BurnamyhadfoundthePosthofforthem，ashehadfoundmostoftheotheragreeablethingsinCarlsbad，whichhebroughttotheirknowledgeonebyone，withsuchforethoughtthatMarchsaidhehopedheshouldbecaredforinhisdecliningyearsasaneditorratherthanasafather；therewasnotendernesslikeayoungcontributor’s。
ManypeoplefromthehotelsonthehillfoundatPupp’sjustthetimeandspacebetweentheirlastcupofwaterandtheirfirstcupofcoffeewhichareprescribedatCarlsbad；buttheMarcheswereawaresomehowfromthebeginningthatPupp’shadnottheholdupontheworldatbreakfastwhichithadatthemid-daydinner，oratsupperontheeveningswhentheconcertwasthere。Stillitwasamusing，andtheywerepatientofBurnamy’sdelaytillhecouldgetamorningofffromStollerandgowiththemtothePosthof。HemetMrs。Marchinthereading-room，whereMarchwastojointhemonhiswayfromthespringswithhisbagofbread。TheearlierusageofbuyingthedelicatepinkslicesofWestphaliaham，whichformthechiefmotiveofaCarlsbadbreakfast，atacertainshopinthetown，andcarryingthemtothecaf？withyou，isnolongerofsuchbindingforceasthecustomofgettingyourbreadattheSwissbakery。
Youchooseityourselfatthecounter，whichbeginstobecrowdedbyhalfpastseven，andwhenyouhavecollectedtheprescribedloavesintothebasketofmetallicfiligreegivenyoubyoneofthebaker’smaids，sheputsitintoatissue-paperbagofagayredcolor，andyoujointheotherinvalidsstreamingawayfromthebakery，theirpaperbagsmakingafestiverustlingastheygo。
Tworoadsleadoutofthetownintothelovelymeadow-lands，agoodmileupthebrawlingTepl，beforetheyjoinontherightsideofthetorrent，wherethePosthoflurksnestledundertreeswhoseboughsletthesunandrainimpartiallythroughuponitsarmyoflittletables。BythistimetheslowomnibusplyingbetweenCarlsbadandsomevillagesinthevalleybeyondhascrossedfromtheleftbanktotheright，andkeepsonpasthalfadozenothercafes，wherepatientswhoseprescriptionsmarshalthembeyondthePosthofdropoffbythedozensandscores。
TheroadontheleftbankoftheTepliswildandoverhungatpointswithwoodedsteeps，whenitleavesthetown；butontherightitisborderedwithshopsandrestaurantsagreatpartofitslength。Inleafynooksbetweenthese，uphillwalksbegintheirclimbofthemountains，fromthefootofvotiveshrinessetroundwithtabletscommemoratinginGerman，French，Russian，Hebrew，MagyarandCzech，thecureofhigh-well-bornsofallthoseracesandlanguages。Boothsglitteringwiththelapidary’sworkinthecheapergems，orfulloftheingeniousfiguresofthetoy-
makers，alternatewiththeshrinesandthecafesonthewaytothePosthof，andwiththeirshouldersagainsttheoverhangingcliff，spreadforthepassingcrowdalureofViennesejewelryingarnets，opals，amethysts，andthelike，andofsuchBohemianplaythingsascarrot-eatingrabbits，worsted-workingcats，dancing-bears，andpeacocksthatstrutaboutthefeetofthepassersandexpandtheiriridescenttailsinmimicpride。
Burnamygothischargeswithdifficultybytheshrinesinwhichtheyfeltthefar-reflectedcharmofthecrucifixesofthewhite-hotItalianhighwaysoftheirearlytravel，andbythetoyshopswheretheyhadamechanical，out-datedimpulsetogetsomethingforthechildren，endinginapangforthefactthattheywerechildrennolonger。HewaitedpolitelywhileMrs。Marchmadeuphermindthatshewouldnotbuyanylacesofthemotherlyoldwomenwhoshowedthemunderpent-roofsonway-
