“Ishouldbeafraidtoputmyschool-boyGermanagainstyourEnglish。”
Marchsaid，and，whenhehadunderstood，theotherlaughedforpleasure，andreportedthecomplimenttohiswifeintheirownparlance。“YouGermanscertainlybeatusinlanguages。”
“Oh，well。”heretaliated，“theAmericansbeatusinsomeotherthings。”
andMrs。Marchfeltthatthiswasbutjust；shewouldhavelikedtomentionafew，butnotungraciously；sheandtheGermanladykeptsmilingacrossthetable，andtryingdetachedvocablesoftheirrespectivetonguesuponeachother。
TheBavariansaidhelivedinMunichstill，butwasinAnsbachonanaffairofbusiness；heaskedMarchifhewerenotgoingtoseethemanoeuvressomewhere。Tillnowthemanoeuvreshadmerelybeentheinterestingbackgroundoftheirtravel；butnow，hearingthattheEmperorofGermany，theKingofSaxony，theRegentofBavaria，andtheKingofWurtemberg，theGrand-DukesofWeimarandBaden，withvisitingpotentatesofallsorts，andinnumerablelesserhighhotes，foreignanddomestic，weretobepresent，Mrs。Marchresolvedthattheymustgotoatleastoneofthereviews。
“IfyougotoFrankfort，youcanseetheKingofItalytoo。”saidtheBavarian，butheownedthattheyprobablycouldnotgetintoahotelthere，andheaskedwhytheyshouldnotgotoWurzburg，wheretheycouldseeallthesovereignsexcepttheKingofItaly。
“Wurzburg？Wurzburg？”Marchqueriedofhiswife。“Wheredidwehearofthatplace？”
“Isn’titwhereBurnamysaidMr。Stollerhadlefthisdaughtersatschool？”
“Soitis！AndisthatonthewaytotheRhine？”heaskedtheBavarian。
“No，no！WurzburgisontheMain，aboutfivehoursfromAnsbach。Anditisaveryinterestingplace。Itiswherethegoodwinecomesfrom。”
“Oh，yes。”saidMarch，andintheirroomshiswifegotoutalltheirguidesandmapsandbegantoinformherselfandtoinformhimaboutWurzburg。ButfirstshesaiditwasverycoldandhemustordersomefiremadeinthetallGermanstoveintheirparlor。Themaidwhocamesaid“Gleich。”butshedidnotcomeback，andaboutthetimetheyweregettingfuriousatherneglect，theybegangettingwarm。Heputhishandonthestoveandfoundithot；thenhelookeddownforadoorinthestovewherehemightshutadamper；therewasnodoor。
“Goodheavens！”heshouted。“It’slikesomethinginadream。”andherantopullthebellforhelp。
“No，no！Don’tring！Itwillmakeusridiculous。They’llthinkAmericansdon’tknowanything。Theremustbesomewayofdampeningthestove；andifthereisn’t，I’drathersuffocatethangivemyselfaway。”
Mrs。Marchranandopenedthewindow，whileherhusbandcarefullyexaminedthestoveateverypoint，andexploredthepipeforthedamperinvain。“Can’tyoufindit？”Thenightwindcameinrawanddamp，andthreatenedtoblowtheirlampout，andshewasobligedtoshutthewindow。
“Notasignofit。IwillgodownandaskthelandlordinstrictconfidencehowtheydampentheirstovesinAnsbach。”
“Well，ifyoumust。It’sgettinghottereverymoment。”Shefollowedhimtimorouslyintothecorridor，litbyahanginglamp，turnedlowforthenight。
Helookedathiswatch；itwaseleveno’clock。“I’mafraidthey’reallinbed。”
“Yes；youmustn’tgo！Wemusttrytofindoutforourselves。Whatcanthatdoorbefor？”
Itwasalowirondoor，halftheheightofaman，inthewallneartheirroom，andityieldedtohispull。“Getacandle。”hewhispered，andwhenshebroughtit，hestoopedtoenterthedoorway。
“Oh，doyouthinkyou’dbetter？”shehesitated。
“Youcancome，too，ifyou’reafraid。You’vealwayssaidyouwantedtodiewithme。”
“Well。Butyougofirst。”
Hedisappearedwithin，andthencamebacktothedoorway。“Justcomeinhere，amoment。”Shefoundherselfinasortofantechamber，halftheheightofherownroom，andfollowinghisgestureshelookeddownwhereinonecornersomecrouchingmonsterseemedshowingitsfieryteethinagrinofderision。Thisgrinwasthedamperoftheirstove，andthiswaswherethemaidhadkindledthefirewhichhadbeenroastingthemalive，andwasstilljoyouslychucklingtoitself。“IthinkthatMunichmanwaswrong。Idon’tbelievewebeattheGermansinanything。Thereisn’tahotelintheUnitedStateswherethestoveshavenofrontdoors，andeveryoneofthemhasthespaceofagood-sizedflatgivenuptotheconvenienceofkindlingafireinit。”
AfteraredsunsetofshamelessduplicityMarchwasawakenedtoarainymorningbytheclinkingofcavalryhoofsonthepavementofthelong-
irregularsquarebeforethehotel，andhehurriedouttoseethepassingofthesoldiersontheirwaytothemanoeuvres。Theyweretroopsofallarms，butmainlyinfantry，andastheystumpedheavilythroughthegroupsofapatheticcitizensintheirmud-splashedboots，theytookthesteadydownpourontheirdrippinghelmets。Someofthemweresmoking，butnonesmiling，exceptonegayfellowwhomadeajoketoaserving-maidonthesidewalk。Anoldofficerhaltedhisstafftoscoldacitizenwhohadgivenhimamistakendirection。Theshameoftheerringmanwasgreat，andtheprideofafellow-citizenwhocorrectedhimwasnotless，thoughthearrogantbrutebeforewhomtheybothcringedusedthemwithequalscorn；theyoungerofficerslistenedindifferentlyroundonhorsebackbehindtheglitteroftheireyeglasses，andoneofthemamusedhimselfbyturningthesilverbanglesonhiswrist。
