Hetriedtomakeherthinktheycouldseethatgreatironcrucifixwhichwatchesoveritdayandnightfromitspinycliff。Hehadafancyforapoem，veryimpressionistic，whichshouldconveythenotionofthecrucifix’svigil。Hesubmittedittoher；andtheyremainedtalkingtilltheothershadgotoutofsightandhearing；andshewaslettinghimkeepthehandonherarmwhichhehadputtheretoholdherfromfallingovertheparapet，whentheywerebothstartledbyapproachingsteps，andavoicecalling，“Lookhere！Who’srunningthissupperparty，anyway？”
HiswifehaddetachedMarchfromhergroupforthemission，assoonasshefeltthattheyoungpeoplewereabusingherkindness。Theyansweredhimwithhystericallaughter，andBurnamysaid，“Why，it’sMr。Stoller’streat，youknow。”
Attherestaurant，wheretheproprietorobsequiouslymetthepartyonthethresholdandbowedthemintoaprettyinnerroom，withatablesetfortheirsupper，Stollerhadgainedcouragetoplaythehostopenly。HeappointedGeneralTriscoetothechiefseat；hewouldhaveputhisdaughternexttohim，ifthegirlhadnotinsisteduponMrs。March’shavingtheplace，andgoingherselftositnexttoMarch，whomshesaidshehadnotbeenabletospeakawordtothewholeevening。Butshedidnottalkagreatdealtohim；hesmiledtofindhowsoonhedroppedoutoftheconversation，andBurnamy，fromhisgreaterremotenessacrossthetable，droppedintoit。HereallypreferredthestudyofStoller，whoseinstinctofagreaterworldlyqualityintheTriscoesinterestedhim；
hecouldseehimlisteningnowtowhatGeneralTriscoewassayingtoMrs。
March，andnowtowhatBurnamywassayingtoMissTriscoe；hisstrong，selfishface，asheturneditontheyoungpeople，expressedamingledgrudgeandgreedthatwasverycurious。
Stoller’scourage，whichhadcomeandgoneatmomentsthroughout，roseattheend，andwhiletheylingeredatthetablewellontothehouroften，hesaid，inthesortofhelplessoffencehehadwithBurnamy，“What’sthereasonwecan’tallgoouttomorrowtothatoldcastleyouwastalkingabout？”
“ToEngelhaus？Idon’tknowanyreason，asfarasI’mconcerned。”
answeredBurnamy；butherefusedtheinitiativeofferedhim，andStollerwasobligedtoaskMarch：
“Youheardaboutit？”
“Yes。”GeneralTriscoewaslistening，andMarchaddedforhim，“Itwastheholdofanoldrobberbaron；GustavusAdolphusknockeditdown，andit’sverypicturesque，Ibelieve。”
“Itsoundspromising。”saidthegeneral。“Whereisit？”
“Isn’tto-morrowourmineralbath？”Mrs。Marchinterposedbetweenherhusbandandtemptation。
“No；thedayafter。Why，it’sabouttenortwelvemilesoutontheoldpostroadthatNapoleontookforPrague。”
“Napoleonknewagoodroadwhenhesawit。”saidthegeneral，andhealoneofthecompanylightedacigar。Hewasdecidedlyinfavoroftheexcursion，andhearrangedforitwithStoller，whomhehadtheeffectofusingforhispleasureasifheweredoinghimafavor。Theyweresix，andtwocarriageswouldtakethem：atwo-spannerforfour，andaone-
spannerfortwo；theycouldstartdirectlyafterdinnersandgethomeintimeforsupper。
Stollerassertedhimselftosay：“That’sallright，then。Iwantyoutobemyguests，andI’llseeaboutthecarriages。”HeturnedtoBurnamy：
“Willyouorderthem？”
“Oh。”saidtheyoungfellow，withasortofdryness，“theportierwillgetthem。”
“Idon’tunderstandwhyGeneralTriscoewassowillingtoaccept。
Surely，hecan’tlikethatman！”saidMrs。Marchtoherhusbandintheirownroom。
“Oh，Ifancythatwouldn’tbeessential。Thegeneralseemstome，capableoflettingevenanenemyservehisturn。Whydidn’tyouspeak，ifyoudidn’twanttogo？”
“Whydidn’tyou？”
“Iwantedtogo。”
“AndIknewitwouldn’tdotoletMissTriscoegoalone；Icouldseethatshewishedtogo。”
“DoyouthinkBurnamydid？”
“Heseemedratherindifferent。AndyethemusthaverealizedthathewouldbewithMissTriscoethewholeafternoon。”
IfBurnamyandMissTriscoetooktheleadintheone-spanner，andtheothersfollowedinthetwo-spanner，itwasnotfromwantofpolitenessonthepartoftheyoungpeopleinofferingtogiveuptheirplacestoeachoftheireldersinturn。ItwouldhavebeengrotesqueforeitherMarchorStollertodrivewiththegirl；forherfatheritwasapparentlynoquestion，afteraglanceatthemorerigiduprightnessoftheseatintheone-spanner；andheacceptedtheplacebesideMrs。Marchonthebackseatofthetwo-spannerwithoutdemur。Heaskedherleavetosmoke，andthenhescarcelyspoketoher。Buthetalkedtothetwomeninfrontofhimalmostincessantly，haranguingthemupontheinferiorityofourconditionsandthefutilityofourhopesasapeople，withtheeffectofbewilderingthecruderarroganceofStoller，whocouldhavegotonwithTriscoe’scontemptfortheworthlessnessofourworking-classes，butdidnotknowwhattodowithhisscornofthevulgarityandvenalityoftheiremployers。HeaccusedsomeofStoller’smosthonoredandenviedcapitalistsofbeingthesourceofourworstcorruptions，andguiltierthanthevoting-cattlewhomtheyboughtandsold。