sidetables；andhewaitedpatientlyatthegateoftheflower-gardensbeyondtheshopswhereMarchboughtlavishlyofsweetpeasefromthebusinesslikeflower-woman，andfeignedagratefuljoyinherbecausesheknewnoEnglish，andgavehimachanceofspeakinghisGerman。
“You’llfind。”hesaid，astheycrossedtheroadagain，“thatit’swelltotrifleagooddeal；itmakesthetimepass。Ishouldstillbelaggingalonginmythirtiesifithadn’tbeenforfooling，andhereIamwelloninmyfifties，andMrs。Marchisyoungerthanever。”
Theywereatthegateofthegardenandgroundsofthecaf？atlast，andaturnofthepathbroughtthemtotheprospectofitstables，underthetrees，betweenthetwolongglazedgallerieswherethebreakfasterstakerefugeatothertableswhenitrains；itrainsnearlyalways，andthetrunksofthetreesareasgreenwithdampasifpainted；butthatmorningthesunwasshining。Atthevergeoftheopenspaceagroupofprettyserving-maids，eachwithhernameonasilverbandpinneduponherbreast，metthemandbadethema’GutenMorgen’ofalmostcheerfulnote，butgaveway，toaneagerlittlesmilingblonde，whocamepushingdownthepathatsightofBurnamy，andclaimedhimforherown。
“Ah，Lili！Wewantanextragoodtable，thismorning。ThesearesomeAmericanExcellencies，andyoumustdoyourbestforthem。”
“Oh，yes。”thegirlansweredinEnglish，afteraradiantsalutationoftheMarches；“Igetyouone。
“Youarealittlemoreformerly，to-day，andIdidn’thadonealready。”
Sheranamongthetablesalongtheedgeofthewesternedgeofthegallery，andwasfarbeyondhearinghisprotestthathewasnotearlierthanusualwhenshebeckonedhimtothetableshehadfound。Shehadcrowdeditinbetweentwobelongingtoothergirls，andbythetimeherbreakfasterscameupshewasreadyfortheirorder，withthepoutingpretencethatthegirlsalwaystriedtorobherofthebestplaces。
Burnamyexplainedproudly，whenshewent，thatnoneoftheothergirlsevergotanadvantageofher；shehadmorecustomthananythreeofthem，andshehadhiredamantohelphercarryherorders。Thegirlswereallfromtheneighboringvillages，hesaid，andtheylivedathomeinthewinterontheirsummertips；theirwageswerenothing，orless，forsometimestheypaidfortheirplaces。
“Whatamassofinformation！”saidMarch。“Howdidyoucomebyit？”
“Newspaperhabitofinterviewingtheuniverse。”
“It’snotabadhabit，ifonedoesn’tcarryittoofar。HowdidLililearnherEnglish？”
“Shetakeslessonsinthewinter。She’saperfectlittleelectricmotor。
Idon’tbelieveanyYankeegirlcouldequalher。”
“Shewouldexpecttomarryamillionaireifshedid。Whatastonishesoneoverhereistoseehowcontentedlypeopleprosperalongontheirownlevel。Andthewomendotwicetheworkofthemenwithoutexpectingtoequaltheminanyotherway。AtPupp’s，ifwegotooneendoftheout-
doorrestaurant，ittakesthreementowaitonus：onetobringourcoffeeortea，anothertobringourbreadandmeat，andanothertomakeoutourbill，andIhavetotipallthreeofthem。Ifwegototheotherend，onegirlservesus，andIhavetogiveonlyonefee；ImakeitlessthantheleastIgiveanythreeofthemenwaiters。”
“Yououghttobeashamedofthat。”saidhiswife。
“I’mnot。I’msimplyproudofyoursex，mydear。”
“Womendonearlyeverything，here。”saidBurnamy，impartially。“TheybuiltthatbignewKaiserbadbuilding：mixedthemortar，carriedthehods，andlaidthestone。”
