“Nonsense！Therefreshmentswillbe’kurgemass’，ofcourse。”
“Youcangoyourself。”hesaid。
Aballisnotthesamethingforawomanafterfiftyasitisbeforetwenty，butstillithasclaimsupontheimagination，andthenovelcircumstanceofaballintheKurhausinCarlsbadenhancedtheseforMrs。
March。Itwastheannualreunionwhichisgivenbymunicipalauthorityinthelargehallabovethebathrooms；itisfrequentedwithsafetyandpleasurebycuriousstrangers，andnow，uponreflection，itbegantohaveforMrs。Marchthecharmofduty；shebelievedthatshecouldfinallyhavemadeMarchgoinherplace，butshefeltthatsheoughtreallytogoinhis，andsavehimfromthelatehoursandthelatesupper。
“Verywell，then。”shesaidatlast，“Iwillgo。”
Itappearedthatanycivilpersonmightgotothereunionwhochosetopaytwoflorinsandahalf。Theremusthavebeensomesortofrestriction，andtheladiesofBurnamy’spartywentwithagooddealofamusedcuriositytoseewhatthedistinctionswere；buttheysawnoneunlessitwastheadvantageswhichthemilitaryhad。Thelonghalloverthebathroomsshapeditselfintoaspaceforthedancingatoneend，andalltherestofitwasfilledwithtables，whichathalfpasteightwerecrowdedwithpeople，eating，drinking，andsmoking。Themilitaryenjoyedthemonopolyofatablenexttheraildividingthedancingfromthediningspace。Therethetight-lacedHerrHauptmannsandHerrLieutenantssatattheirsausageandbeerandcigarsintheintervalsofthewaltzes，andstrengthenedthemselvesforaforayamongthegraciousFrausandFrauleinsonthebenchesliningthreesidesofthedancing-space。Fromthegalleryabovemanycivilianspectatorslookeddownuponthegayety，andthedress-coatsofafewcitizensfiguredamongtheuniforms。
Astheeveningworeonsomeladiesofgreaterfashionfoundtheirwaytothedancing-floor，andtowardteno’clockitbecamerathercrowded。A
partyofAmericangirlsshowedtheirParisdressesinthetransatlanticversionsofthewaltz。Atfirsttheydancedwiththeyoungmenwhocamewiththem；butafterawhiletheyyieldedtothecustomoftheplace，anddancedwithanyoftheofficerswhoaskedthem。
“Iknowit’sthecustom。”saidMrs。MarchtoMissTriscoe，whowasathersideinoneofthewaltzesshehaddecidedtositout，soasnottobedancingallthetimewithBurnamy，“butInevercanlikeitwithoutanintroduction。”
“No。”saidthegirl，withtheairofputtingtemptationdecidedlyaway，“Idon’tbelievepapawould，either。”
Ayoungofficercameup，anddroopedinmutesupplicationbeforeher。
SheglancedatMrs。March，whoturnedherfaceaway；andsheexcusedherselfwiththepretencethatshehadpromisedthedance，andbygoodfortune，Burnamy，whohadbeenunscrupulouslywaltzingwithaladyhedidnotknow，cameupatthemoment。Sheroseandputherhandonhisarm，andtheybothbowedtotheofficerbeforetheywhirledaway。Theofficerlookedafterthemwithamiableadmiration；thenheturnedtoMrs。Marchwithalightofbanterinhisfriendlyeyes，andwasunmistakablyaskinghertodance。Shelikedhisironicaldaring，shelikeditsomuchthatsheforgotherobjectiontopartnerswithoutintroductions；sheforgotherfifty-oddyears；sheforgotthatshewasamotherofgrownchildrenandevenamother-in-law；sherememberedonlythestepofherout-datedwaltz。
Itseemedtobemodernenoughforthecheerfulyoungofficer，andtheyweresuddenlyrevolvingwiththerest……Atideoflong-forgottengirlhoodwelledupinherheart，andshelaughedasshefloatedoffonitpasttheastonishedeyesofMissTriscoeandBurnamy。Shesawthemfalter，asiftheyhadlosttheirstepintheirastonishment；thentheyseemedbothtovanish，andherpartnerhadreleasedher，andwashelpingMissTriscoeupfromthefloor；Burnamywasbrushingthedustfromhisknees，andthecitizenwhohadbowledthemoverwasboisterouslyapologizingandincessantlybowing。
“Oh，areyouhurt？”Mrs。Marchimplored。“I’msureyoumustbekilled；
andIdidit！Idon’tknow，whatIwasthinkingof！”
Thegirllaughed。“I’mnothurtabit！”
Theyhadoneimpulsetoescapefromtheplace，andfromthesympathyandcongratulation。Inthedressing-roomshedeclaredagainthatshewasallright。“Howbeautifullyyouwaltz，Mrs。March！”shesaid，andshelaughedagain，andwouldnotagreewithherthatshehadbeenridiculous。
“ButI’mgladthoseAmericangirlsdidn’tseeme。AndIcan’tbetoothankfulpapadidn’tcome！”
Mrs。March’sheartsankatthethoughtofwhatGeneralTriscoewouldthinkofher。“YoumusttellhimIdidit。Icanneverliftupmyhead！”
“No，Ishallnot。Noonedidit。”saidthegirl，magnanimously。Shelookeddownsidelongatherdraperies。“IwassoafraidIhadtornmydress！Icertainlyheardsomethingrip。”
