“Andtomakesurethatitwastobethelasttime，youofferedyourselftoher。”
“Icouldn’thelpdoingthat。”
“Idon’tsayyoucould。Idon’tjudgethefactsatall。Ileavethemaltogethertoyou；andyoushallsaywhatamaninmypositionoughttosaytosuchamanasyouhaveshownyourself。”
“No，Iwillsay。”Thedoorintotheadjoiningroomwasflungopen，andAgathaflashedinfromit。
Herfatherlookedcoldlyatherimpassionedface。“Haveyoubeenlistening？”heasked。
“Ihavebeenhearing——“
“Oh！”Asnearlyasamancould，inbed，GeneralTriscoeshrugged。
“IsupposeIhad，arighttobeinmyownroom。Icouldn’thelphearing；
andIwasperfectlyastonishedatyou，papa，thecruelwayyouwenton，afterallyou’vesaidaboutMr。Stoller，andhisgettingnomorethanhedeserved。”
“Thatdoesn’tjustifyme。”Burnamybegan，butshecuthimshortalmostasseverelyasshe——haddealtwithherfather。
“Yes，itdoes！Itjustifiesyouperfectly！Andhiswantingyoutofalsifythewholethingafterwards，morethanjustifiesyou。”
Neitherofthemenattemptedanythinginreplytohercasuistry；theybothlookedequallyposedbyit，fordifferentreasons；andAgathawentonasvehementlyasbefore，addressingherselfnowtooneandnowtotheother。
“Andbesides，ifitdidn’tjustifyyou，whatyouhavedoneyourselfwould；andyourneverdenyingit，ortryingtoexcuseit，makesitthesameasifyouhadn’tdoneit，asfarasyouareconcerned；andthatisallIcarefor。”Burnamystarted，asifwiththesenseofhavingheardsomethinglikethisbefore，andwithsurpriseathearingitnow；andsheflushedalittleassheaddedtremulously，“AndIshouldnever，neverblameyouforit，afterthat；it’sonlytryingtowriggleoutofthingswhichIdespise，andyou’veneverdonethat。Andhesimplyhadtocomeback。”sheturnedtoherfather，“andtellmehimselfjusthowitwas。
Andyousaidyourself，papa——orthesameassaid——thathehadnorighttosupposeIwasinterestedinhisaffairsunlesshe——unless——AndIshouldneverhaveforgivenhim，ifhehadn’ttoldmethenthathethathehadcomebackbecausehe——feltthewayhedid。Iconsiderthatthatexoneratedhimforbreakinghisword，completely。Ifhehadn’tbrokenhiswordIshouldhavethoughthehadactedverycruellyand——andstrangely。Andeversincethen，hehasbehavedsonobly，sohonorably，sodelicately，thatIdon’tbelievehewouldeverhavesaidanythingagain——ifIhadn’tfairlyforcedhim。Yes！Yes，Idid！“shecriedatamovementofremonstrancefromBurnamy。“AndIshallalwaysbeproudofyouforit。”Herfatherstaredsteadfastlyather，andheonlyliftedhiseyebrows，forchangeofexpression，whenshewentovertowhereBurnamystood，andputherhandinhiswithacertainchildlikeimpetuosity。“Andasfortherest。”shedeclared，“everythingIhaveishis；justaseverythingofhiswouldbemineifIhadnothing。Orifhewishestotakemewithoutanything，thenhecanhavemeso，andIsha’n’tbeafraidbutwecangetalongsomehow。”Sheadded，“Ihavemanagedwithoutamaid，eversinceIlefthome，andpovertyhasnoterrorsforme！”
GeneralTriscoesubmittedtodefeatwiththepatiencewhichsoldierslearn。Hedidnotsubmitamiably；thatwouldhavebeenoutofcharacter，andperhapsoutofreason；butBurnamyandAgathawerebothsoamiablethattheysuppliedgood-humorforall。Theyflauntedtheirraptureinherfather’sfaceaslittleastheycould，buthemayhavefoundtheirserenesatisfaction，theirsettledconfidenceintheirfate，ashardtobearasamoreboisteroushappinesswouldhavebeen。
