OnSundayMrs。MarchpartiallyconformedtoanearlierNewEnglandidealofthedaybyceasingfromsight-seeing。Shecouldnothaveunderstoodthesermonifshehadgonetochurch，butsheappeasedthelingeringconscienceshehadonthispointbynotgoingouttillafternoon。ThenshefoundnothingofthegayetywhichSundayafternoonwearsinCatholiclands。Thepeoplewererestingfromtheirweek-daylabors，buttheywerenotplaying；andtheoldchurches，longsinceconvertedtoLutheranuses，werelockedagainsttouristcuriosity。
Itwasasitshouldbe；itwasasitwouldbeathome；andyetinthisancientcity，wherethepastwassomuchaliveintheperpetualpicturesqueness，theMarchesfeltanincongruityinit；andtheywerefaintoescapefromtheProtestantsilenceandseriousnessofthestreetstotheshadeofthepublicgardentheyhadinvoluntarilyvisitedtheeveningoftheirarrival。
Onabenchsataquiet，ratherdejectedman，whomMarchaskedsomequestionoftheirway。HeansweredinEnglish，andintheparleythatfollowedtheydiscoveredthattheywereallAmericans。ThestrangerprovedtobeanAmericanofthesortcommonestinGermany，andhesaidhehadreturnedtohisnativecountrytogetridoftheaguewhichhehadtakenonStatenIsland。HehadbeenseventeenyearsinNewYork，andnowatalkofTammanyanditschancesinthenextelection，ofpullsanddeals，ofbossesandheelers，grewupbetweenthecivicstep-brothers，andjoinedthemisacommoninterest。TheGerman-Americansaidhewasbookkeeperinsomeglass-workswhichhadbeenclosedbyourtariff，andheconfessedthathedidnotmeantoreturntous，thoughhespokeofGermanaffairswiththeimpartialityofanoutsider。HesaidthattheSocialistpartywasincreasingfasterthananyother，andthatthistacitlymeantthesuppressionofrankandtheabolitionofmonarchy。HewarnedMarchagainsttheappearanceofindustrialprosperityinGermany；
beggarywasseverelyrepressed，andifpovertywasbettercladthanwithus，itwasashungryandashopelessinNurembergasinNewYork。Theworkingclasseswerekindlyandpeaceable；theyonlyknifedeachotherquietlyonSundayeveningsafterhavingtoomuchbeer。
PresentlythestrangerroseandbowedtotheMarchesforgood-by；andashewalkeddowntheaisleoftreesinwhichtheyhadbeenfittingtogether，heseemedtoberetreatingfartherandfartherfromsuchAmericanismastheyhadincommon。HehadrevertedtoanentirelyGermaneffectofdressandfigure；hiswalkwasslowandTeutonic；hemustbeatypeofthousandswhohavereturnedtothefatherlandwithoutwishingtoownthemselvesitschildrenagain，andyetoutofheartwiththeonlycountryleftthem。
“Hewasratherpathetic，mydear。”saidMarch，inthediscomfortheknewhiswifemustbefeelingaswellashimself。“Howoddtohavethelidliftedhere，andseethesameoldproblemsseethingandbubblinginthewitch’scaldronwecallcivilizationasweleftsimmeringawayathome！
Andhowhardtohaveourtariffreachoutandsnatchthebreadfromthemouthsofthosepoorglass-workers！”
“Ithoughtthatwashard。”shesighed。“Itmusthavebeenhisbread，too。”
“Let’shopeitwasnothiscake，anyway。Isuppose。”headded，dreamily，“thatwhatweusedtolikeinItalywastheabsenceofallthemodernactivities。TheItaliansdidn’trepelusbyassumingtobeofourepochinthepresenceoftheirmonuments；theyknewhowtobehaveaspensivememories。Iwonderifthey’restillascharming。”
“Oh，no。”shereturned，“nothingisascharmingasitusedtobe。Andnowweneedthecharmmorethanever。”
Helaughedatherdespair，inthetacitunderstandingtheyhadlivedintothatonlyoneofthemwastobedesperateatatime，andthattheyweretotaketurnsincheeringeachotherup。“Well，perhapswedon’tdeserveit。AndI’mnotsurethatweneeditsomuchaswedidwhenwewereyoung。We’vegottougher；wecanstandthecoldfactsbetternow。Theymademeshiveronce，butnowtheygivemeasortofagreeablethrill。
Besides，if，lifekeptupitsprettyillusions，ifitinsisteduponbeingascharmingasitusedtobe，howcouldweeverbeartodie？We’vegotthattoconsider。”Heyieldedtothetemptationofhisparadox，buthedidnotfailaltogetherofthepurposewithwhichhebegan，andtheytookthetrolleybacktotheirhotelcheerfulintheintrepidfancythattheyhadconfrontedfatewhentheyhadonlyhadthehardihoodtofaceaphrase。
TheyagreedthatnowheoughtreallytofindoutsomethingaboutthecontemporarylifeofNuremberg，andthenextmorninghewentoutbeforebreakfast，andstrolledthroughsomeofthesimplerstreets，inthehopeofintimateimpressions。Thepeasantwomen，servingportionsofmilkfromhousetohouseoutofthecansinthelittlewagonswhichtheydrewthemselves，wereatouchofpleasingdomesticcomedy；acertaineffectoftragedyimparteditselffromthelamentationsofthesucking-pigsjoltedoverthepavementsinhandcarts；acertainmajestyfromthelongprocessionofyellowmail-wagons，withdriversintheroyalBavarianblue，troopingbyinthecoldsmallrain，impassiblydrippingfromtheirglazedhat-brimsupontheiruniforms。Buthecouldnotfeelthatthesethingswereanyofthemverypoignantlysignificant；andhecoveredhisretreatfromtheactualitiesofNurembergbyvisitingthechiefbook-
