Hewas，infact，nottheleastcuriousforthesight，andtheonlythingthatreallytroubledhimwasthequestionofhowheshouldjustifyhisrecreancetohiswife。Thisdidalloythepleasurewithwhichhebegan，afteranexcellentbreakfastataneighboringcaf？tostrollaboutthestreets，thoughhehadthemalmosttohimself，somanycitizenshadfollowedthesoldierstothemanoeuvres。
Itwasnottillthesoldiersbeganreturningfromthemanoeuvres，dusty-
footed，andinwhitecanvasoverallsdrawnovertheirtrouserstosavethem，thathewentbacktoMrs。MarchandMissTriscoeattheSwan。Hehadgiventhemtimeenoughtoimaginehimatthereview，andtowonderwhetherhehadseenGeneralTriscoeandtheStollersthere，andtheymethimwithsuchconfidentinquiriesthathewouldnotundeceivethematonce。Heletthemdivinefromhisinventiveanswersthathehadnotgonetothemanoeuvres，whichputtheminthebesthumorwiththemselves，andthegirlsaiditwassocoldandroughthatshewishedherfatherhadnotgone，either。Thegeneralappearedjustbeforedinnerandfranklyavowedthesamewish。Hewasraspingandwheezingfromthedustwhichfilledhislungs；helookedblownandred，andhewastooangrywiththecompanyhehadbeenintohaveanycommentsonthemanoeuvres。HereferredtothemilitarychieflyinrelationtotheMissStollers’ineffectualflirtations，whichhedeclaredhadbeenoutrageous。Theirfatherhadapparentlynocontroloverthemwhatever，orelsewastooignoranttoknowthattheyweremisbehaving。Theywerewithoutrespectorreverenceforanyone；theyhadtalkedtoGeneralTriscoeasifhewereaboyoftheirownage，oradotardwhomnobodyneedmind；theyhadnotonlykeptuptheirfoolishbabblebeforehim，theyhadlaughedandgiggled，theyhadbrokenintosnatchesofAmericansong，theyhadallbutwhistledanddanced。TheymadeloudcommentsinIllinoisEnglish——onthecutenessoftheofficerswhomtheyadmired，andtheyhadatonetimeactuallygotouttheirhandkerchiefs。Hesupposedtheymeanttowavethemattheofficers，butatthelookhegavethemtheymerelyputtheirhatstogetherandsnickeredinderisionofhim。TheywereAmericangirlsoftheworsttype；theyconformedtonostandardofbehavior；theirconductwaspersonal。Theyoughttobetakenhome。
Mrs。Marchsaidshesawwhathemeant，andsheagreedwithhimthattheywerealtogetherunformed，andweretheeffectoftheirownignorantcaprices。Probably，however，itwastoolatetoamendthembytakingthemaway。
“Itwouldhidethem，atanyrate。”heanswered。“Theywouldsinkbackintothegreatmassofourvulgarity，andnotbenoticed。Webehavelikeaparcelofpeasantswithourwomen。Wethinkthatifnoharmismeantorthought，wemayriskanysortofappearance，andwedothingsthatarescandalouslyimpropersimplybecausetheyareinnocent。Thatmaybeallverywellathome，butpeoplewhopreferthatsortofthinghadbetterstaythere，whereourpeasantmannerswon’tmakethemconspicuous。”
AstheirtrainrannorthwardoutofWurzburgthatafternoon，Mrs。Marchrecurredtothegeneral’sclosingwords。“ThatwasaslapatMrs。AddingforlettingKenbygooffwithher。”
Shetookupthehistoryofthepasttwenty-fourhours，fromthetimeMarchhadleftherwithMissTriscoewhenhewentwithherfatherandtheAddingsandKenbytoseethatchurch。Shehadhadnochancetobringupthesearrearsuntilnow，andsheatonedtoherselfforthedelaybymakingthehistoryveryfull，andgoingbackandaddingtouchesatanypointwhereshethoughtshehadscantedit。Afterall，itconsistedmainlyoffragmentaryintimationsfromMissTriscoeandofhalf-utteredquestionswhichherownartnowbuiltintoacoherentstatement。
MarchcouldnotfindthatthegeneralhadmuchresentedBurnamy’sclandestinevisittoCarlsbadwhenhisdaughtertoldhimofit，orthathehaddonemorethanmakeherpromisethatshewouldnotkeepuptheacquaintanceuponanytermsunknowntohim。
“Probably。”Mrs。Marchsaid，“aslongashehadanyhopesofMrs。Adding，hewasalittletooself-conscioustobeveryupanddownaboutBurnamy。”
“Thenyouthinkhewasreallyseriousabouther？”
“Nowmydear！HewassoseriousthatIsupposehewasneversocompletelytakenabackinhislifeaswhenhemetKenbyinWurzburgandsawhowshereceivedhim。Ofcourse，thatputanendtothefight。”
“Thefight？”
“Yes——thatMrs。AddingandAgathawerekeepinguptopreventhisofferinghimself。”
“Oh！Andhowdoyouknowthattheywerekeepingupthefighttogether？”
“HowdoI？Didn’tyouseeyourselfwhatfriendstheywere？DidyoutellhimwhatStollerhad，saidaboutBurnamy？”
“Ihadnochance。Idon’tknowthatIshouldhavedoneit，anyway。Itwasn’tmyaffair。”
