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and a man's will Good heavens！ You don't think I could ever be unkind
to the little soul？〃 Kenby threw himself forward over the table。
〃My dear fellow！〃 March protested。
〃I'd rather cut off my right hand！ 〃 Kenby pursued； excitedly； and then
he said； with a humorous drop： 〃The fact is； I don't believe I should
want her so much if I couldn't have Rose too。 I want to have them both。
So far； I've only got no for an answer； but I'm not going to keep it。
I had a letter from Rose at Carlsbad； the other day； and〃
The waiter came forward with a folded scrap of paper on his salver； which
March knew must be from his wife。 〃What is keeping you so？〃 she wrote。
〃I am all ready。〃 〃It's from Mrs。 March；〃 he explained to Kenby。 〃I am
going out with her on some errands。 I'm awfully glad to see you again。
We must talk it all over； and you mustyou mustn'tMrs。 March will want
to see you laterIAre you in the hotel？〃
〃Oh yes。 I'll see you at the one…o'clock table d'hote； I suppose。〃
March went away with his head whirling in the question whether he should
tell his wife at once of Kenby's presence； or leave her free for the
pleasures of Wurzburg； till he could shape the fact into some safe and
acceptable form。 She met him at the door with her guide…books； wraps and
umbrellas； and would hardly give him time to get on his hat and coat。
〃Now； I want you to avoid the Stollers as far as you can see them。 This
is to be a real wedding…journey day； with no extraneous acquaintance to
bother； the more strangers the better。 Wurzburg is richer than anything
I imagined。 I've looked it all up； I've got the plan of the city； so
that we can easily find the way。 We'll walk first； and take carriages
whenever we get tired。 We'll go to the cathedral at once； I want a good
gulp of rococo to begin with； there wasn't half enough of it at Ansbach。
Isn't it strange how we've come round to it？〃
She referred to that passion for the Gothic which they had obediently
imbibed from Ruskin in the days of their early Italian travel and
courtship； when all the English…speaking world bowed down to him in
devout aversion from the renaissance； and pious abhorrence of the rococo。
〃What biddable little things we were！〃 she went on； while March was
struggling to keep Kenby in the background of his consciousness。
〃The rococo must have always had a sneaking charm for us； when we were
pinning our faith to pointed arches； and yet I suppose we were perfectly
sincere。 Oh； look at that divinely ridiculous Madonna！〃 They were now
making their way out of the crooked footway behind their hotel toward the
street leading to the cathedral； and she pointed to the Blessed Virgin
over the door of some religious house； her drapery billowing about her
feet； her body twisting to show the sculptor's mastery of anatomy； and
the halo held on her tossing head with the help of stout gilt rays。 In
fact； the Virgin's whole figure was gilded； and so was that of the child
in her arms。 〃Isn't she delightful？〃
〃I see what you mean；〃 said March； with a dubious glance at the statue；
〃but I'm not sure； now； that I wouldn't like something quieter in my
Madonnas。〃
The thoroughfare which they emerged upon； with the cathedral ending the
prospective； was full of the holiday so near at hand。 The narrow
sidewalks were thronged with people； both soldiers and civilians； and up
the middle of the street detachments of military came and went； halting
the little horse…cars and the huge beer…wagons which otherwise seemed to
have the sole right to the streets of Wurzburg； they came jingling or
thundering out of the aide streets and hurled themselves round the
corners reckless of the passers； who escaped alive by flattening
themselves like posters against the house walls。 There were peasants；
men and women； in the costume which the unbroken course of their country
life had kept as quaint as it was a hundred years before； there were
citizens in the misfits of the latest German fashions； there were
soldiers of all arms in their vivid uniforms； and from time to time there
were pretty young girls in white dresses with low necks； and bare arms
gloved to the elbows； who were following a holiday custom of the place in
going about the streets in ball costume。 The shop windows were filled
with portraits of the Emperor and the Empress； and the Prince…Regent and
the ladies of his family； the German and Bavarian colors draped the
facades of the houses and festooned the fantastic Madonnas posing above
so many portals。 The modern patriotism included the ancient piety