ItwasoneoftheskirtsofBurnamy’scoat，whichhehadcaughtintohishandandheldinplacetillhecouldescapetothemen’sdressing-room，wherehehaditpinnedupsoskillfullythatthedamagewasnotsuspectedbytheladies。Hehadbangedhiskneeabominablytoo；buttheydidnotsuspectthateither，ashelimpedhomeontheairbesidethem，firsttoMissTriscoe’spension，andthentoMrs。March’shotel。
Itwasquiteeleveno’clock，whichatCarlsbadisaslateasthreeinthemorninganywhereelse，whensheletherselfintoherroom。Shedecidednottotellherhusband，then；andevenatbreakfast，whichtheyhadatthePosthof，shehadnotgottoherconfession，thoughshehadtoldhimeverythingelseabouttheball，whentheyoungofficerwithwhomshehaddancedpassedbetweenthetablesnearher。HecaughthereyeandbowedwithasmileofsomuchmeaningthatMarchasked，“Who’syourprettyyoungfriend？”
“Oh，that！”sheansweredcarelessly。“Thatwasoneoftheofficersattheball。”andshelaughed。
“Youseemtobeinthejoke，too。”hesaid。“Whatisit？”
“Oh，something。I’lltellyousometime。Orperhapsyou’llfindout。”
“I’mafraidyouwon’tletmewait。”
“No，Iwon’t。”andnowshetoldhim。Shehadexpectedteasing，ridicule，sarcasm，anythingbutthepsychologicalinterestmixedwithasortofretrospectivetendernesswhichheshowed。“IwishIcouldhaveseenyou；
Ialwaysthoughtyoudancedwell。”Headded：“Itseemsthatyouneedachaperontoo。”
Thenextmorning，afterMarchandGeneralTriscoehadstartedoffupononeofthehillclimbs，theyoungpeoplemadehergowiththemforawalkuptheTepl，asfarasthecaf？oftheFreundschaftsaal。Inthegroundsanartistinsilhouetteswascuttingoutthelikenessesofpeoplewhosupposedthemselvestohaveprofiles，andtheybeggedMrs。Marchtositforhers。ItwassogoodthatsheinsistedonMissTriscoe’ssittinginturn，andthenBurnamy。Thenhehadtheinspirationtoproposethattheyshouldallthreesittogether，anditappearedthatsuchagroupwaswithinthescopeofthesilhouettist’sart；heposedtheminhislittlebower，andwhilehewasmountingthepicturetheytookturns，atfivekreutzerseach，inlisteningtoAmericantunesplayedbyhisEdisonphonograph。
Mrs。Marchfeltthatallthiswasweakeninghermoralfibre；butshetriedtodrawthelineatlettingBurnamykeepthegroup。“Whynot？”hepleaded。
“Yououghtn’ttoask。”shereturned。“You’venobusinesstohaveMissTriscoe’spicture，ifyoumustknow。”
“Butyou’retheretochaperonus！”hepersisted。
Hebegantolaugh，andtheyalllaughedwhenshesaid，“Youneedachaperonwhodoesn’tloseherhead，inasilhouette。”Butitseemeduselesstoholdoutafterthat，andsheheardherselfasking，“Shallwelethimkeepit，MissTriscoe？”
BurnamywentofftohisworkwithStoller，carryingthesilhouettewithhim，andshekeptonwithMissTriscoetoherhotel。InturningfromthegateaftershepartedwiththegirlshefoundherselfconfrontedwithMrs。AddingandRose。Theladiesexclaimedateachotherinanastonishmentfromwhichtheyhadtorecoverbeforetheycouldbegintotalk，butfromthefirstmomentMrs。MarchperceivedthatMrs。Addinghadsomethingtosay。ThemorefreelytosayitsheaskedMrs。Marchintoherhotel，whichwasinthesamestreetwiththepensionoftheTriscoes，andsheletherboygooffabouttheexplorationofCarlsbad；hepromisedtobebackinanhour。
“Well，nowwhatscrapeareyouin？”Marchaskedwhenhiswifecamehome，andbegantoputoffherthings，withsignsofexcitementwhichhecouldnotfailtonote。Hewaslyingdownafteralongtramp，andheseemedverycomfortable。
Hisquestionsuggestedsomethingofanteriorimport，andshetoldhimaboutthesilhouettes，andtheadvantagetheyoungpeoplehadtakenoftheirpoweroverherthroughtheirknowledgeofherfoolishbehaviorattheball。
Hesaid，lazily：“Theyseemtobeworkingyouforallyou’reworth。Isthatit？”
“No；thereissomethingworse。Something’shappenedwhichthrowsallthatquiteintheshade。Mrs。Addingishere。”
“Mrs。Adding？”herepeated，withadimnessfornameswhichshewouldnotallowwasgrowingonhim。
“Don’tbestupid，dear！Mrs。Adding，whosatoppositeMr。KenbyontheNorumbia。Themotheroftheniceboy。”
“Oh，yes！Well，that’sgood！”
“No，itisn’t！Don’tsaysuchathing——tillyouknow！”shecried，withacertainshrillnesswhichwarnedhimofanunfathomedseriousnessinthefact。Hesatupasifbettertoconfrontthemystery。“Ihavebeenatherhotel，andshehasbeentellingmethatshe’sjustcomefromBerlin，andthatMr。Kenby’sbeenthere，and——NowIwon’thaveyoumakingajokeofit，orbreakingoutaboutit，asifitwerenotathingtobelookedfor；thoughofcoursewiththeothersonourhandsyou’renottoblamefornotthinkingofit。Butyoucanseeyourselfthatshe’syoungandgood-looking。Shedidspeakbeautifullyofherson，andifitwerenotforhim，Idon’tbelieveshewouldhesitate——“