Thenthefilesofsoldierslavespassedon，andMarchcrossedthebridgespanningthegardensinwhathadbeenthecitymoat，andfoundhiswaytothemarket-place，underthewallsoftheoldGothicchurchofSt。
Gumpertus。Themarket，whichspreadprettywelloverthesquare，seemedtobealsoafair，withpeasants’clothesandlocalpotteryforsale，aswellasfruitsandvegetables，andlargebasketsofflowers，witholdwomensquattingbeforethem。ItwasallaspicturesqueasthemarketsusedtobeinMontrealandQuebec，andinacloudymemoryofhisweddingjourneylongbefore，heboughtsolavishlyoftheflowerstocarrybacktohiswifethatalittlegirl，whosawhisarm-loadfromherwindowashereturned，laughedathim，andthendrewshylyback。HerlaughremindedhimhowmanyhappychildrenhehadseeninGermany，andhowfreelytheyseemedtoplayeverywhere，withnoonetomakethemafraid。
Whentheygrowupthewomenlaughaslittleasthemen，whoserudetoilthesoldieringleavesthemto。
Hegothomewithhisflowers，andhiswifetookthemabsently，andmadehimjoinherinwatchingthesightwhichhadfascinatedherinthestreetundertheirwindows。Aslendergirl，withawaistasslimasacorsetedofficer’s，fromtimetotimecameoutofthehouseacrossthewaytothefirewoodwhichhadbeenthrownfromawagonuponthesidewalkthere。
Eachtimesheembracedseveraloftheheavyfour-footlogsanddisappearedwiththemin-doors。Onceshepausedfromherworktojokewithawell-dressedmanwhocameby；andseemedtofindnothingoddinherwork；somegentlemenloungingatthewindowoverheadwatchedherwithnoapparentsenseofanomaly。
“Whatdoyouthinkofthat？”askedMrs。March。“Ithinkit’sgoodexerciseforthegirl，andIshouldliketorecommendittothosefatfellowsatthewindow。Isupposeshe’llsawthewoodinthecellar，andthenlugitupstairs，andpileitupinthestoves’dressing-rooms。”
“Don’tlaugh！It’stoodisgraceful。”
“Well，Idon’tknow！Ifyoulike，I’llofferthesegentlemenacrossthewayyouropinionofitinthelanguageofGoetheandSchiller。”
“Iwishyou’doffermyopinionofthem。They’vebeenstaringinherewithanopera-glass。”
“Ah，that’sadifferentaffair。Thereisn’tmuchgoingoninAnsbach，andtheyhavetomakethemostofit。”
Thelowercasementsofthehouseswerefurnishedwithmirrorssetatrightangleswiththem，andnothingwhichwentoninthestreetswaslost。Someofthestreetswerelongandstraight，andatraremomentstheylayfullofsun。AtsuchtimestheMarcheswerepuzzledbythesightofcitizenscarryingopenumbrellas，andtheywonderediftheyhadforgottentoputthemdown，orthoughtitnotworthwhileinthebriefrespitesfromtherain，orwereprofitingbysuchrareoccasionstodrythem；andsomeothersightsremainedbafflingtothelast。Onceamanwithhishandspinionedbeforehim，andagendarmemarchingstolidlyafterhimwithhismusketonhisshoulder，passedundertheirwindows；
butwhohewas，orwhathe，haddone，orwastosuffer，theyneverknew。
Anothertimeapairwentbyonthewaytotherailwaystation：ayoungmancarryinganumbrellaunderhisarm，andaverydecent-lookingoldwomanluggingaheavycarpetbag，wholeftthemtothelastingquestionwhethershewastheyoungman’sservantinherbestclothes，ormerelyhismother。
WomendonotdoeverythinginAnsbach，however，thesacristansbeingmen，astheMarchesfoundwhentheywenttocompletetheirimpressionofthecourtlypastofthecitybyvisitingthefuneralchapelofthemargravesinthecryptofSt。JohannisChurch。Inthelittleex-margravelycapitaltherewassomethingoftheneighborlyinterestinthecuriosityofstrangerswhichendearsItalianwitness。Thewhite-hairedstreet-sweeperofAnsbach，whowillinglylefthisbroomtoguidethemtothehouseofthesacristan，mighthavebeenastreet-sweeperinVicenza；andtheoldsacristan，whenheputhisvelvetskull-capoutofanupperwindowandprofessedhiswillingnesstoshowthemthechapel，disappointedthembysaying“Gleich！”insteadof“Subito！”Thearchitectureofthehouseswasapartytotheillusion。St。Johannis，liketheolderchurchofSt。
Gumpertus，isGothic，withthetwounequaltowerswhichseemdistinctiveofAnsbach；attheSt。GumpertusendoftheplacewheretheybothstandthedwellingsareGothictoo，andmightbeinHamburg；butattheSt。
Johannisendtheyseemtohavefelttheexoticspiritofthecourt，andareofasortofTeutonizedrenaissance。
