ItwasfallingnightwhentheyreachedWeimar，wheretheyfoundatthestationaprovisionofomnibusesfarbeyondthehotelaccommodations。
TheydrovefirsttotheCrown-Prince，whichwasinapromisingstateofreparation，butwhichforthepresentcouldonlywelcomethemtoanapartmentwhereacanvascurtaincutthemofffromafreshlyplasteredwall。Thelandlorddeploredthefact，andsenthospitablyouttotryandplacethemattheElephant。ButtheElephantwasfull，andtheRussianCourtwasfulltoo。ThenthelandlordoftheCrown-Princebethoughthimselfofanewhotel，ofthesecondclass，indeed，butverynice，wheretheymightgetrooms，andafterthedelayofanhour，theygotacarriageanddroveawayfromtheCrown-Prince，wherethelandlordcontinuedtothelastasbenevolentasiftheyhadbeenaprofitinsteadofalosstohim。
Thestreetsofthetownatnineo’clockwereemptyandquiet，andtheyinstantlyfelttheacademicqualityoftheplace。Throughthepalenighttheycouldseethatthearchitecturewasoftheclassicsentimentwhichtheyweredestinedtofeelmoreandmore；atonepointtheycaughtafleetingglimpseoftwofigureswithclaspedhandsandhalfembraced，whichtheyknewforthestatuesofGoetheandSchiller；andwhentheymountedtotheirroomsattheGrand-DukeofSaxe-Weimar，theypassedunderafrescorepresentingGoetheandfourotherworld-famouspoets，Shakspere，Milton，Tasso，andSchiller。ThepoetsalllookedlikeGermans，aswasjust，andGoethewasnaturallychiefamongthem；hemarshalledtheimmortalsontheirway，andSchillerbroughtuptherearandkeptthemfromgoingastrayinanElysiumwheretheydidnotspeakthelanguage。Fortherest，thehotelwasbrand-new，ofaquiteAmericanfreshness，andwaspervadedbyasweetsmellasofstrawmatting，andprovidedwithsteam-radiators。InthesenseofitshomelikenesstheMarchesboastedthattheywerenevergoingawayfromit。
Inthemorningtheydiscoveredthattheirwindowslookedoutonthegrand-ducalmuseum，withagardenedspacebeforeandbelowitsclassicisticbulk，where，inawhimoftheweather，thegayflowerswerefullofsun。Inapleasantillusionoftakingitunawares，Marchstrolledupthroughthetown；butWeimarwasasmuchawakeatthathourasatanyofthetwenty-four，andthetranquillityofitsstreets，whereheencounteredafewpassersseveralblocksapart，wastheirhabitualmood。Hecamepromptlyupontwoobjectswhichhewouldwillinglyhaveshunned：a’denkmal’oftheFranco-Germanwar，notsofuriouslybadasmostGermanmonuments，butantipatheticanduninteresting，asallpatrioticmonumentsare；andawoman-and-dogteam。Intheshockfromthishewassensiblethathehadnotseenanywoman-and-dogteamsforsometime，andhewonderedbywhatcivicorethnicinfluencestheirdistributionwassocontrolledthattheyshouldhaveaboundedinHamburg，Leipsic，andCarlsbad，andwhollyceasedinNuremberg，Ansbach，andWurzburg，toreappearagaininWeimar，thoughtheyseemedascharacteristicofallGermanyastheuglydenkmalstohervictoriesoverFrance。
TheGoetheandSchillermonumentwhichhehadglimpsedthenightbeforewascharacteristictoo，butlessoffensivelyso。Germanstatuesatthebestareconscious；andthepoet-pair，astheinscriptioncallsthem，havetheairofshowilyconfrontingposteritywiththeirclaspedhands，andofbeingonlypartiallyraptfromthespectators。ButtheyweremoreunconsciousthananyotherGermanstatuesthatMarchhadseen，andhequelledadesiretoaskGoethe，ashestoodwithhishandonSchiller’sshoulder，andlookedserenelyintospacefaraboveoneofthetypicalequipagesofhiscountry，whathethoughtofthatsortofthing。ButuponreflectionhedidnotknowwhyGoetheshouldbeheldpersonallyresponsiblefortheexistenceofthewoman-and-dogteam。HefeltthathemightmorereasonablyattributetohistastetheprevalenceofclassicprofileswhichhebegantonoteintheWeimarpopulace。ThiscouldbeasympatheticeffectofthatpassionfortheantiquewhichthepoetbroughtbackwithhimfromhissojourninItaly；thoughmanyofthepeople，especiallythechildren，werebow-legged。Perhapstheantiquehad：begunintheirfaces，andhadnotyetgotdowntotheirlegs；inanycasetheywerecharmingchildren，andasatestoftheirculture，hehadamindtoaskalittlegirlifshecouldtellhimwherethestatueofHerderwas，whichhethoughthemightaswelltakeinonhisramble，andsobedonewithasmanystatuesashecould。Sheansweredwithaprettyregretinhertendervoice，“ThatItrulycannot。”andhewasmoresatisfiedthanifshecould，forhethoughtitbettertobeachildandhonest，thantoknowwhereanyGermanstatuewas。