MarchwentwiththeyoungpeopleacrossthemeadowbehindthePosthofandupintotheforest，whichbeganatthebaseofthemountain。Atfirsttheytriedtokeephimintherangeoftheirtalk；buthefellbehindmoreandmore，andasthetalknarrowedtothemselvesitwaslessandlesspossibletoincludehiminit。WhenitbegantoconcerntheircommonappreciationoftheMarches，theyeventriedtogetoutofhishearing。
“They’resoyoungintheirthoughts。”saidBurnamy，“andtheyseemasmuchinterestedineverythingastheycouldhavebeenthirtyyearsago。
Theybelongtoatimewhentheworldwasagooddealfresherthanitisnow；don’tyouthink？Imean，intheeighteen-sixties。”
“Oh，yes，Icanseethat。”
“Idon’tknowwhyweshouldn’tbebornolderineachgenerationthanpeoplewereinthelast。Perhapsweare。”hesuggested。
“Idon’tknowhowyoumean。”saidthegirl，keepingvigorouslyupwithhim；shelethimtakethejacketshethrewoff，butshewouldnothavehishandatthelittlesteepswherehewantedtogiveit。
“Idon’tbelieveIcanquitemakeitoutmyself。Butfancyamanthatbegantoactattwenty，quiteunconsciouslyofcourse，fromthepastexperienceofthewholerace——“
“Hewouldberatheradreadfulperson，wouldn’the？”
“Rathermonstrous，yes。”heowned，withalaugh。“Butthat’swherethepsychologicalinterestwouldcomein。”
Asifshedidnotfeelthenotionquitepleasantsheturnedfromit。
“Isupposeyou’vebeenwritingallsortsofthingssinceyoucamehere。”
“Well，ithasn’tbeensuchagreatwhileasit’sseemed，andI’vehadMr。
Stoller’spsychologicalintereststolookafter。”
“Oh，yes！Doyoulikehim？”
“Idon’tknow。He’salumpofhonestselfishness。Heisn’tbad。Youknowwheretohavehim。He’ssimple，too。”
“Youmean，likeMr。March？”
“Ididn’tmeanthat；butwhynot？They’renotofthesamegeneration，butStollerisn’tmodern。”
“I’mverycurioustoseehim。”saidthegirl。
“Doyouwantmetointroducehim？”
“Youcanintroducehimtopapa。”
Theystoppedandlookedacrossthecurveofthemountingpath，downonMarch，whohadsunkonaway-sideseat，andwasmoppinghisforehead。Hesawthem，andcalledup：“Don’twaitforme。I’lljoinyou，gradually。”
“Idon’twanttoloseyou。”Burnamycalledback，buthekeptonwithMissTriscoe。“IwanttogettheHirschensprungin。”heexplained。“It’sthecliffwhereahunteddeerleapeddownseveralhundredfeettogetawayfromanemperorwhowasafterhim。”
“Oh，yes。Theyhavethemeverywhere。”
“Dothey？Well，anyway，there’sanobleviewupthere。”
Therewasnoviewonthewayup。TheGermans’notionofawoodlandiseverywherethatofadenseforestsuchastheirbarbaroustribesprimevallyherdedin。Itmeanstheclose-setstemsoftrees，withtheirtopsinterwoveninaroofofboughsandleavessodenselythatyoumaywalkdrythroughitalmostaslongasaGermanshowerlasts。Whenthesunshinesthereisapleasantgreenishlightintheaisles，shothereandtherewiththegoldthattricklesthrough。ThereisnothingoftheaccidentofanAmericanwoodintheseforests，whichhavebeenwatchedandweededbymaneversincetheyburstthesoil。Theyremainnurseries，buttheyhavethecharmwhichnohumancarecanalienate。Thesmelloftheirbarkandtheirleaves，andofthemoist，flowerlessearthabouttheirroots，cametoMarchwherehesatrichwiththememoriesofhiscountry-bredyouth，anddruggedallconsciousnessofhislonglifeincitiessince，andmadehimapartofnature，withdulledinterestsanddimmedperspectives，sothatforthemomenthehadtheenjoymentofexemptionfromcare。Therewasnowildlifetopenetratehisisolation；
nobirds，notasquirrel，notaninsect；anoldmanwhohadbiddenhimgood-morning，ashecameup，keptfumblingatthepathwithhishoe，andwaslessintrusivethanifhehadnotbeenthere。
Marchthoughtoftheimpassionedexistenceoftheseyoungpeopleplayingtheinevitablecomedyofhideandseekwhichtheyouthoftheracehasplayedfromthebeginningoftime。Theotherinvalidswhohauntedtheforest，andpassedupanddownbeforehiminfulfilmentoftheirseveralprescriptions，hadathinunrealityinspiteofthephysicalbulkthatprevailedamongthem，andtheyheightenedthereliefthattheforest-
spiritbroughthimfromthestrenuouscontactofthatyoungdrama。Hehadbeenalmostpainfullyawarethatthepersonsinithadmet，howeverlittletheyknewit，withaneagernessintensifiedbytheirbriefseparation，andhefancieditwasthegirlwhohadunconsciouslyoperatedtheirreunioninresponsetotheyoungman’slonging，herwillmakingitselfelectricallyfeltthroughspacebythatsortofwirelesstelegraphywhichlovehaslongemployed，andsciencehasjustbeguntoimagine。
