Theyweregoingawaythenextday，andtheysatdownthateveningtoafinalsupperinsuchgood-humorwiththemselvesthattheywerewillingtoincludeayoungcouplewhocametotakeplacesattheirtable，thoughtheywouldratherhavebeenalone。Theyliftedtheireyesfortheirexpectedsalutation，andrecognizedMr。andMrs。Leffers，oftheNorumbia。
Theladiesfelluponeachotherasiftheyhadbeenmotheranddaughter；
Marchandtheyoungmanshookhands，inthefeelingofpassengersmutuallyendearedbythememoriesofapleasantvoyage。TheyarrivedatthefactthatMr。LeffershadreceivedlettersinEnglandfromhispartnerswhichallowedhimtoprolonghisweddingjourneyinatourofthecontinent，whiletheirwiveswerestillexclaimingattheirencounterinthesamehotelatNuremberg；andthentheyallsatdowntohave，asthebridesaid，arealNorumbiatime。
Shewasoneofthoseyoungwiveswhotalkalwayswiththeireyessubmissivelyontheirhusbands，nomatterwhomtheyarespeakingto；
butshewasalreadyunconsciouslyrulinghiminherabeyance。Nodoubtshewasrulinghimforhisgood；shehadalivelier，mindthanhe，andsheknewmore，astheAmericanwivesofyoungAmericanbusinessmenalwaysdo，andshewasplanningwiselyfortheirtravels。Sherecognizedhermeritinthisdevotionwithanartlesscandor，whichwastypicalratherthanpersonal。MarchwasgladtogooutwithLeffersforalittlestroll，andtoleaveMrs。MarchtolistentoMrs。Leffers，whodidnotletthemgowithoutmakingherhusbandpromisetowrapupwell，andnotgethisfeetwet。ShemadeMarchpromisenottotakehimfar，andtobringhimbackearly，whichhefoundhimselfverywillingtodo，afteranexchangeofideaswithMr。Leffers。Theyoungmanbegantotalkabouthiswife，inherprovidential，heralmostmiraculousadaptationtothesortofmanhewas，andwhenhehadoncebeguntoexplainwhatsortofmanhewas，therewasnoendtoit，tilltheyrejoinedtheladiesinthereading-room。
TheyoungcouplecametothestationtoseetheMarchesoffafterdinnerthenextday；andthewifeleftabankofflowersontheseatbesideMrs。
March，whosaid，assoonastheyweregone，“IbelieveIwouldrathermeetpeopleofourownageafterthis。Iusedtothinkthatyoucouldkeepyoungbybeingwithyoungpeople；butIdon’t，now。Thereworldisverydifferentfromours。Ourworlddoesn’treallyexistanymore，butaslongaswekeepawayfromtheirsweneedn’trealizeit。Youngpeople。”shewenton，“aremorepractical-mindedthanweusedtobe；
they’requiteassentimental；butIdon’tthinktheycaresomuchforthehigherthings。They’renotsomuchbroughtuponpoetryaswewere。”shepursued。“ThatlittleMrs。LefferswouldhavereadLongfellowinourtime；butnowshedidn’tknowofhispoemonNuremberg；shewasintelligentenoughabouttheplace，butyoucouldseethatitsquaintnesswasnotsopreciousasitwastous；notsosacred。”Hertoneentreatedhimtofindmoremeaninginherwordsthanshehadputintothem。“Theycouldn’thavefeltaswedidaboutthatoldiviedwallandthatgrassy，flowerymoatunderit；andthebeautifulDamenthorandthatpile-upoftheroofsfromtheBurg；andthosewindingstreetswiththeirGothicfacadesall，cobwebbedwithtrolleywires；andthatyellow，aguish-
lookingriverdrowsingthroughthetownunderthewindowsofthoseoverhanginghouses；andthemarket-place，andthesquaresbeforethechurches，withtheirqueershopsinthenooksandcornersroundthem！”
“Iseewhatyoumean。Butdoyouthinkit’sassacredtousasitwouldhavebeentwenty-fiveyearsago？IhadanirreverentfeelingnowandthenthatNurembergwasoverdoingNuremberg。”
“Oh，yes；sohadI。We’rethatmodern，ifwe’renotsoyoungaswewere。”
“Wewereverysimple，inthosedays。”
“Well，ifweweresimple，weknewit！”
“Yes；weusedtoliketakingourunconsciousnesstopiecesandlookingatit。”
“Wehadagoodtime。”
“Toogood。Sometimesitseemsasifitwouldhavelastedlongerifithadnotbeensogood。Wemighthaveourcakenowifwehadn’teatenit。”
“Itwouldbemouldy，though。”
“Iwonder。”hesaid，recurringtotheLefferses；“howwereallystruckthem。”
“Well，Idon’tbelievetheythoughtweoughttobetravellingaboutalone，quite，atourage。”
“Oh，notsobadasthat！“Afteramomenthesaid，“Idaresaytheydon’tgoroundquarrellingontheirweddingjourney，aswedid。”
