War，andhadsplendidlylostittoGustavusAdolphus，andthengotitbackagainandheldittillNapoleontookitfromthem。HegaveitwiththeirflocktotheBavarians，whointurnbrieflyyieldedittothePrussiansin1866，andwerenowinapparentlyfinalpossessionofit。
Beforetheprince-bishops，CharlemagneandBarbarossahadcomeandgone，andsincetheprince-bishopstherehadbeenvisitingthronesandkingdomsenoughintheancientcity，whichwassoontobeillustratedbythepresenceofimperialGermany，royal，WirtembergandSaxony，grand-ducalBadenandWeimar，andasurfeitofalltheminorpotentatesamongthosewhospeakthebeautifullanguageoftheJa。
Butnoneofthesecoulddislodgetheprince-bishopsfromthatsupremeplacewhichtheyhadatoncetakeninMrs。March’sfancy。Thepotentateswereallgoingtobehousedinthevastpalacewhichtheprince-bishopshadbuiltthemselvesinWurzburgassoonastheyfounditsafetocomedownfromtheirstrongholdofMarienburg，andbegintoadorntheircity，andtoconfirmitinitsintensefidelitytotheChurch。TiepolohadcomeupoutofItalytofrescotheirpalace，wherehewroughtyearafteryear，inthatworldlytastewhichhassomehowcometoexpressthemostsovereignmomentofecclesiasticism。ItprevailedsouniversallyinWurzburgthatitleftherwiththenameoftheRococoCity，intrenchedinaperiodoftimeequallyremotefromearlyChristianityandmodernProtestantism。Outofhersixtythousandsouls，onlytenthousandarenowofthereformedreligion，andthesebearaboutthesamerelationtotheCatholicspiritoftheplacethattheGothicarchitecturebearstothebaroque。
Aslongastheprince-bishopslastedtheWurzburgersgotonverywellwithbutonenewspaper，andperhapsthesmallestamountofmerrymakingknownoutsideofthecolonyofMassachusettsBayatthesameepoch。Theprince-bishopshadtheirfingerineverybody’spie，andtheyportionedoutthecakesandale，whichweremadeaccordingtoformulasoftheirown。Thedistractionswereallofareligiouscharacter；churches，convents，monasteries，abounded；ecclesiasticalprocessionsandsolemnitieswerethespectaclesthatedifiediftheydidnotamusethedevoutpopulation。
ItseemedtoMarchanironicaloutcomeofallthisspiritualseveritythatoneofthegreatestmodernscientificdiscoveriesshouldhavebeenmadeinWurzburg，andthattheRoentgenraysshouldnowbegivinghernameasplendordestinedtoeclipsethegloriesofherpast。
Mrs。Marchcouldnotallowthattheywoulddoso；oratleastthatthenameofRoentgenwouldeverlendmorelustretohiscitythanthatofLongfellow’sWalthervonderVogelweide。ShewasnolesssurprisedthanpleasedtorealizethatthisfriendofthebirdswasaWurzburger，andshesaidthattheirfirstpilgrimageinthemorningshouldbetothechurchwhereheliesburied。
Marchwentdowntobreakfastnotquitesoearlyashiswifehadplanned，andlefthertohavehercoffeeinherroom。Hegotapleasanttableinthegalleryoverlookingtheriver，andhedecidedthatthelandscape，thoughitnowseemedtoberathertoomuchstudiedfromadrop-certain，hadcertainlylostnothingofitscharmintheclearmorninglight。Thewaiterbroughthisbreakfast，andafteralittledelaycamebackwithacardwhichheinsistedwasforMarch。ItwasnottillheputonhisglassesandreadthenameofMr。R。M。Kenbythathewasableatalltoagreewiththewaiter，whostoodpassiveathiselbow。
“Well。”hesaid，“whywasn’tthiscardsentuplastnight？”
Thewaiterexplainedthatthegentlemanhadjust，givenhimhiscard，afteraskingMarch’snationality，andwasthenbreakfastinginthenextroom。Marchcaughtuphisnapkinandranroundthepartitionwall，andKenbyrosewithhisnapkinandhurriedtomeethim。
“Ithoughtitmustbeyou。”hecalledout，joyfully，astheystrucktheirextendedhandstogether，“butsomanypeoplelookalike，nowadays，thatI
don’ttrustmyeyesanymore。”
KenbysaidhehadspentthetimesincetheylastmetpartlyinLeipsicandpartlyinGotha，wherehehadamusedhimselfinrubbinguphisrustyGerman。AssoonasherealizedthatWurzburgwassonearhehadslippeddownfromGothaforaglimpseofthemanoeuvres。HeaddedthathesupposedMarchwastheretoseethem，andheaskedwithaquiteunembarrassedsmileiftheyhadmetMr。AddinginCarlsbad，andwithoutheedingMarch’sanswer，helaughedandadded：“Ofcourse，IknowshemusthavetoldMrs。Marchallaboutit。”
Marchcouldnotdenythis；helaughed，too；thoughinhiswife’sabsencehefeltboundtoforbidhimselfanythingmoreexplicit。
“Idon’tgiveitup，youknow。”Kenbywenton，withperfectease。“I’mnotayoungfellow，ifyoucallthirty-nineold。”
“AtmyageIdon’t。”Marchputin，andtheyroaredtogether，inmen’ssecurityfromtheencroachmentsoftime。
“ButshehappenstobetheonlywomanI’veeverreallywantedtomarry，formorethanafewdaysatastretch。Youknowhowitiswithus。”
“Oh，yes，Iknow。”saidMarch，andtheyshoutedagain。
“We’reinlove，andwe’reoutoflove，twentytimes。Butthisisn’tamerefancy；it’saconviction。Andthere’snoreasonwhysheshouldn’tmarryme。”
