Astheydrewinamongthebroadvine-webbedslopesoftheWurzburg，hills，thestrangersaidshewasgoingtochangethere，andtakeatrainontoBerlin。Mrs。Marchwonderedwhethershewouldbeabletokeepupthecomedytothelast；andshehadtoownthatshecarrieditoffveryeasilywhenthefriendswhomshewasexpectingdidnotmeetheronthearrivaloftheirtrain。SherefusedMarch’soffersofhelp，andremainedquietlyseatedwhilehegotouttheirwrapsandbags。ShereturnedwithahardysmilethecoldleaveMrs。Marchtookofher；andwhenaportercametothedoor，andforcedhiswaybytheMarches，toaskwithanxiousservilityifshe，weretheBaronessvon——，shebadethemangetthem。
a’traeger’，andthencomebackforher。Shewavedthemacomplacentadieubeforetheymixedwiththecrowdandlostsightofher。
“Well，mydear。”saidMarch，addressingthesnobbishnessinhiswifewhichheknewtobesowhollyimpersonal，“you’vemingledwithonehighhote，anyway。Imustsayshedidn’tlookit，anymorethantheDukeandDuchessofOrleans，andyetshe’sonlyabaroness。Thinkofourbeingthreehoursinthesamecompartment，andshedoingallshecouldtoimpressusandourgettingnogoodofit！Ihopedyouwerefeelingherquality，sothatweshouldhaveitinthefamily，anyway，andalwaysknowwhatitwaslike。Butsofar，thehighhoteshaveallbeenterriblydisappointing。”
Heteasedonastheyfollowedthetraegerwiththeirbaggageoutofthestation；andintheomnibusonthewaytotheirhotel，herecurredtothelosstheyhadsufferedinthebaroness’sfailuretodramatizehernobilityeffectually。“Afterall，perhapsshewasasmuchdisappointedinus。Idon’tsupposewelookedanymorelikedemocratsthanshelookedlikeanaristocrat。”
“Butthere’sagreatdifference。”Mrs。Marchreturnedatlast。“Itisn’tatallaparallelcase。Wewerenotrealdemocrats，andshewasarealaristocrat。”
“Tobesure。Thereisthatwayoflookingatit。That’srathernovel；I
wishIhadthoughtofthatmyself。Shewascertainlymoretoblamethanwewere。”
Thesquareinfrontofthestationwasplantedwithflag-poleswreathedinevergreens；atriumphalarchwasnearlyfinished，andacolossalallegoryinimitationbronzewaswellonthewaytocompletion，inhonorofthemajestieswhowerecomingforthemanoeuvres。ThestreetswhichtheomnibuspassedthroughtotheSwanInnweredrapedwiththeimperialGermanandtheroyalBavariancolors；andthestandardsofthevisitingnationalitiesdeckedthefrontsofthehouseswheretheirmilitaryattacheswerelodged；buttheMarchesfailedtoseeourownbanner，andweresparedforthemomenttheignominyoffindingitoveranapothecaryshopinaretiredavenue。Thesunhadcomeout，theskyoverheadwasofasmilingblue；andtheyfeltthegala-dayglowandthrillinthedepthsoftheirinextinguishableyouth。
TheSwanInnsitsononeofthelongquaysborderingtheMain，anditswindowslookdownuponthebridgesandshippingoftheriver；butthetravellerreachesitbyadoorintherear，throughanarchwayintoabackstreet，whereanodordatingbacktothefoundationofthecityiswaitingtowelcomehim。
Thelandlordwasthere，too，andhegreetedtheMarchessocordiallythattheyfullypartookhisgriefinbeingabletoofferthemroomsonthefrontofthehousefortwonightsonly。TheyreconciledthemselvestothenecessityofthenturningoutforthestaffoftheKingofSaxony，themorereadilybecausetheyknewthattherewasnohopeofbetterthingsatanyotherhotel。