storeandbuyingmorephotographsofthearchitecturethanhewanted，andmorelocalhistoriesthanbeshouldeverread。HemadealasteffortforthecontemporaneouslifebyaskingtheEnglish-speakingclerkiftherewereanyliterarymenofdistinctionlivinginNuremberg，andtheclerksaidtherewasnotone。
Hewenthometobreakfastwonderingifbeshouldbeabletomakehismeagrefactsservewithhiswife；buthefoundherfarfromanywishtolistentothem。Shewasintentuponapairofyounglovers，atatablenearherown，whoweresoabsorbedineachotherthattheywereproofagainstaninterestthatmustotherwisehavepiercedthemthrough。Thebridegroom，ashewouldhavecalledhimself，wasaprettylittleBavarianlieutenant，verydarkandregular，andthebridewasasprettyandaslittle，butdelicatelyblond。Naturehadadmirablymatedthem，andifarthadhelpedtobringthemtogetherthroughthegeniusofthebride’smother，whowasbreakfastingwiththem，ithadwroughtalmostasfitly。
Mrs。Marchqueriedimpartiallywhotheywere，wheretheymet，andhow，andjustwhentheyweregoingtobemarried；andMarchconsented，inhispersonalimmunityfromtheirromance，toletitgoonunderhiseyeswithoutprotest。Butlater，whentheymettheloversinthestreet，walkingarminarm，withthebride’smotherbehindthemgloatingupontheirbliss，hesaidthewomanought，athertimeoflife，tobeashamedofsuchfolly。Shemustknowthatthisaffair，byninechancesoutoften，couldnotfailtoeventuateatthebestinamarriageastiresomeasmostothermarriages，andyetshewasabandoningherselfwiththoseignorantyoungpeopletotheillusionthatitwasthefinestandsweetestthinginlife。
“Well，isn’tit？”hiswifeasked。
“Yes，that’stheworstofit。Itshowshowpoverty-strickenlifereallyis。Wewantsomehowtobelievethateachpairofloverswillfindthegoodwehavemissed，andbeashappyasweexpectedtobe。”
“Ithinkwehavebeenhappyenough，andthatwe’vehadasmuchgoodaswaswholesomeforus。”shereturned，hurt。
“You’realwayssoconcrete！Imeantusintheabstract。Butifyouwillbepersonal，I’llsaythatyou’vebeenashappyasyoudeserve，andgotmoregoodthanyouhadanyrightto。”
Shelaughedwithhim，andthentheylaughedagaintoperceivethattheywerewalkingarminarmtoo，likethelovers，whomtheywereinsensiblyfollowing。
Heproposedthatwhiletheywereinthemoodtheyshouldgoagaintotheoldcemetery，andseethehingedjawofthemurderedPaumgartner，waggingineternalaccusationofhismurderess。“It’sratherhardonher，thatheshouldbehavingthelastword，thatway。”hesaid。“Shewasawoman，nomatterwhatmistakesshehadcommitted。”
“That’swhatIcall’banale’。”saidMrs。March。
“Itis，rather。”heconfessed。“ItmakesmefeelasifImustgotoseethehouseofDurer，afterall。”
“Well，Iknewweshouldhaveto，soonerorlater。”
Itwasthethingthattheyhadsaidwouldnotdo，inNuremberg，becauseeverybodydidit；butnowtheyhailedafiacre，andordereditdriventoDurer’shouse，whichtheyfoundinaremotepartofthetownnearastretchofthecitywall，variedinitspicturesquenessbytheinterpositionofadrippinggrove；itwasrainingagainbythetimetheyreachedit。Thequarterhadlapsedfromearlierdignity，andwithoutbeingsqualid，itlookedwornandhardworked；otherwiseitcouldhardlyhavebeendifferentinDurer’stime。Hisdwelling，innowayimpressiveoutside，amidsttheenvironingquaintness，stoodatthecornerofanarrowside-hillstreetthatslopedcityward；andwithinitwasstrippedbareofallthefurnitureoflifebelow-stairs，andabovewasnonethecozierforthestiffappointmentofashow-house。Itwascavernousandcold；butiftherehadbeenafireinthekitchen，andatablelaidinthedining-room，andbedsequippedfornightmare，aftertheGermanfashion，intheemptychambers，onecouldhaveimaginedakindly，simple，neighborlyexistencethere。Itinnowisesuggestedthecallingofanartist，perhapsbecauseartistshadnotbeguninDurer’stimetotakethemselvessoobjectivelyastheydonow，butitimpliedthelifeofaprosperouscitizen，anditexpressedtheperiod。
TheMarcheswrotetheirnamesinthevisitors’book，andpaidthevisitor’sfee，whichalsoboughtthemticketsinanannuallotteryforareproductionofoneofDurer’spictures；andthentheycameaway，bynomeansdissatisfiedwithhishouse。ByitsassociationwithhissojournsinItalyitrecalledvisitstoothershrines，andtheyhadtoownthatitwasreallynoworsethanAriosto’shouseatFerrara，orPetrarch’satArqua，orMichelangelo’satFlorence。“ButwhatIadmire。”hesaid，“isourfutilityingoingtoseeit。Weexpectedtosurprisesomequalityofthemanleftlyingaboutinthehousebecausehelivedanddiedinit；
andbecausehiswifekepthimupsoclosethere，andworkedhimsohardtosavehiswidowfromcomingtowant。”
“Whosaidshedidthat？”
“Afriendofhiswhohatedher。ButhehadtoallowthatshewasaGod-
fearingwoman，andhadaNewEnglandconscience。”
“Well，IdaresayDurerwaseasy-going。”
“Yes；butIdon’tlikeherlayingherplanstosurvivehim；thoughwomenalwaysdothat。”