without disturbing it； the rococo city remained ecclesiastical through
its new imperialism； and kept the stamp given it by the long rule of the
prince…bishops under the sovereignty of its King and the suzerainty of
its Kaiser。
The Marches escaped from the present； when they entered the cathedral； as
wholly as if they had taken hold of the horns of the altar； though they
were far from literally doing this in an interior so grandiose。 There
area few rococo churches in Italy； and perhaps more in Spain； which
approach the perfection achieved by the Wurzburg cathedral in the baroque
style。 For once one sees what that style can do in architecture and
sculpture； and whatever one may say of the details； one cannot deny that
there is a prodigiously effective keeping in it all。 This interior came
together； as the decorators say； with a harmony that the travellers had
felt nowhere in their earlier experience of the rococo。 It was；
unimpeachably perfect in its way； 〃Just；〃 March murmured to his wife；
〃as the social and political and scientific scheme of the eighteenth
century was perfected in certain times and places。 But the odd thing is
to find the apotheosis of the rococo away up here in Germany。 I wonder
how much the prince…bishops really liked it。 But they had become rococo；
too！ Look at that row of their statues on both sides of the nave！ What
magnificent swell！ How they abash this poor plain Christ； here； he would
like to get behind the pillar； he knows that he could never lend himself
to the baroque style。 It expresses the eighteenth century； though。 But
how you long for some little hint of the thirteenth； or even the
nineteenth。〃
〃I don't；〃 she whispered back。 〃I'm perfectly wild with Wurzburg。
I like to have a thing go as far as it can。 At Nuremberg I wanted all
the Gothic I could get； and in Wurzburg I want all the baroque I can get。
I am consistent。〃
She kept on praising herself to his disadvantage； as women do； all the
way to the Neumunster Church； where they were going to revere the tomb of
Walther yon der Vogelweide； not so much for his own sake as for
Longfellow's。 The older poet lies buried within； but his monument is
outside the church； perhaps for the greater convenience of the sparrows；
which now represent the birds he loved。 The cenotaph is surmounted by a
broad vase； and around this are thickly perched the effigies of the
Meistersinger's feathered friends； from whom the canons of the church； as
Mrs。 March read aloud from her Baedeker； long ago directed his bequest to
themselves。 In revenge for their lawless greed the defrauded
beneficiaries choose to burlesque the affair by looking like the four…
and…twenty blackbirds when the pie was opened。
She consented to go for a moment to the Gothic Marienkapelle with her
husband in the revival of his mediaeval taste； and she was rewarded
amidst its thirteenth…century sincerity by his recantation。 〃You are
right！ Baroque is the thing for Wurzburg； one can't enjoy Gothic here
any more than one could enjoy baroque in Nuremberg。〃
Reconciled in the rococo； they now called a carriage； and went to visit
the palace of the prince…bishops who had so well known how to make the
heavenly take the image and superscription of the worldly； and they were
jointly indignant to find it shut against the public in preparation for
the imperialities and royalties coining to occupy it。 They were in time
for the noon guard…mounting； however； and Mrs。 March said that the way
the retiring squad kicked their legs out in the high martial step of the
German soldiers was a perfect expression of the insolent militarism of
their empire； and was of itself enough to make one thank Heaven that one
was an American and a republican。 She softened a little toward their
system when it proved that the garden of the palace was still open； and
yet more when she sank down upon a bench between two marble groups
representing the Rape of Proserpine and the Rape of Europa。 They stood
each in a gravelled plot； thickly overrun by a growth of ivy； and the
vine climbed the white naked limbs of the nymphs； who were present on a
pretence of gathering flowers； but really to pose at the spectators； and
clad them to the waist and shoulders with an effect of modesty never
meant by the sculptor； but not displeasing。 There was an old fountain
near； its stone rim and centre of rock…work green with immemorial mould；
and its basin quivering between its water…plants under the soft fall of
spray。 At a waft of fitful breeze some leaves of early autumn fell from
the trees overhead upon the elderly pair where th