AdayortwoafterMrs：MarchhadmetMrs。Adding，shewentwithherhusbandtorevereacertainmagnificentblackamoorwhombehaddiscoveredattheentranceofoneofthearistocratichotelsontheSchlossberg，whereheperformedthefunctionofakindofcaryatid，andlooked，intheblackofhisskinandthewhiteofhisflowingcostume，likeacolossalfigurecarvedinebonyandivory。Theytookaroundaboutwaythroughastreetentirelyofvilla-pensions；everyhouseinCarlsbadbutoneisapensionifitisnotnhotel；butthesewereofasortofsentimentalprettiness；witheachalittlegardenbeforeit，andabowerwithanirontableinitforbreakfastingandsuppingout-doors；andhesaidthattheywouldbetheveryplacesforbridalcoupleswhowishedtospendthehoney-mooningettingwelloftheweddingsurfeit。Shedenouncedhimforsayingsuchathingasthat，andforhisinconsistencyincomplainingofloverswhilehewaswillingtothinkofyoungmarriedpeople。Hecontendedthattherewasagreatdifferenceinthesortofdemandthatyoungmarriedpeoplemadeupontheinterestofwitnesses，andthattheywereatleastontheirwaytosanity；andbeforetheyagreed，theyhadcometothehotelwiththeblackamooratthedoor。Whiletheylingered，sharingthesplendidcreature’shospitablepleasureinthespectacleheformed，theywereawareofacarriagewithliveriedcoachmanandfootmanatthestepsofthehotel；theliverieswereveryquietanddistinguished，andtheylearnedthattheequipagewaswaitingforthePrinceofCoburg，orthePrincessofMontenegro，orPrinceHenryofPrussia；thereweredifferingopinionsamongthetwentyorthirtybystanders。Mrs。Marchsaidshedidnotcarewhichitwas；andshewaspatientofthedenouement，whichbegantopostponeitselfwithdelicatedelays。Afterrepeatedagitationsatthedooramongportiers，proprietors，andwaiters，whoseflutteredspiritsimpartedtheirthrilltothespectators，whilethecoachmanandfootmanremainedsculpturesquelyimpassiveintheirplaces，thecarriagemovedasideandletanenergeticAmericanladyandherfamilydriveuptothesteps。Thehotelpeoplepaidheratempereddevotion，butshemarredtheeffectbyrushingoutandsittingonabalconytowaitforthedelayingroyalties。
Therebegantobemorepromisesoftheirearlyappearance；afootmangotdownandplacedhimselfatthecarriagedoor；thecoachmanstiffenedhimselfonhisbox；thenherelaxed；thefootmandrooped，andevenwanderedaside。Therecameamomentwhenatsomesignalthecarriagedrovequiteawayfromtheportalandwaitednearthegateofthestableyard；itdroveback，andthespectatorsredoubledtheirattention。
Nothinghappened，andsomeofthemdroppedoff。Atlastanindescribablesignificanceexpresseditselfintheofficialgroupatthedoor；amaninahighhatanddresscoathurriedout；afootmanhurriedtomeethim；theyspokeinaudiblytogether。Thefootmanmountedtohisplace；thecoachmangathereduphisreinsanddroverapidlyoutofthehotel-yard，downthestreet，roundthecorner，outofsight。Themaninthetallhatanddress-coatwentin；theofficialgroupatthethresholddissolved；thestatueinivoryandebonyresumeditsplace；evidentlytheHoheitofCoburg，orMontenegro，orPrussia，wasnotgoingtotaketheair。
“Mydear，thisishumiliating。”
“Notatall！Iwouldn’thavemisseditforanything。Thinkhownearwecametoseeingthem！”
“Ishouldn’tfeelsoshabbyifwehadseenthem。Buttohangroundhereinthisplebeianabeyance，andthentobedefeatedanddefraudedatlast！
Iwonderhowlongthissortofthingisgoingon？”
“Whatthing？”
“ThisbasesubjectionoftheimaginationtotheTomFooleryoftheAges。”
“Idon’tknowwhatyoumean。I’msureit’sverynaturaltowanttoseeaPrince。”
“Onlytoonatural。It’ssodeeplyfoundedinnaturethatafterdenyingroyaltybywordanddeedforahundredyears，weAmericansarehungrierforitthananybodyelse。Perhapswemaycomebacktoit！”
“Nonsense！”
TheylookedupattheAustrianflagonthetowerofthehotel，languidlycurlinganduncurlingintheblandeveningair，asithadoverathousandyearsofstupidandselfishmonarchy，whileallthegenerousrepublicsoftheMiddleAgeshadperished，andthecommonwealthsoflatertimeshadpassedlikefeverdreams。Thatdull，ingloriousempirehadantedatedoroutlivedVeniceandGenoa，FlorenceandSiena，theEnglandofCromwell，theHollandoftheStadtholders，andtheFranceofmanyrevolutions，andallthefleetingdemocracieswhichsprangfromthese。
MarchbegantoaskhimselfhowhiscuriositydifferedfromthatoftheEuropeansabouthim；thenhebecameawarethatthesehaddetachedthemselves，andlefthimexposedtothepresenceofafellowcountryman。
ItwasOtterson，withMrs。Otterson；heturneduponMarchwithhilariousrecognition。“Hello！MostoftheAmericansinCarlsbadseemtobehangingroundhereforasightofthesekings。Well，wedon’thaveagreatmanyof’em，andit’snaturalweshouldn’twanttomissany。Butnow，youEasternfellows，yougotoEuropeeverysummer，andyetyoudon’tseemtogetenoughof’em。Thinkit’shumannature，ordiditgetsogroundintousintheoldtimesthatwecan’tgetitout，nodifferencewhatwesay？”