ItwasagreedamongthemallthattheyweretoreturnsoontoAmerica，andBurnamywastofindsomesortofliteraryorjournalisticemploymentinNewYork。Shewasmuchsurerthanhethatthiscouldbedonewithperfectease；buttheywereofanequalmindthatGeneralTriscoewasnottobedisturbedinanyofhishabits，orvexedinthetenorofhisliving；anduntilBurnamywasatleastself-supportingtheremustbenotalkoftheirbeingmarried。
Thetalkoftheirbeingengagedwasquiteenoughforthetime。Itincludedcompleteandminuteauto-biographiesonbothsides，reciprocalanalysesofcharacter，ascientificallyexhaustivecomparisonoftastes，ideasandopinions；aprofoundstudyoftheirrespectivechins，noses，eyes，hands，heights，complexions，molesandfreckles，withsomeaccountoftheirseveralfriends。
Inthisoccupation，whichwasprofitablyvariedbytheconfessionofwhattheyhadeachthoughtandfeltanddreamtconcerningtheotherateveryinstantsincetheymet，theypassedrapidlythedayswhichthepersistentanxietyofGeneralTriscoeinterposedbeforethedateoftheirleavingWeimarforParis，whereitwasarrangedthattheyshouldspendamonthbeforesailingforNewYork。Burnamyhadanotion，whichAgathaapproved，oftryingforsomethingthereontheNewYork-ParisChronicle；
andifhegotittheymightnotgohomeatonce。Hisgainsfromthatpaperhadekedouthiscopyrightfromhisbook，andhadalmostpaidhisexpensesingettingthematerialwhichhehadcontributedtoit。Theywerenotsogreat，however，butthathisgoldreservewasreducedtolessthanahundreddollars，countingthesilvercoinageswhichhadremainedtohimincrossingandrecrossingfrontiers。Hewasattimesdimlyconsciousofhisfinances，buthebuoyantlydisregardedthefacts，asincompatiblewithhisstatusasAgatha’sbetrothed，ifnotunworthyofhischaracterasaloverintheabstract。
TheafternoonbeforetheyweretoleaveWeimar，theyspentmostlyinthegardenbeforetheGrand-DucalMuseum，inaconferencesoimportantthatwhenitcameontorain，atonemoment，theyputupBurnamy’sumbrella，andcontinuedtositunderitratherthaninterrupttheproceedingseventoletAgathagobacktothehotelandlookafterherfather’spacking。
Herownhadbeenfinishedbeforedinner，soastoleaveherthewholeafternoonfortheirconference，andtoallowherfathertoremaininundisturbedpossessionofhisroomaslongaspossible。
Whatchieflyremainedtobeputintothegeneral’strunkwerehiscoatsandtrousers，hanginginthecloset，andAugusttookthesedown，andcarefullyfoldedandpackedthem。Then，tomakesurethatnothinghadbeenforgotten，Agathaputachairintotheclosetwhenshecamein，andstoodonittoexaminetheshelfwhichstretchedabovethehooks。
Thereseemedatfirsttobenothingonit，andthenthereseemedtobesomethinginthefurthercorner，whichwhenitwastiptoedfor，provedtobeabouquetofflowers，notsofadedastoseemveryold；thebluesatinribbonwhichtheyweretiedupwith，andwhichhungdownhalfayard，wasofentirefreshnessexceptfarthedustoftheshelfwhereithadlain。
Agathabackedoutintotheroomwithherfindinherhand，andexamineditnearto，andthenatarm’slength。Auguststoodbywithapairofthegeneral’strouserslyingacrosshisoutstretchedhands，andasAgathaabsentlylookedroundathim，shecaughtalightofintelligenceinhiseyeswhichchangedherwholepsychologicalrelationtothewitheredbouquet。Tillthenithadbeenalifeless，meaninglessbunchofflowers，whichsomeone，fornomotive，hadtosseduponthatdustyshelfinthecloset。AtAugust’ssmileitbecamesomethingelse。Stillsheaskedlightlyenough，“Wasistloss，August？”
