ThisseemedtoMrs。Marchsofarfrombadthatshesaid：“That’sveryniceofhim。Thenhe’ssatisfiedwith——withyourhelp？I’mgladofthat。”
“Thankyou。He’smettheTriscoes，andhethoughtitwouldbepleasanttoyouiftheywent，too。”
“Oh，certainly。”
“Hethought。”Burnamywenton，withtheairoffeelinghisway，“thatwemightallgototheopera，andthen——thengoforalittlesupperafterwardsatSchwarzkopf’s。”
HenamedtheonlyplaceinCarlsbadwhereyoncansupsolateasteno’clock；astheoperabeginsatsix，andisoverathalfpasteight，nonebutthewildestroisterersfrequenttheplace。
“Oh！”saidMrs。March。“Idon’tknowhowalatesupperwouldagreewithmyhusband’scure。Ishouldhavetoaskhim。”
“Wecouldmakeitveryhygienic。”Burnamyexplained。
InrepeatinghisinvitationsheblamedBurnamy’suncandorsomuchthatMarchtookhispart，asperhapssheintended，andsaid，“Oh，nonsense。”
andthatheshouldliketogoinforthewholething；andGeneralTriscoeacceptedaspromptlyforhimselfandhisdaughter。Thatmadesixpeople，Burnamycountedup，andhefeignedadecentregretthattherewasnotroomforMrs。Addingandherson；hewouldhavelikedtoaskthem。
Mrs。Marchdidnotenjoyitsomuchascomingwithherhusbandalonewhentheytooktwoflorinseatsintheorchestraforthecomedy。Thecomedyalwaysbeganhalfanhourearlierthantheopera，andtheyhadafive-
o’clocksupperattheTheatre-Caf？beforetheywent，andtheygottosleepbynineo’clock；nowtheywouldbeuptillhalfpasttenatleast，andthatorgyatSchwarzkopf’smightnotbeatallgoodforhim。Butstillshelikedbeingthere；andMissTriscoemadehertakethebestseat；BurnamyandStollermadetheoldermentaketheotherseatsbesidetheladies，whiletheysatbehind，orstoodup，whenthey，wishedtosee，aspeopledointhebackofabox。Stollerwasnotmuchateaseineveningdress，butheborehimselfwithadignitywhichwasnotperhapssogloomyasitlooked；Mrs。Marchthoughthimhandsomeinhisway，andrequiredMissTriscoetoadmirehim。AsforBurnamy’sbeautyitwasnotnecessarytoinsistuponthat；hehadthedistinctionofslenderyouth；
andshelikedtothinkthatnoHighhotetherewasofamorepatricianpresencethanthisyetunprintedcontributorto’EveryOtherWeek’。
HeandStollerseemedonperfectterms；orelseinhisjoyhewasabletohidetheuneasinesswhichshehadfanciedinhimfromthefirsttimeshesawthemtogether，andwhichhadneverbeenquiteabsentfromhismannerinStoller’spresence。Herhusbandalwaysdeniedthatitexisted，orifitdidthatitwasanythingbutBurnamy’sefforttogetoncommongroundwithaninferiorwhomfortunehadputoverhim。
TheyoungfellowtalkedwithStoller，andtriedtobringhimintotherangeofthegeneralconversation。Heleanedovertheladies，fromtimetotime，andpointedoutthenotableswhomhesawinthehouse；shewasglad，forhissake，thathedidnotleanlessoverherthanoverMissTriscoe。Heexplainedcertainmilitaryfiguresintheboxesopposite，andcertainladiesofrankwhodidnotlooktheirrank；MissTriscoe，toMrs。March’sthinking，lookedtheirunitedranks，andmore；herdresswasverysimple，butofatouchwhichsaveditfrombeinginsipidlygirlish；
herbeautywasdazzling。
“Doyouseethatoldfellowinthecornerchairjustbehindtheorchestra？”askedBurnamy。“He’sninety-sixyearsold，andhecomestothetheatreeverynight，andfallsasleepassoonasthecurtainrises，andsleepsthroughtilltheendoftheact。”
“Howdear！”saidthegirl，leaningforwardtofixthenonagenarianwithherglasses，whilemanyotherglassesconvergeduponher。“Oh，wouldn’tyouliketoknowhim，Mr。March？”
“Ishouldconsideritaliberaleducation。TheyhavebroughtthesethingstoaperfectsysteminEurope。Thereisnothingtomakelifepasssmoothlylikeinflexibleconstancytoanentirelysimplecustom。Mydear。”headdedtohiswife，“Iwishwe’dseenthissagebefore。He’dhavehelpedusthroughagoodmanyhoursofunintelligiblecomedy。I’malwayscomingasBurnamy’sguest，afterthis。”
Theyoungfellowswelledwithpleasureinhistriumph，andcastinganeyeaboutthetheatretocapit，hecaughtsightofthatotherpotentate。
Hewhisperedjoyfully，“Ah！We’vegottwokingshereto-night。”andheindicatedinaboxoftheirtierjustacrossfromthatwheretheKingofServiasat，thewell-knownfaceoftheKingofNewYork。
“Heisn’tbad-looking。”saidMarch，handinghisglasstoGeneralTriscoe。
“I’venotseenmanykingsinexile；amatterofafewCarlistprincesandex-sovereigndukes，andthegoodHenryV。ofFrance，once，whenIwasstayingamonthinVenice；butIdon’tthinktheyanyofthemlookedthepartbetter。Isupposehehashisdreamofrecurringpowerliketherest。”
“Dream！“saidGeneralTriscoewiththeglassathiseyes。“He’sdeadsureofit。”