“That’sverymuchwhatI’vebeenaskingmyself。”saidMarch。“Perhapsit’sanykindofshow。We’dwaitnearlyaslongforthePresidenttocomeout，wouldn’twe？”
“Ireckonwewould。Butwewouldn’tforhisnephew，orhissecondcousin。”
“Well，theywouldn’tbeinthewayofthesuccession。”
“Iguessyou’reright。”TheIowanseemedbettersatisfiedwithMarch’sphilosophythanMarchfelthimself，andhecouldnotforbearadding：
“ButIdon’t，denythatweshouldwaitforthePresidentbecausehe’sakindofkingtoo。Idon’tknowthatweshallevergetoverwantingtoseekingsofsomekind。Oratleastmywifewon’t。MayIpresentyoutoMrs。March？”
“Happytomeetyou，Mrs。March。”saidtheIowan。“IntroduceyoutoMrs。
Otterson。I’mthefoolinmyfamily，andIknowjusthowyoufeelaboutachancelikethis。Idon’tmeanthatyou’re——“
Theyalllaughedatthehopelesscase，andMrs。Marchsaid，withoneofherunexpectedlikings：“Iunderstand，Mr。Otterson。AndIwouldratherbeourkindoffoolthanthekindthatpretendsnottocareforthesightofaking。”
“Likeyouandme，Mrs。Otterson。”saidMarch。
“Indeed，indeed。”saidthelady，“I’dliketoseeakingtoo，ifitdidn’ttakeallnight。Good-evening。”shesaid，turningherhusbandaboutwithher，asifshesuspectedapurposeofpatronageinMrs。March，andwasnotgoingtohaveit。
Ottersonlookedoverhisshouldertoexplain，despairingly：“ThetroublewithmeisthatwhenIdogetachancetotalkEnglish，there’ssuchaflowoflanguageitcarriesmeaway，andIdon’tknowjustwhereI’mlanding。”
TherewereseveralkingsandtheirkindredatCarlsbadthatsummer。OnedaytheDuchessofOrleansdroveoverfromMarienbad，attendedbytheDukeonhisbicycle。Afterluncheon，theyreappearedforamomentbeforemountingtohercarriagewiththeirSecretaries：twoyoungFrenchgentlemenwhosedressandbearingbettersatisfiedMrs。March’sexactingpassionforanaristocraticairintheirorder。TheDukewasfatandfair，asaBourbonshouldbe，andtheDuchessfatter，thoughnotsofair，asbecameaHapsburg，buttheywerebothmoreplebeian-lookingthantheirretainers，whowereslenderaswellasyoung，andasperfectlyappointedasEnglishtailorscouldimaginethem。
“Itwouldn’tdofortheveryhighestsortofHighhotes。”Marchdeclared，“tolooktheirownconsequencepersonally；theyhavetoleavethat，likeeverythingelse，totheirinferiors。”
ByahappyheterophemyofMrs。March’stheGermanHoheithadnowbecomeHighhote，whichwassomuchmoredescriptivethattheyhadpermanentlyadoptedit，andfoundcomforttotheirrepublicanprideinthemockerywhichitpoureduponthefeudalstructureofsociety。Theyapplieditwithacertaincompunction，however，totheKingofServia，whocameafewdaysaftertheDukeandDuchess：hewassuchayoungKing，andofsuchalittlecountry。Theywatchedforhimfromthewindowsofthereading-room，whilethecrowdoutsidestoodsixdeeponthethreesidesofthesquarebeforethehotel，andthetwoplainpubliccarriageswhichbroughttheKingandhissuitedrewtamelyupattheportal，wheretheproprietorandsomecivicdignitariesreceivedhim。Hismoderatedapproach，solittlelikethatofroyaltyonthestage，towhichAmericansareused，allowedMrs。Marchtomakesureofthepale，slight，insignificant，amiable-lookingyouthinspectaclesasthesovereignshewasambuscading。Thennoappealtoherprinciplescouldkeepherfrompeepingthroughthereading-roomdoorintotherotunda，wheretheKinggraciouslybutspeedilydismissedthecivicgentlemenandtheproprietor，andvanishedintotheelevator。Shewasdestinedtoseehimsooftenafterwardsthatshescarcelytookthetroubletotimeherdiningandsuppingbythatofthesimplepotentate，whohadhismealsinoneofthepublicrooms，withthreegentlemenofhissuite，insack-coatslikehimself，aftertheinformalmanneroftheplace。
Stillanotherpotentate，whohappenedthatsummertobesojourningabroad，intheintervalofasuccessfulrebellion，wasattheoperaonenightwithsomeofhisfaithfulfollowers。BurnamyhadofferedMrs。
March，whosupposedthathemerelywantedherandherhusbandwithhim，placesinabox；butaftersheeagerlyaccepted，itseemedthathewishedhertoadvisehimwhetheritwoulddotoaskMissTriscoeandherfathertojointhem。
“Whynot？”shereturned，withanarchingoftheeyebrows。
“Why。”hesaid，“perhapsIhadbettermakeacleanbreastofit。”
“Perhapsyouhad。”shesaid，andtheybothlaughed，thoughhelaughedwithaknotbetweenhiseyes。
“Thefactis，youknow，thisisn’tmytreat，exactly。It’sMr。
Stoller’s。”Atthesurpriseinherfacehehurriedon。“He’sgotbackhisfirstletterinthepaper，andhe’ssomuchpleasedwiththewayhereadsinprint，thathewantstocelebrate。”
“Yes。”saidMrs。March，non-committally。
Burnamylaughedagain。“Buthe’sbashful，andheisn’tsurethatyouwouldalltakeitintherightway。Hewantsyouasfriendsofmine；andhehasn’tquitethecouragetoaskyouhimself。”
