Itwasapity，hesaid，thattheRothschildswerenotonhisletterofcredit；hewouldhavebeenwillingtopaytributetotheGeniusofFinanceinthepercentageonatleasttenpounds。Butheconsoledhimselfbyreflectingthathedidnotneedthemoney；andheconsoledMrs。MarchfortheirfailuretopenetratetotheinterioroftheRothschilds’birthplacebytakinghertoseethehousewhereGoethewasborn。Thepublicisapparentlymuchmoreexpectedthere，andinthefriendlyplacetheywerenodoubtmuchmorewelcomethantheywouldhavebeenintheRothschildhouse。UnderthatrooftheyrenewedahappymomentofWeimar，whichafterthelapseofaweekseemedalreadysoremote。Theywondered，astheymountedthestairsfromthebasementopeningintoacleanlittlecourt，howBurnamywasgettingon，andwhetherithadyetcometothatunderstandingbetweenhimandAgatha，whichMrs。March，atleast，hadmeanttobeinevitable。Thentheybecamepartofsomesuchsight-seeingretinueasfollowedthecustodianaboutintheGoethehorseinWeimar，andofanemotionindistinguishablefromthatoftheirfellowsight-seers。Theycouldmakesure，afterwards，ofapersonalpleasureinacertainprescientclassicismofthehouse。ItsomehowrecalledboththeGoethehousesatWeimar，anditsomehowrecalledItaly。Itisaseparatehouseoftwofloorsabovetheentrance，whichopenstoalittlecourtoryard，andgivesaccessbyadecentstairwaytotheliving-rooms。Thechiefoftheseisasufficientlydignifiedparlororsalon，andthemostimportantisthelittlechamberinthethirdstorywherethepoetfirstopenedhiseyestothelightwhichherejoicedinforsolongalife，andwhich，dying，heimploredtobewithhimmore。Itisaslargeashisdeath-chamberinWeimar，wherehebreathedthisprayer，anditlooksdownintotheItalian-lookingcourt，whereprobablyhenoticedtheworldforthefirsttime，andthoughtitapavedenclosurethirtyorfortyfeetsquare。Inthebirth-
roomtheykeephispuppettheatre，andtheplaceisfairlysuggestiveofhischildhood；later，inhisyouth，hecouldlookfromtheparlorwindowsandseethehousewherehisearliestlovedwelt。SomuchremainsofGoetheintheplacewherehewasborn，andassuchthingsgo，itisnotalittle。Thehouseisthatofaprosperousandwell-placedcitizen，andspeaksofthesenatorialqualityinhisfamilywhichHeinesayshewasfondofrecalling，ratherthanthesartorialqualityoftheancestorwho，againasHeinesays，mendedtheRepublic’sbreeches。
FromtheGoethehouse，onedrivesbytheGoethemonumenttotheRomer，thefamoustown-halloftheoldfreeimperialcitywhichFrankfortoncewas；andbythisroutetheMarchesdrovetoit，agreeingwiththeircoachmanthathewastokeepasmuchinthesunaspossible。ItwasstillsocoldthatwhentheyreachedtheRomer，andhestoppedinabroadblazeoftheonlymeansofheatingthattheyhaveinFrankfortinthesummer，thetravellerswereloathtoleaveitforthechillinterior，wheretheGermanemperorswereelectedforsomanycenturies。Assoonasanemperorwaschosen，inthegreathalleffigiedroundwiththeportraitsofhispredecessors，hehurriedoutinthebalcony，ostensiblytoshowhimselftothepeople，butreally，Marchcontended，towarmupalittleinthesun。Thebalconywasundergoingrepairsthatday，andthetravellerscouldnotgooutonit；butunderthespellofthehistoricinterestofthebeautifuloldGothicplace，theylingeredintheinteriortilltheywerehalf-torpidwiththecold。Thensheabandonedtohimthejointdutyofviewingthecathedral，andhurriedtotheircarriagewhereshebaskedinthesuntillhecametoher。Hereturnedshivering，afterahalf-hour’sabsence，andpretendedthatshehadmissedthegreatestthingintheworld，butashecouldneverbegottosayjustwhatshehadlost，andundertheclosestcross-examinationcouldnotprovethatthiscathedralwasmemorablydifferentfromhundredsofotherfourteenth-
centurycathedrals，sheremainedinalastingcontentwiththeeasierpartshehadchosen。HisonlydefiniteimpressionatthecathedralseemedtobeconfinedtoaBostonianofgloomilycorrecttype，whomhehadseendoingitwithhisBaedeker，andnotlettinganobjectofinterestescape；andhisaccountofherfellow-townsmanreconciledMrs。
Marchmoreandmoretonothavinggone。