Marchsmiledgravely，andhissmilewasnotlostuponKenby。“Youmeantheboy。”hesaid。“Well，IlikeRose。”andnowMarchreallyfeltsweptfromhisfeet。“Shedoesn’tdenythatshelikesme，butsheseemstothinkthathermarryingagainwilltakeherfromhim；thefactis，itwillonlygivemetohim。Asfordevotingherwholelifetohim，shecouldn’tdoaworsethingforhim。Whattheboyneedsisaman’scare，andaman’swill——Goodheavens！Youdon’tthinkIcouldeverbeunkindtothelittlesoul？”Kenbythrewhimselfforwardoverthetable。
“Mydearfellow！”Marchprotested。
“I’drathercutoffmyrighthand！“Kenbypursued，excitedly，andthenhesaid，withahumorousdrop：“Thefactis，Idon’tbelieveIshouldwanthersomuchifIcouldn’thaveRosetoo。Iwanttohavethemboth。
Sofar，I’veonlygotnoforananswer；butI’mnotgoingtokeepit。
IhadaletterfromRoseatCarlsbad，theotherday；and——“
Thewaitercameforwardwithafoldedscrapofpaperonhissalver，whichMarchknewmustbefromhiswife。“Whatiskeepingyouso？”shewrote。
“Iamallready。”“It’sfromMrs。March。”heexplainedtoKenby。“Iamgoingoutwithheronsomeerrands。I’mawfullygladtoseeyouagain。
Wemusttalkitallover，andyoumust——youmustn’t——Mrs。Marchwillwanttoseeyoulater——I——Areyouinthehotel？”
“Ohyes。I’llseeyouattheone-o’clocktabled’hote，Isuppose。”
MarchwentawaywithhisheadwhirlinginthequestionwhetherheshouldtellhiswifeatonceofKenby’spresence，orleaveherfreeforthepleasuresofWurzburg，tillhecouldshapethefactintosomesafeandacceptableform。Shemethimatthedoorwithherguide-books，wrapsandumbrellas，andwouldhardlygivehimtimetogetonhishatandcoat。
“Now，IwantyoutoavoidtheStollersasfarasyoucanseethem。Thisistobearealwedding-journeyday，withnoextraneousacquaintancetobother；themorestrangersthebetter。WurzburgisricherthananythingIimagined。I’velookeditallup；I’vegottheplanofthecity，sothatwecaneasilyfindtheway。We’llwalkfirst，andtakecarriageswheneverwegettired。We’llgotothecathedralatonce；Iwantagoodgulpofrococotobeginwith；therewasn’thalfenoughofitatAnsbach。
Isn’titstrangehowwe’vecomeroundtoit？”
ShereferredtothatpassionfortheGothicwhichtheyhadobedientlyimbibedfromRuskininthedaysoftheirearlyItaliantravelandcourtship，whenalltheEnglish-speakingworldboweddowntohimindevoutaversionfromtherenaissance，andpiousabhorrenceoftherococo。
“Whatbiddablelittlethingswewere！”shewenton，whileMarchwasstrugglingtokeepKenbyinthebackgroundofhisconsciousness。
“Therococomusthavealwayshadasneakingcharmforus，whenwewerepinningourfaithtopointedarches；andyetIsupposewewereperfectlysincere。Oh，lookatthatdivinelyridiculousMadonna！”Theywerenowmakingtheirwayoutofthecrookedfootwaybehindtheirhoteltowardthestreetleadingtothecathedral，andshepointedtotheBlessedVirginoverthedoorofsomereligioushouse，herdraperybillowingaboutherfeet；herbodytwistingtoshowthesculptor’smasteryofanatomy，andthehaloheldonhertossingheadwiththehelpofstoutgiltrays。Infact，theVirgin’swholefigurewasgilded，andsowasthatofthechildinherarms。“Isn’tshedelightful？”
“Iseewhatyoumean。”saidMarch，withadubiousglanceatthestatue，“butI’mnotsure，now，thatIwouldn’tlikesomethingquieterinmyMadonnas。”
Thethoroughfarewhichtheyemergedupon，withthecathedralendingtheprospective，wasfulloftheholidaysonearathand。Thenarrowsidewalkswerethrongedwithpeople，bothsoldiersandcivilians，andupthemiddleofthestreetdetachmentsofmilitarycameandwent，haltingthelittlehorse-carsandthehugebeer-wagonswhichotherwiseseemedtohavethesolerighttothestreetsofWurzburg；theycamejinglingorthunderingoutoftheaidestreetsandhurledthemselvesroundthecornersrecklessofthepassers，whoescapedalivebyflatteningthemselveslikepostersagainstthehousewalls。Therewerepeasants，menandwomen，inthecostumewhichtheunbrokencourseoftheircountrylifehadkeptasquaintasitwasahundredyearsbefore；therewerecitizensinthemisfitsofthelatestGermanfashions；thereweresoldiersofallarmsintheirvividuniforms，andfromtimetotimetherewereprettyyounggirlsinwhitedresseswithlownecks，andbarearmsglovedtotheelbows，whowerefollowingaholidaycustomoftheplaceingoingaboutthestreetsinballcostume。TheshopwindowswerefilledwithportraitsoftheEmperorandtheEmpress，andthePrince-Regentandtheladiesofhisfamily；theGermanandBavariancolorsdrapedthefacadesofthehousesandfestoonedthefantasticMadonnasposingabovesomanyportals。Themodernpatriotismincludedtheancientpietywithoutdisturbingit；therocococityremainedecclesiasticalthroughitsnewimperialism，andkeptthestampgivenitbythelongruleoftheprince-bishopsunderthesovereigntyofitsKingandthesuzeraintyofitsKaiser。