Theroomswhichtheycouldhaveforthetimewerecharming，andtheycamedowntosupperinaglazedgallerylookingoutontheriverpicturesquewithcraftofallfashions：withrow-boats，sail-boats，andlittlesteamers，butmainlywithlongblackbargesbuiltupintohousesinthemiddle，anddefendedeachbyalittlenervousGermandog。Longraftsoflogswelteredinthesunsetredwhichpaintedtheswiftcurrent，andmantledtheimmeasurablevineyardsofthehillsaroundlikethecoloroftheirripeninggrapes。Directlyinfaceroseacastledsteep，whichkepttherangingwallsandthebastionsandbattlementsofthetimewhensuchastrongholdcouldhavedefendedthecityfromfoeswithoutorfromtumultwithin。Thearchesofastatelybridgespannedtheriversunsetward，andliftedasuccessionofcolossalfiguresagainstthecrimsonsky。
“Iguesswehavebeenwastingourtime，mydear。”saidMarch，asthey，turnedfromthisbeautytothequestionofsupper。“Iwishwehadalwaysbeenhere！”
Theirwaiterhadputthematatableinadivisionofthegallerybeyondthatwhichtheyentered，wheresomegroupsofofficerswerenoisilysupping。Therewasnooneintheirroombutamanwhosefacewasindistinguishableagainstthelight，andtwoyounggirlswhoglancedatthemwithlooksatoncequelledanddefiant，andthenafterastareattheofficersinthegallerybeyond，whisperedtogetherwithsuppressedgiggling。Themanfedonwithoutnoticingthem，exceptnowandthentoutteragrowlthatsilencedthewhisperingandgigglingforamoment。
TheMarches，fromnopositiveevidenceofanysense，decidedthattheywereAmericans。
“Idon’tknowthatIfeelresponsibleforthemastheirfellow-
countryman；Ishould，once。”hesaid。
“Itisn’tthat。It’stheworryoftryingtomakeoutwhytheyarejustwhattheyare。”hiswifereturned。
Thegirlsdrewtheman’sattentiontothemandhelookedatthemforthefirsttime；thenafterasortofhesitationhewentonwithhissupper。
Theyhadonlybeguntheirswhenherosewiththetwogirls，whomMrs。
Marchnowsawtobeofthesamesizeanddressedalike，andcameheavilytowardthem。
“IthoughtyouwasinCarlsbad。”hesaidbluntlytoMarch，withanodatMrs。March。Headded，withatwistofhisheadtowardthetwogirls，“Mydaughters。”andthenleftthemtoher，whilehetalkedonwithherhusband。“Cometoseethisfoolery，Isuppose。I’monmywaytothewoodsformyafter-cure；butIthoughtImightaswellstopandgivethegirlsachance；theygotaweek’svacation，anyway。”Stollerglancedatthemwithasortoftroubledtendernessinhisstrongdullface。
“Oh，yes。Iunderstoodtheywereatschoolhere。”saidMarch，andheheardoneofthemsaying，inasweet，highpipetohiswife：
“Ain’titjustsplendid？Iha’n’tseenanythingequaltoitsincetheWorrld’sFairr。”ShespokewithastrongcontortionoftheWesternr，andhersisterhastenedtoputin：
“Idon’tthinkit’stobecomparedwiththeWorrld’sFairr。ButtheseGermangirls，here，justthinkit’sgreat。Itjustdoesmegoodtolaffat’em，aboutit。Iliketotell’emabouttheelectricfountainandtheCourrtofIionorrwhentheygettotalkin’abouttheilluminationsthey’regoun’tohave。Yougoun’outtotheparade？Youbetterengageyourcarriagerightawayifyouarre。Thecarrs’llbeaperfectjam。
Father’sengagedourrs；hehadtopaysixtymarrksforrit。”
Theychatteredonwithoutshynessandonaseasytermswithawomanofthreetimestheiryearsasifshehadbeenagirloftheirownage；theywillinglytookthewholetalktothemselves，andhadleftherquiteoutsideofitbeforeStollerturnedtoher。