Hewouldhavebeenwillingthattheyshouldgethomealone，butheknewthathiswifewouldrequireanaccountofthemfromhim，andthoughhecouldhaveinventedsomethingofthekind，ifitcametotheworst，hewasawarethatitwouldnotdoforhimtoarrivewithoutthem。Thethoughtgoadedhimfromhisseat，andhejoinedtheupwardprocessionofhisfellow-sick，asitmetanotherprocessionstragglingdownward；thewaysbranchedinalldirections，withpeopleonthemeverywhere，bentuponbuildingupinamonththehealthwhichtheywouldspendtherestoftheyearindemolishing。
Hecameuponhischargesunexpectedlyataturnofthepath，andMissTriscoetoldhimthatheoughttohavebeenwiththemfortheviewfromtheHirschensprung。Itwasmagnificent，shesaid，andshemadeBurnamycorroborateherpraiseofit，andagreewithherthatitwasworththeclimbathousandtimes；hemodestlyacceptedthecreditsheappearedwillingtogivehim，ofinventingtheHirschensprung。
BetweenhisworkforStollerandwhatsometimesseemedtheobstructivenessofGeneralTriscoe，BurnamywasnotverymuchwithMissTriscoe。Hewasnotdevout，buthewenteverySundaytotheprettyEnglishchurchonthehill，wherehecontributedbeyondhismeanstothesupportoftheEnglishclergyontheContinent，forthesakeoflookingatherbackhairduringtheservice，andlosinghimselfinthegracefullineswhichdefined，thegirl’sfigurefromtheslantofherfloweryhattothepointwherethepewtopcrossedherelasticwaist。Onehappymorningthegeneraldidnotcometochurch，andhehadthefortunetowalkhomewithhertoherpension，whereshelingeredwithhimamoment，andalmostmadehimbelieveshemightbegoingtoaskhimtocomein。
Thenextevening，whenhewassaunteringdowntherowofglitteringshopsbesidetheTepl，withMrs。March，theyovertookthegeneralandhisdaughterataplacewherethegirlwasadmiringsomestork-scissorsinthewindow；shesaidshewishedshewerestilllittle，sothatshecouldgetthem。TheywalkedhomewiththeTriscoes，andthenhehurriedMrs。
Marchbacktotheshop。Themanhadalreadyputuphisshutters，andwasjustclosinghisdoor，butBurnamypushedin，andaskedtolookatthestork-scissorstheyhadseeninthewindow。Thegaswasout，andtheshopmanlightedaverydimcandle，toshowthem。
“Iknewyouwantedtogetthemforher，afterwhatshesaid，Mrs。March。”
helaughed，nervously，“andyoumustletmelendyouthemoney。”
“Why，ofcourse！”sheanswered，joyfullyhumoringhisfeint。“ShallI
putmycardinforthemantosendhometoherwiththem？”
“Well——no。No。Notyourcard——exactly。Or，yes！Yes，youmust，I
suppose。”
Theymadethehushingstreetgaywiththeirlaughter；thenexteveningMissTriscoecameupontheMarchesandBurnamywheretheysataftersupperlisteningtotheconcertatPupp’s，andthankedMrs。Marchforthescissors。ThensheandBurnamyhadtheirlaughagain，andMissTriscoejoinedthem，toherfather’sfrowningmystification。Hestaredroundforatable；theywerealltaken，andhecouldnotrefusetheinterestBurnamymadewiththewaiterstobringthemoneandcrowditin。Hehadtoaskhimtosupwiththem，andBurnamysatdownandheardtheconcertthroughbesideMissTriscoe。
“Whatissotremendouslyamusinginapairofstork-scissors？”Marchdemanded，whenhiswifeandhewerealone。
“Why，Iwaswantingtotellyou，dearest。”shebegan，inatonewhichhefelttobewheedling，andshetoldthestoryofthescissors。
“Lookhere，mydear！Didn’tyoupromisetoletthislove-affairalone？”
“Thatwasontheship。Andbesides，whatwouldyouhavedone，Ishouldliketoknow？Wouldyouhaverefusedtolethimbuythemforher？”
Sheadded，carelessly，“HewantsustogototheKurhausballwithhim。”
“Oh，doeshe！”
“Yes。Hesaysheknowsthatshecangetherfathertolethergoifwewillchaperonthem。AndIpromisedthatyouwould。”
“ThatIwould？”
“Itwilldojustaswellifyougo。Anditwillbeveryamusing；youcanseesomethingofCarlsbadsociety。”
“ButI’mnotgoing！”hedeclared。“Itwouldinterferewithmycure。Thesittinguplatewouldbebadenough，butIshouldgetveryhungry，andI
shouldeatpotatosaladandsausages，anddrinkbeer，anddoallsortsofunwholesomethings。”