“Indeedtheydo！TheyhadanawfulquarreljustbeforetheygottoNuremberg：abouthiswantingtosendsomeofthebaggagetoLiverpoolbyexpressthatshewantedtokeepwiththem。Butshesaidithadbeenalesson，andtheywerenevergoingtoquarrelagain。”Theelderslookedateachotherinthelightofexperience，andlaughed。“Well。”sheended，“that’sonethingwe’rethroughwith。Isupposewe’vecometofeelmorealikethanweusedto。”
“Ornottofeelatall。Howdidtheysettleitaboutthebaggage？”
“Oh！Heinsistedonherkeepingitwithher。”Marchlaughedagain，butthistimehelaughedalone，andafterawhileshesaid：“Well，theygavejusttherightrelieftoNuremberg，withtheirgood，cleanAmericanphilistinism。Idon’tmindtheirthinkingusqueer；theymusthavethoughtNurembergwasqueer。”
“Yes。Weoldstersarealwaysqueertotheyoung。We’reeitherridiculouslylivelyandchirpy，orwe’reridiculouslystiffandgrim；
theyneverexpecttobelikeus，andwouldn’t，fortheworld。Theworstofitis，weelderlypeopleareabsurdtooneanother；wedon’t，atthebottomofourhearts，believewe’relikethat，whenwemeet。IsupposethatarrogantoldassofaTriscoelooksuponmeasagrinningdotard。”
“Iwonder。”saidMrs。March，“ifshe’stoldhimyet。”andMarchperceivedthatshewasnowsuddenlyfarfromthemoodofphilosophicintrospection；
buthehadnodifficultyinfollowingher。
“She’shadtimeenough。ButitwasanawkwardtaskBurnamylefttoher。”
“Yes，whenIthinkofthat，Icanhardlyforgivehimforcomingbackinthatway。Iknowsheisdeadinlovewithhim；butshecouldonlyhaveacceptedhimconditionally。”
“ConditionallytohismakingitallrightwithStoller？”
“Stoller？No！Toherfather’slikingit。”
“Ah，that’squiteashard。Whatmakesyouthinksheacceptedhimatall？”
“Whatdoyouthinkshewascryingabout？”
“Well，Ihavesupposedthatladiesoccasionallyshedtearsofpity。Ifsheacceptedhimconditionallyshewouldhavetotellherfatheraboutit。”Mrs。Marchgavehimaglanceofsilentcontempt，andhehastenedtoatoneforhisstupidity。“Perhapsshe’stoldhimontheinstalmentplan。
ShemayhavebegunbyconfessingthatBurnamyhadbeeninCarlsbad。Pooroldfellow，IwishweweregoingtofindhiminAnsbach！Hecouldmakethingsverysmoothforus。”
“Well，youneedn’tflatteryourselfthatyou’llfindhiminAnsbach。I’msureIdon’tknowwhereheis。”
“YoumightwritetoMissTriscoeandask。”
“IthinkIshallwaitforMissTriscoetowritetome。”shesaid，withdignity。
“Yes，shecertainlyowesyouthatmuch，afterallyoursufferingforher。
I’veaskedthebankerinNurembergtoforwardourletterstotheposterestanteinAnsbach。Isn’titgoodtoseethecrowsagain，afterthoseravensaroundCarlsbad？”
Shejoinedhiminlookingatthemildautumnallandscapethroughtheopenwindow。Theafternoonwasfairandwarm，andinthelevelfieldsbodiesofsoldierswereatworkwithpicksandspades，gettingthegroundreadyforthemilitarymanoeuvres；theydisturbedamongthestubbleforagingpartiesofcrows，whichrosefromtimetotimewithcriesofindignantprotest。Shesaid，withasmileforthecrows，“Yes。AndI’mthankfulthatI’vegotnothingonmyconscience，whateverhappens。”sheaddedindismissalofthesubjectofBurnamy。
“I’mthankfultoo，mydear。I’dmuchratherhavethingsonmyown。I’mmoreusedtothat，andIbelieveIfeellessremorsethanwhenyou’retoblame。”
Theymighthavebeencarriednearthispointbythosetelepathicinfluenceswhichhaveasyetbeensoimperfectlystudied。Itwasonlythatmorning，afterthelapseofaweeksinceBurnamy’sfurtivereappearanceinCarlsbad，thatMissTriscoespoketoherfatheraboutit，andshehadatthatmomentalongingforsupportandcounselthatmightwellhavemadeitsmysticalappealtoMrs。March。
Shespokeatlastbecauseshecouldputitoffnolonger，ratherthanbecausetherighttimehadcome。Shebeganastheysatatbreakfast。
“Papa，thereissomethingthatIhavegottotellyon。Itissomethingthatyououghttoknow；butIhaveputofftellingyoubecause——“
Shehesitatedforthereason，and“Well！”saidherfather，lookingupatherfromhissecondcupofcoffee。“Whatisit？”
Thensheanswered，“Mr。Burnamyhasbeenhere。”
“InCarlsbad？Whenwashehere？”
“ThenightoftheEmperor’sbirthday。HecameintotheboxwhenyouwerebehindthesceneswithMr。March；afterwardsImethiminthecrowd。”
“Well？”
“Ithoughtyououghttoknow。Mrs。MarchsaidIoughttotellyou。”
“Didshesayyououghttowaitaweek？”Hegavewaytoanirascibilitywhichhetriedtocheck，andtoaskwithindifference，“Whydidhecomeback？”