“Thatmakesmeprouderofthesexthanever。Butcome，Mr。Burnamy！
Isn’tthereanybodyofpoliteinterestthatyouknowofinthiscrowd？”
“Well，Ican’tsay。”Burnamyhesitated。
Thebreakfastershadbeenthrongingintothegroveandthegalleries；thetableswerealreadyfilled，andmenwerebringingothertablesontheirheads，andmakingplacesforthem，withentreatiesforpardoneverywhere；
theproprietorwasanxiouslydirectingthem；theprettyserving-girlswererunningtoandfromthekitcheninabuildingapartwithshrill，sweetpromisesofhaste。Themorningsunfellbrokenthroughtheleavesonthegayhatsanddressesoftheladies，anddappledthefiguresofthemenwithharlequinpatchesoflightandshade。Atallwoman，withasortofsharpenedbeauty，andanartificialpermanencyoftintinhercheeksandyellowhair，cametrailingherselfupthesun-shotpath，andfound，withhardyinsistenceuponthepublicity，placesforthesurly-looking，down-facedyoungmanbehindher，andforhermaidandherblackpoodle；
thedogwasliketheblackpoodleoutofFaust。Burnamyhadheardherhistory；infact，hehadalreadyroughedoutapoemonit，whichhecalledEuropa，notaftertheoldfable，butbecauseitseemedtohimthatsheexpressedEurope，ononesideofitscivilization，andhadanauthorizedplaceinitsorder，asshewouldnothavehadinours。ShewaswhereshewasbyatolerationofcertainsocialfactswhichcorrespondsinEuropetoourreverenceforthevestedinterests。Inherhistorythere，hadbeenofficersandbankers；evenforeigndignitaries；
nowtherewasthissullenyoungfellow……BurnamyhadwonderedifitwoulddotoofferhispoemtoMarch，butthepresenceoftheoriginalabashedhim，andinhismindhehadtornthepoemup，withaheartacheforitsaptness。
“Idon’tbelieve。”hesaid，“thatIrecognize-anycelebritieshere。”
“I’msorry。”saidMarch。“Mrs。MarchwouldhavebeengladofsomeHoheits，someGrafsandGrafins，orafewExcellenzes，orevensomemerewell-borns。Butwemusttrytogetalongwiththepicturesqueness。”
“I’msatisfiedwiththepicturesqueness。”saidhiswife。“Don’tworryaboutme，Mr。Burnamy。“Whycan’twehavethissortofthingathome？”
“We’regettingsomethinglikeitintheroof-gardens。”saidMarch。”
Wecouldn’thaveitnaturallybecausetheclimateisagainstit，withus。
Atthistimeinthemorningoverthere，thesunwouldbeburningthelifeoutoftheair，andtheflieswouldbeswarmingoneverytable。AtnineA。M。themosquitoeswouldbeeatingusupinsuchagroveasthis。Sowehavetouseartifice，andliftourPosthofabovethefly-lineandthemosquito-lineintothenightair。Ihaven’tseenaflysinceIcametoEurope。Ireallymissthem；itmakesmehomesick。”
“ThereareplentyinItaly。”hiswifesuggested。
“Wemustgetdowntherebeforewegohome。”
“ButwhydidnobodyevertellusthattherewerenofliesinGermany？
Whydidnotravellereverputitinhisbook？Whenyourstewardesssaidsoonthesteamer，Irememberthatyouregardeditasabluff。”HeturnedtoBurnamy，whowaslisteningwiththedeferenceofacontributor：
“Isn’tLiliratherlong？Imeanforsuchaverypromptperson。Oh，no！”
ButBurnamygottohisfeet，andshouted“Fraulein！”toLili；withherhirelingatherheelsshewasflyingdownadistantaislebetweenthetables。Shecalledback，withafacelaughingoverhershoulder，“Inaminute！”andvanishedinthecrowd。
“Doesthatmeananythinginparticular？There’sreallynohurry。”
