Hewas，infact，nottheleastcuriousforthesight，andtheonlythingthatreallytroubledhimwasthequestionofhowheshouldjustifyhisrecreancetohiswife。Thisdidalloythepleasurewithwhichhebegan，afteranexcellentbreakfastataneighboringcaf？tostrollaboutthestreets，thoughhehadthemalmosttohimself，somanycitizenshadfollowedthesoldierstothemanoeuvres。
Itwasnottillthesoldiersbeganreturningfromthemanoeuvres，dusty-
footed，andinwhitecanvasoverallsdrawnovertheirtrouserstosavethem，thathewentbacktoMrs。MarchandMissTriscoeattheSwan。Hehadgiventhemtimeenoughtoimaginehimatthereview，andtowonderwhetherhehadseenGeneralTriscoeandtheStollersthere，andtheymethimwithsuchconfidentinquiriesthathewouldnotundeceivethematonce。Heletthemdivinefromhisinventiveanswersthathehadnotgonetothemanoeuvres，whichputtheminthebesthumorwiththemselves，andthegirlsaiditwassocoldandroughthatshewishedherfatherhadnotgone，either。Thegeneralappearedjustbeforedinnerandfranklyavowedthesamewish。Hewasraspingandwheezingfromthedustwhichfilledhislungs；helookedblownandred，andhewastooangrywiththecompanyhehadbeenintohaveanycommentsonthemanoeuvres。HereferredtothemilitarychieflyinrelationtotheMissStollers’ineffectualflirtations，whichhedeclaredhadbeenoutrageous。Theirfatherhadapparentlynocontroloverthemwhatever，orelsewastooignoranttoknowthattheyweremisbehaving。Theywerewithoutrespectorreverenceforanyone；theyhadtalkedtoGeneralTriscoeasifhewereaboyoftheirownage，oradotardwhomnobodyneedmind；theyhadnotonlykeptuptheirfoolishbabblebeforehim，theyhadlaughedandgiggled，theyhadbrokenintosnatchesofAmericansong，theyhadallbutwhistledanddanced。TheymadeloudcommentsinIllinoisEnglish——onthecutenessoftheofficerswhomtheyadmired，andtheyhadatonetimeactuallygotouttheirhandkerchiefs。Hesupposedtheymeanttowavethemattheofficers，butatthelookhegavethemtheymerelyputtheirhatstogetherandsnickeredinderisionofhim。TheywereAmericangirlsoftheworsttype；theyconformedtonostandardofbehavior；theirconductwaspersonal。Theyoughttobetakenhome。
Mrs。Marchsaidshesawwhathemeant，andsheagreedwithhimthattheywerealtogetherunformed，andweretheeffectoftheirownignorantcaprices。Probably，however，itwastoolatetoamendthembytakingthemaway。
“Itwouldhidethem，atanyrate。”heanswered。“Theywouldsinkbackintothegreatmassofourvulgarity，andnotbenoticed。Webehavelikeaparcelofpeasantswithourwomen。Wethinkthatifnoharmismeantorthought，wemayriskanysortofappearance，andwedothingsthatarescandalouslyimpropersimplybecausetheyareinnocent。Thatmaybeallverywellathome，butpeoplewhopreferthatsortofthinghadbetterstaythere，whereourpeasantmannerswon’tmakethemconspicuous。”