“Oh，youdon’treallymeanthat！”
“Idon’tknowwhyIshouldhavechangedmymind。”
“Thenit’sasifwewereinthepresenceofCharlesII。justbeforehewascalledbacktoEngland，orNapoleoninthelastmomentsofElba。
It’sbetterthanthat。Thethingisalmostunique；it’sanewsituationinhistory。Here’sasovereignwhohasnorecognizedfunction，nolegalstatus，noobjectiveexistence。Hehasnosortofpublicbeing，exceptintheaffectionofhissubjects。Ittookanupheavallittleshortofanearthquaketounseathim。Hisrule，asweunderstandit，wasbadforallclasses；thepoorsufferedmorethantherich；thepeoplehavenowhadthreeyearsofself-government；andyetthiswonderfulmanhassuchaholduponthemassesthatheisgoinghometowinthecauseofoppressionattheheadoftheoppressed。Whenhe’sinpoweragain，hewillbeassubjectiveasever，withthepowerofciviclifeanddeath，andanidolatrousfollowingperfectlyruthlessintheexecutionofhiswill。”
“We’veonlybegun。”saidthegeneral。“Thiskindofkingismunicipal，now；buthe’sgoingtobenational。Andthen，good-by，Republic！”
“Theonlythinglikeit。”Marchresumed，tooincredulousoftheevilfuturetodenyhimselftheaestheticpleasureoftheparallel，“istheriseoftheMediciinFlorence，buteventheMediciwerenotmeremanipulatorsofpulls；theyhadsomesortofpublicoffice，withsomesortoflegislatedtenureofit。TheKingofNewYorkissovereignbyforceofwillalone，andhewillreigninthevoluntarysubmissionofthemajority。Isournationaldictatortobeofthesamenatureandquality？”
“Itwouldbethescientificevolution，wouldn’tit？”
Theladieslistenedwiththeperfunctoryattentionwhichwomenpaytoanysortofinquirywhichisnotpersonal。Stollerhadscarcelyspokenyet；
henowstartledthemallbydemanding，withasortofvindictiveforce，“Whyshouldn’thehavethepower，ifthey’rewillingtolethim？”
“Yes。”saidGeneralTriscoe，withatiltofhisheadtowardsMarch。
“That’swhatwemustaskourselvesmoreandmore。”
Marchleanedbackinhischair，andlookedupoverhisshoulderatStoller。“Well，Idon’tknow。Doyouthinkit’squiterightforamantouseanunjustpower，evenifothersarewillingthatheshould？”
Stollerstoppedwithanairofbewildermentasifsurprisedonthepointofsayingthathethoughtjustthis。Heaskedinstead，“What’swrongaboutit？”
“Well，that’soneofthosethingsthathavetobefelt，Isuppose。Butifamancametoyou，andofferedtobeyourslaveforacertainconsideration——sayacomfortablehouse，andasteadyjob，thatwasn’ttoohard——shouldyoufeelitmorallyrighttoaccepttheoffer？Idon’tsaythinkitright，fortheremightbeakindoflogicforit。”
Stollerseemedabouttoanswer；hehesitated；andbeforehehadmadeanyresponse，thecurtainrose。
TherearefewprettierthingsthanCarlsbadbynightfromoneofthemanybridgeswhichspantheTeplinitscoursethroughthetown。Ifitisastarrynight，thetorrentglidesswiftlyawaywithaninvertedfirmamentinitsbosom，towhichthelampsalongitsshoresandinthehousesoneithersidecontributeaplanetarysplendoroftheirown。Bynineo’clockeverythingishushed；notawheelisheardatthatdeadhour；
thefewfeetshufflingstealthilythroughtheAlteWiesewhisperacautionofsilencetothoseissuingwithalessguardedtreadfromtheopera；thelittlebowersthatoverhangthestreamareasdarkandmuteastherestaurantsacrossthewaywhichservemealsinthembyday；thewholeplaceisasforsakenasothercitiesatmidnight。Peoplegetquicklyhometobed，oriftheyhaveamindtosnatchabelatedjoy，theyslipintotheTheater-Caf？wherethesleepyFrauleinsservethem，inanexemplarydrowse，withplatesofcoldhamandbottlesofthegentlygaseouswatersofGiesshubl。FewareoftheboldbadnesswhichdelightsinasupperatSchwarzkopf’s，andeventhesearegladofthedrawncurtainswhichhidetheirorgyfromthechancepasser。
TheinvalidsofBurnamy’spartykepttogether，strengtheningthemselvesinamutualpurposenottobetemptedtoeatanythingwhichwasnotstrictly’kurgemass’。Mrs。Marchplayedupontheinterestwhicheachofthemfeltinhisowncasesoartfullythatshekeptthemtalkingoftheircure，andleftBurnamyandMissTriscoetoamomentonthebridge，bywhichtheyprofited，whiletheothersstrolledon，toleanagainsttheparapetandwatchthelightsintheskiesandthewater，andbealonetogether。Thestreamshoneaboveandbelow，andfounditswayoutofandintothedarknessunderthesuccessivebridges；thetownclimbedintothenightwithlamp-litwindowshereandthere，tillthewoodsofthehill-
sidesdarkeneddowntomeetit，andfolditinanembracefromwhichsomewhiteedificeshowedpalelyinthefarthestgloom。