“Well，then，Ithinkyoumight。Itwouldhavebeeneverythingforthatpoorchild；itwouldhavecompletelyjustifiedherinherowneyes。”
“Perhapsyourtellingherwillservethesamepurpose。”
“Yes，Ididtellher，andIamgladofit。Shehadarighttoknowit。”
“DidshethinkStoller’swillingnesstooverlookBurnamy’sperformancehadanythingtodowithitsmoralquality？”
Mrs。Marchwasdauntedforthemoment，butshesaid，“Itoldheryouthoughtthatifapersonownedtoafaulttheydisownedit，andputitawayfromthemjustasifithadneverbeencommitted；andthatifapersonhadtakentheirpunishmentforawrongtheyhaddone，theyhadexpiateditsofarasanybodyelsewasconcerned。Andhasn’tpoorBurnamydoneboth？”
AsamoralistMarchwasflatteredtobehoistwithhisownpetard，butasahusbandhewasnotgoingtocomedownatonce。“Ithoughtprobablyyouhadtoldherthat。Youhaditpatfromhavingjustbeenoveritwithme。
Whenhassheheardfromhim？”
“Why，that’sthestrangestthingaboutit。Shehasn’theardatall。Shedoesn’tknowwhereheis。Shethoughtwemustknow。Shewasterriblybrokenup。”
“Howdidsheshowit？”
“Shedidn’tshowit。Eitheryouwanttotease，oryou’veforgottenhowsuchthingsarewithyoungpeople——oratleastgirls。”
“Yes，it’sallalongtimeagowithme，andIneverwasagirl。Besides，thefrankanddirectbehaviorofKenbyandMrs。Addinghasbeenveryobliteratingtomyearlyimpressionsoflove-making。”
“Itcertainlyhasn’tbeenideal。”saidMrs。Marchwithasigh。
“Whyhasn’titbeenideal？”heasked。“Kenbyistremendouslyinlovewithher；andIbelieveshe’shadafancyforhimfromthebeginning。
Ifithadn’tbeenforRoseshewouldhaveacceptedhimatonce；andnowhe’sessentialtothembothintheirhelplessness。AsforPapaTriscoeandhisEuropeanizedscruples，iftheyhaveanyrealityatallthey’retheresiduumofhispersonalresentment，andKenbyandMrs。Addinghavenothingtodowiththeirunreality。Hisbeinginlovewithherisnoreasonwhyheshouldn’tbehelpfultoherwhensheneedshim，andeveryreasonwhyheshould。Icallitapoem，suchasveryfewpeoplehavethelucktoliveouttogether。”
Mrs。Marchlistenedwithmountingfervor，andwhenhestopped，shecriedout，“Well，mydear，Idobelieveyouareright！Itisideal，asyousay；it’saperfectpoem。AndIshallalwayssay——“
Shestoppedatthemockinglightwhichshecaughtinhislook，andperceivedthathehadbeenamusinghimselfwithherperennialenthusiasmforallsortsoflove-affairs。Butsheaverredthatshedidnotcare；
whathehadsaidwastrue，andsheshouldalwaysholdhimtoit。
Theywereagaininthewedding-journeysentimentinwhichtheyhadleftCarlsbad，whentheyfoundthemselvesalonetogetheraftertheirescapefromthepressureofothers’interests。ThetideoftravelwastowardsFrankfort，wherethegrandparadewastotakeplacesomedayslater。
TheyweregoingtoWeimar，whichwassofewhoursoutoftheirwaythattheysimplymustnotmissit；andallthewaytotheoldliterarycapitaltheywerealoneintheircompartment，withnotevenastranger，muchlessafriendtomolestthem。Theflyinglandscapewithoutwasoftheirownearlyautumnalmood，andwhenthevineyardsofWurzburgceasedtopurpleit，theheavyafter-mathofhayandclover，whichmen，women，andchildrenwereloadingonheavywains，anddrivingfromthemeadowseverywhere，offeredapastoralandpleasingchange。ItwasalwaystheGermanlandscape；sometimesflatandfertile，sometimeshillyandpoor；
oftenclothedwithdensewoods，butalwayscharming，withcastledtopsinruinorrepair，andwithlevelswhereGothicvillagesdrowsedwithintheirwalls，anddreamedofthemediaevalpast，silent，withoutapparentlife，exceptforsomelittlegoose-girldrivingherflockbeforeherasshesalliedoutintothenineteenthcenturyinsearchoffreshpasturage。
AstheirtrainmountedamongtheThuringianuplandstheywereawareofafiner，coolerairthroughtheiropenwindow。Thetorrentsfoamedwhiteoutoftheblackforestsoffirandpine，andbrawledalongthevalleys，wherethehamletsrousedthemselvesinmomentarycuriosityasthetrainroaredintothemfromthemanytunnels。Theafternoonsunshinehadtheglisterofmountainsunshineeverywhere，andthetravellershadapleasantbewildermentinwhichtheirmemoriesofSwitzerlandandtheWhiteMountainsmixedwithlong-dormantemotionsfromAdirondacksojourns。Theychosethisplaceandthatinthelovelyregionwheretheylamentedthattheyhadnotcomeatoncefortheafter-cure，andtheyappointedenoughreturnstoitinfutureyearstoconsumeallthesummerstheyhadlefttolive。