mrs。 March realized； more and more
passionately； that they were in the very most central and convenient
point； for the history of Wurzburg might be said to have begun with her
prince…bishops； whose rule had begun in the twelfth century； and who had
built； on a forgotten Roman work； the fortress of the Marienburg on that
vineyarded hill over against the Swan Inn。 There had of course been
history before that； but 'nothing so clear； nothing so peculiarly swell；
nothing that so united the glory of this world and the next as that of
the prince…bishops。 They had made the Marienburg their home； and kept it
against foreign and domestic foes for five hundred years。 Shut within
its well…armed walls they had awed the often…turbulent city across the
Main； they had held it against the embattled farmers in the Peasants'
War； and had splendidly lost it to Gustavus Adolphus； and then got it
back again and held it till Napoleon took it from them。 He gave it with
their flock to the Bavarians； who in turn briefly yielded it to the
Prussians in 1866； and were now in apparently final possession of it。
Before the prince…bishops； Charlemagne and Barbarossa had come and gone；
and since the prince…bishops there had been visiting thrones and kingdoms
enough in the ancient city； which was soon to be illustrated by the
presence of imperial Germany； royal； Wirtemberg and Saxony； grand…ducal
Baden and Weimar； and a surfeit of all the minor potentates among those
who speak the beautiful language of the Ja。
But none of these could dislodge the prince…bishops from that supreme
place which they had at once taken in Mrs。 March's fancy。 The potentates
were all going to be housed in the vast palace which the prince…bishops
had built themselves in Wurzburg as soon as they found it safe to come
down from their stronghold of Marienburg； and begin to adorn their city；
and to confirm it in its intense fidelity to the Church。 Tiepolo had
come up out of Italy to fresco their palace； where he wrought year after
year； in that worldly taste which has somehow come to express the most
sovereign moment of ecclesiasticism。 It prevailed so universally in
Wurzburg that it left her with the name of the Rococo City； intrenched in
a period of time equally remote from early Christianity and modern
Protestantism。 Out of her sixty thousand souls； only ten thousand are
now of the reformed religion； and these bear about the same relation to
the Catholic spirit of the place that the Gothic architecture bears to
the baroque。
As long as the prince…bishops lasted the Wurzburgers got on very well
with but one newspaper； and perhaps the smallest amount of merrymaking
known outside of the colony of Massachusetts Bay at the same epoch。 The
prince…bishops had their finger in everybody's pie； and they portioned
out the cakes and ale； which were made according to formulas of their
own。 The distractions were all of a religious character； churches；
convents； monasteries； abounded； ecclesiastical processions and
solemnities were the spectacles that edified if they did not amuse the
devout population。
It seemed to March an ironical outcome of all this spiritual severity
that one of the greatest modern scientific discoveries should have been
made in Wurzburg； and that the Roentgen rays should now be giving her
name a splendor destined to eclipse the glories of her past。
Mrs。 March could not allow that they would do so； or at least that the
name of Roentgen would ever lend more lustre to his city than that of
Longfellow's Walther von der Vogelweide。 She was no less surprised than
pleased to realize that this friend of the birds was a Wurzburger； and
she said that their first pilgrimage in the morning should be to the
church where he lies buried。
LIII。
March went down to breakfast not quite so early as his wife had planned；
and left her to have her coffee in her room。 He got a pleasant table in
the gallery overlooking the river； and he decided that the landscape；
though it now seemed to be rather too much studied from a drop…certain；
had certainly lost nothing of its charm in the clear morning light。 The
waiter brought his breakfast； and after a little delay came back with a
card which he insisted was for March。 It was not till he put on his
glasses and read the name of Mr。 R。 M。 Kenby that he was able at all to
agree with the waiter； who stood passive at his elbow。
〃Well；〃 he said； 〃why wasn't this card sent up last night？〃
The waiter explained that the gentleman had just； given him his card；
after asking March's nationality； and was then breakfasting in the next
room。 March caught up his napkin and ran round the partition wall； and
Kenby rose with his napkin and hurried to meet him。
〃I thought it must be you；〃 he called out； joyfully； as they struck their
extended hands together； 〃but so many people look alike； nowadays； that I
don't trust my eyes any more。〃
Kenby said he had spent the time since they last met partly in Leipsic
and partly in Gotha； where he had amused himself in rubbing up his rusty
German。 As soon as he realized that Wurzburg was so near he had slipped
down from Gotha for a glimpse of the manoeuvres。 He added that he
supposed March was there to see them； and he asked with a quite
unembarrassed smile if they had met Mr。 Adding in Carlsbad； and without
heeding March's answer； he laughed and added： 〃Of course； I know she must
have told Mrs。 March all about it。〃
March could not deny this； he laughed； too； though in his wife's absence
he felt bound to forbid himself anything more explicit。
〃I don't give it up； you know；〃 Kenby went on； with perfect ease。 〃I'm
not a young fellow； if you call thirty…nine old。〃
〃At my age I don't；〃 March put in； and they roared together； in men's
security from the encroachments of time。
〃But she happens to be the only woman I've ever really wanted to marry；
for more than a few days at a stretch。 You know how it is with us。〃
〃Oh； yes； I know；〃 said March； and they shouted again。
〃We're in love； and we're out of love； twenty times。 But this isn't a
mere fancy； it's a conviction。 And there's no reason why she shouldn't
marry me。〃
March smiled gravely； and his smile was not lost upon Kenby。 〃You mean
the boy；〃 he said。 〃Well； I like Rose；〃 and now March really felt swept
from his feet。 〃She doesn't deny that she likes me； but she seems to
think that her marrying again will take her from him； the fact is； it
will only give me to him。 As for devoting her whole life to him； she
couldn't do a worse thing for him。 What the boy needs is a man's care；
and a man's will Good heavens！ You don't think I could ever be unkind
to the little soul？〃 Kenby threw himself f