Hissmiledeepenedandbroadened。“FurdieAndere。”heexplained。
AgathademandedinEnglish，“Whatdoyoumeanbyfeardyondery？”
“Oddawlehdy。”
“Otherlady？”Augustnodded，rejoicinginbigsuccess，andAgathaclosedthedoorintoherownroom，wherethegeneralhadbeenputforthetimesoastobesparedtheannoyanceofthepacking；thenshesatdownwithherhandsinherlap，andthebouquetinherhands。“Now，August。”shesaidverycalmly，“Iwantyoutotellme-ichwunscheSiezumirsagen——
whatotherlady——wassandereDame——theseflowersbelongedto——dieseBlumengehortezu。VerstehenSie？”
Augustnoddedbrightly，andwithGermancarefullyadjustedtoAgatha’scapacity，andwithnowandthenawordorphraseofEnglish，heconveyedthatbeforesheandherHerrFatherhadappeared，therehadbeeninWeimaranotherAmericanFrauleinwithherFrauMother；theyhadnotindeedstaidinthathotel，buthadseveraltimessuppedtherewiththeyoungHerrBornahmee，whowasoccupyingthatroombeforeherHerrFather。
TheyoungHerrhadbeenmuchaboutwiththeseAmericanDamen，drivingandwalkingwiththem，andsometimesdiningorsuppingwiththemattheirhotel，TheElephant。AugusthadsometimescarriednotestothemfromtheyoungHerr，andhehadgoneforthebouquetwhichthegraciousFrauleinwasholding，onthemorningofthedaythattheAmericanDamenleftbythetrainforHanover。
AugustwasmuchhelpedandencouragedthroughoutbythefriendlyintelligenceofthegraciousFraulein，whosmiledradiantlyinclearinguponedimpointafteranother，andwhonowandthensuppliedtheEnglishanalogueswhichhesoughtinhisefforttorenderhisGermanmoreluminous。
Attheendshereturnedtotheworkofpacking，inwhichshedirectedhim，andsometimesassistedhimwithherownhands，havingputthebouquetonthemanteltoleaveherselffree。Shetookitupagainandcarrieditintoherownroom，whenshewentwithAugusttosummonherfatherbacktohis。ShebadeAugustsaytotheyoungHerr，ifhesawhim，thatshewasgoingtosupwithherfather，andAugustgavehermessagetoBurnamy，whomhemetonthestairscomingdownashewasgoingupwiththeirtray。
Agathausuallysuppedwithherfather，butthateveningBurnamywaslessablethanusualtobearherabsenceinthehoteldining-room，andhewentuptoacaf？inthetownforhissupper。Hedidnotstaylong，andwhenhereturnedhisheartgaveajoyfulliftatsightofAgathalookingoutfromherbalcony，asifshewerelookingforhim。Hemadeheragayflourishingbow，liftinghishathigh，andshecamedowntomeethimatthehoteldoor。Shehadherhatonandjacketoveronearmandshejoinedhimatonceforthefarewellwalkheproposedinwhattheyhadagreedtocalltheirgarden。
Shemovedalittleaheadofhim，andwhentheyreachedtheplacewheretheyalwayssat，sheshiftedherjackettotheotherarmanduncoveredthehandinwhichshehadbeencarryingthewitheredbouquet。“HereissomethingIfoundinyourcloset，whenIwasgettingpapa’sthingsout。”
“Why，whatisit？”heaskedinnocently，ashetookitfromher。
“Abouquet，apparently。”sheanswered，ashedrewthelongribbonsthroughhisfingers，andlookedattheflowerscuriously，withhisheadaslant。
“Wheredidyougetit？”