“Ithinkwecangetridofthewholetroubleifwegoatittherightway。”Stollersaid，divergingforthesakeofthepointhewishedtobringin。“Ibelieveinhavingthegovernmentrunonbusinessprinciples。They’vegotithereinCarlsbad，already，justtherightsortofthing，anditworks。Ibeenlookin’intoit，andIgotthisyoungman，yonder“——hetwistedhishandinthedirectionoftheone-
spanner！“tohelpmeputitinshape。Ibelieveit’sgoingtomakeourfolksthink，thebestonesamongthem。Here！”Hedrewanewspaperoutofhispocket，foldedtoshowtwocolumnsintheirfulllength，andhandedittoTriscoe，whotookitwithnogreateagerness，andbegantorunhiseyeoverit。“Youtellmewhatyouthinkofthat。I’veputitoutforakindofafeeler。Igotsomemoneyinthatpaper，andIjustthoughtI’dletourpeopleseehowacitycanbemanagedonbusinessprinciples。”
HekepthiseyeeagerlyuponTriscoe，asiftofollowhisthoughtwhileheread，andkeephimuptothework，andheignoredtheMarchessoentirelythattheybeganinself-defencetotalkwitheachother。
TheircarriagehadclimbedfromCarlsbadinlongirregularcurvestothebreezyuplandwherethegreathighroadtoPragueranthroughfieldsofharvest。Theyhadcomebyheightsandslopesofforest，wheretheserriedstemsofthetallfirsshowedbrownandwhitish-blueandgrewstraightasstalksofgrain；andnowoneithersidethefarmsopenedunderaskyofunwontedcloudlessness。Narrowstripsofwheatandrye，whichthemenwerecuttingwithsickles，andthewomeninredbodiceswerebinding，alternatedwithribandsofyellowingoatsandgrass，andbreadthsofbeetsandturnips，withnowandthenlengthsofploughedland。Inthemeadowsthepeasantswerepilingtheircartswithheavyrowen，thegirlsliftingthehayontheforks，andthemengivingthemselvesthelighterlaboroforderingtheload。Fromtheupturnedearth，wherethereoughttohavebeentroopsofstruttingcrows，afewsombreravensrose。Buttheycouldnotrobthesceneofitsgayety；itsmiledinthesunshinewithcolorswhichvividlyfollowedtheslopeofthelandtilltheyweredimmedintheforestsonthefar-offmountains。
Nearerandfarther，thecottagesandvillagesshoneinthevalleys，orglimmeredthroughtheveilsofthedistanthaze。Overallbreathedthekeenpureairofthehills，withasentimentofchangelesseld，whichcharmedMarch，backtohisboyhood，wherehelostthesenseofhiswife’spresence，andansweredhervaguely。Shetalkedcontentedlyoninthemonologuetowhichthewivesofabsent-mindedmenlearntoresignthemselves。TheywerebothrousedfromtheirvagarybythevoiceofGeneralTriscoe。HewashandingbackthefoldednewspapertoStoller，andsaying，withaqueerlookathimoverhisglasses，“Ishouldliketoseewhatyourcontemporarieshavetosaytoallthat。”
“Well，sir。”Stollerreturned，“maybeI’llhavethechancetoshowyou。
Theygotmyinstructionsovertheretosendeverythingtome。”
BurnamyandMissTriscoegavelittleheedtothelandscapeaslandscape。
Theyagreedthatthehumaninterestwasthegreatthingonalandscape，afterall；buttheyignoredthepeasantsinthefieldsandmeadows，whowerenomoretothemthanthedriveronthebox，orthepeopleinthetwo-spannerbehind。Theyweretalkingoftheheroandheroineofanoveltheyhadbothread，andhewassaying，“Isupposeyouthinkhewasjustlypunished。”
“Punished？”sherepeated。“Why，theygotmarried，afterall！”
“Yes，butyoucouldseethattheywerenotgoingtobehappy。”
“Thenitseemstomethatshewaspunished；too。”
“Well，yes；youmightsaythat。Theauthorcouldn’thelpthat。”
MissTriscoewassilentamomentbeforeshesaid：
“Ialwaysthoughttheauthorwasratherhardonthehero。Thegirlwasveryexacting。”
“Why。”saidBurnamy，“Isupposedthatwomenhatedanythinglikedeceptioninmentoomuchtotolerateitatall。Ofcourse，inthiscase，hedidn’tdeceiveher；heletherdeceiveherself；butwasn’tthatworse？”
“Yes，thatwasworse。Shecouldhaveforgivenhimfordeceivingher。”
“Oh！”