“IbeentellingMr。Marchherethatyoubetterbothcometotheparadewithus。Iguessmytwospannerwillholdfive；orifitwon’t，we’llmakeit。Idon’tbelievethere’sacarriageleftinWurzburg；andifyougointhecars，you’llhavetowalkthreeorfourmilesbeforeyougettotheparade-ground。Youthinkitover。”hesaidtoMarch。“Nobodyelseisgoingtohavetheplaces，anyway，andyoucansayyesatthelastminutejustaswellasnow。”
Hemovedoffwithhisgirls，wholookedovertheirshouldersattheofficersastheypassedonthroughtheadjoiningroom。
“Mydear！”criedMrs。March。“Didn’tyousupposeheclasseduswithBurnamyinthatbusiness？Whyshouldhebepolitetous？”
“Perhapshewantsyoutochaperonhisdaughters。He’sprobablyheardofyourperformanceattheKurhausball。ButheknowsthatIthoughtBurnamyinthewrong。ThismaybeStoller’swayofwipingoutanobligation。Wouldn’tyouliketogowithhim？”
“Themerethoughtofhisbeinginthesametownisprostrating。I’dfarratherhehatedus；thenhewouldavoidus。”
“Well，hedoesn’townthetown，andifitcomestotheworst，perhapswecanavoidhim。Letusgoout，anyway，andseeifwecan’t。”
“No，no；I’mtootired；butyougo。Andgetallthemapsandguidesyoucan；there’ssoverylittleinBaedeker，andalmostnothinginthatgreathulkingBradshawofyours；andI’msuretheremustbethemostinterestinghistoryofWurzburg。Isn’titstrangethatwehaven’ttheslightestassociationwiththename？”
“I’vebeenrummaginginmymind，andI’vegotholdofanassociationatlast。”saidMarch。“It’sbeer；asigninaSixthAvenuesaloonwindowWurzburgerHof-Brau。”
“Nomatterifitisbeer。Findsomesketchofthehistory，andwe’lltrytogetawayfromtheStollersinit。Ipitiedthosewildgirls，too。
Whatcrazyimagesoftheworldmustfilltheiremptyminds！Howtheirignorantthoughtsmustgowhirlingoutintotheunknown！Idon’tenvytheirfather。Dohurryback！Ishallbethinkingaboutthemeveryinstanttillyoucome。”
Shesaidthis，butintheirownroomsitwassosoothingtositlookingthroughthelongtwilightatthelovelylandscapethatthesortofbruisegivenbytheirencounterwiththeStollershadleftherconsciousnessbeforeMarchreturned。Shemadehimadmirefirsttheconventchurchonahillfurtheruptheriverwhichexactlybalancedthefortressinfrontofthem，andthensheseizeduponthelittlebookshehadbrought，andsethimtoexploringthelabyrinthsoftheirGerman，withamountingexultationinhisdiscoveries。Therewasageneralguidetothecity，andaspecialguide，withplansandpersonaldetailsoftheapproachingmanoeuvresandtheprinceswhoweretofigureinthem；andtherewasasketchofthelocalhistory：akindofthingthattheGermansknowhowtowriteparticularly，well，withlittlegleamsofpleasanthumorblinkingthroughit。Forthestudyofthis，Mrs。Marchrealized，moreandmorepassionately，thattheywereintheverymostcentralandconvenientpoint，forthehistoryofWurzburgmightbesaidtohavebegunwithherprince-bishops，whoserulehadbeguninthetwelfthcentury，andwhohadbuilt，onaforgottenRomanwork，thefortressoftheMarienburgonthatvineyardedhilloveragainsttheSwanInn。Therehadofcoursebeenhistorybeforethat，but’nothingsoclear，nothingsopeculiarlyswell，nothingthatsounitedthegloryofthisworldandthenextasthatoftheprince-bishops。TheyhadmadetheMarienburgtheirhome，andkeptitagainstforeignanddomesticfoesforfivehundredyears。Shutwithinitswell-armedwallstheyhadawedtheoften-turbulentcityacrosstheMain；theyhadhelditagainsttheembattledfarmersinthePeasants’