BurnamycameawayfromseeingthepivotalgirlandhermotheroffonthetrainwhichtheyweretakingthateveningforFrankfortandHombourg，andstrolledbackthroughtheWeimarstreetslittleateasewithhimself。
Whilehewaswiththegirlandnearherhehadfelttheattractionbywhichyouthimpersonallydrawsyouth，thecharmwhichmeremaidhasformereman；butoncebeyondtherangeofthishefeltsickatheartandashamed。Hewasawareofhavingusedherfollyasananodyneforthepainwhichwasalwaysgnawingathim，andhehadmanagedtoforgetitinherfolly，butnowitcameback，andthesensethathehadbeenrecklessofherrightscamewithit。Hehaddonehisbesttomakeherthinkhiminlovewithher，byeverythingbutwords；hewonderedhowhecouldbesuchanass，suchawickedass，astotrymakingherpromisetowritetohimfromFrankfort；hewishednevertoseeheragain，andhewishedstilllesstohearfromher。Itwassomecomforttoreflectthatshehadnotpromised，butitwasnotcomfortenoughtorestorehimtosuchfragmentaryself-respectashehadbeenenjoyingsincehepartedwithAgathaTriscoeinCarlsbad；hecouldnotevengetbacktotheresentmentwithwhichhehadbeenstayinghimselfsomewhatbeforethepivotalgirlunexpectedlyappearedwithhermotherinWeimar。
ItwasSedanDay，buttherewasapparentlynoofficialobservanceoftheholiday，perhapsbecausetheGrand-Dukewasawayatthemanoeuvres，withalltheotherGermanprinces。Burnamyhadhopedforsomevoluntaryexcitementamongthepeople，atleastenoughtowarranthiminmakingapaperaboutSedanDayinWeimar，whichhecouldsellsomewhere；butthenightwasfalling，andtherewasstillnosignofpopularrejoicingovertheFrenchhumiliationtwenty-eightyearsbefore，exceptinthemultitudeofJapaneselanternswhichthechildrenwereeverywherecarryingattheendsofsticks。Babieshadthemintheircarriages，andtheeffectofthefloatinglightsinthewinding，up-and-down-hillstreetswascharmingeventoBurnamy’slack-lustreeyes。Hewentbyhishotelandontoacaf？withagarden，wheretherewasapatriotic，concertpromised；hesuppedthere，andthensatdreamilybehindhisbeer，whilethemusicbangedandbrayedroundhimunheeded。
PresentlyheheardavoiceoffriendlybantersayinginEnglish，“MayI
sitatyourtable？”andhesawanironicalfacelookingdownonhim。
“Theredoesn’tseemanyotherplace。”
“Why，Mr。March！”Burnamysprangupandwrungthehandheldouttohim，buthechokedwithhiswordsofrecognition；itwassogoodtoseethisfaithfulfriendagain，thoughhesawhimnowashehadseenhimlast，justwhenhehadsolittlereasontobeproudofhimself。
MarchsettledhispersoninthechairfacingBurnamy，andthenglancedroundatthejoyfuljamofpeopleeatinganddrinking，underafirmamentoflanterns。“Thisispretty。”hesaid，“mightypretty。IshallmakeMrs。Marchsorryfornotcoming，whenIgoback。”
“IsMrs。March——sheis——withyou——inWeimar？”Burnamyaskedstupidly。
Marchforboretotakeadvantageofhim。“Oh，yes。WesawyououtatBelvederethisafternoon。Mrs。Marchthoughtforamomentthatyoumeantnottoseeus。Awomanlikestoexerciseherimaginationinthoselittleflights。”
“Ineverdreamedofyourbeingthere——Ineversaw——“Burnamybegan。
“Ofcoursenot。NeitherdidMrs。Etkins，norMissEtkins；shewaslookingverypretty。Haveyoubeenheresometime？”
“Notlong。Aweekorso。I’vebeenattheparadeatWurzburg。”
“AtWurzburg！Ah，howlittletheworldis，orhowlargeWurzburgis！
Weweretherenearlyaweek，andwepervadedtheplace。Buttherewasagreatcrowdforyoutohideinfromus。WhathadIbettertake？”
Awaiterhadcomeup，andwasstandingatMarch’selbow。“IsupposeI
mustn’tsitherewithoutorderingsomething？”
“Whitewineandselters。”saidBurnamyvaguely。
“Theverything！Whydidn’tIthinkofit？It’sadivinedrink：itsatisfieswithoutfilling。Ihaditanightortwobeforewelefthome，intheMadisonSquareRoofGarden。Haveyouseen’EveryOtherWeek’
lately？”
“No。”saidBurnamy，withmorespiritthanhehadyetshown。
“We’vejustgotourmailfromNuremberg。ThelastnumberhasapoeminitthatIratherlike。”Marchlaughedtoseetheyoungfellow’sfacelightupwithjoyfulconsciousness。“Comeroundtomyhotel，afteryou’retiredhere，andI’llletyouseeit。There’snohurry。Didyounoticethelittlechildrenwiththeirlanterns，asyoucamealong？It’sthegentlesteffectthatawarlikememoryevercameto。TheFrenchthemselvescouldn’thavemindedthoseinnocentscarryingthosesoftlightsonthedayoftheirdisaster。Yououghttogetsomethingoutofthat，andI’vegotasubjectintrustforyoufromRoseAdding。HeandhismotherwereatWurzburg；I’msorrytosaythepoorlittlechapdidn’tseemverywell。They’vegonetoHollandfortheseaair。”MarchhadbeentalkingforquantityincompassionoftheembarrassmentinwhichBurnamyseemedbound；buthequestionedhowfarheoughttobringcomforttotheyoungfellowmerelybecausehelikedhim。Sofarashecouldmakeout，Burnamyhadbeendoingratherlessthannothingtoretrievehimselfsincetheyhadmet；anditwasbyanimpulsethathecouldnothavelogicallydefendedtoMrs。Marchthatheresumed。“WefoundanotherfriendofyoursinWurzburg：Mr。Stoller。”
“Mr。Stoller？”Burnamyfaintlyechoed。
“Yes；hewastheretogivehisdaughtersaholidayduringthemanoeuvres；
andtheymadethemostofit。Hewantedustogototheparadewithhisfamilybutwedeclined。ThetwinswereprettynearlythedeathofGeneralTriscoe。”
AgainBurnamyechoedhim。“GeneralTriscoe？”
“Ah，yes：Ididn’ttellyou。GeneralTriscoeandhisdaughterhadcomeonwithMrs。AddingandRose。Kenby——yourememberKenby，OntheNorumbia？——Kenbyhappenedtobethere，too；wewerequiteafamilyparty；
andStollergotthegeneraltodriveouttothemanoeuvreswithhimandhisgirls。”
Nowthathewaslaunched，Marchratherenjoyedlettinghimselfgo。HedidnotknowwhatheshouldsaytoMrs。MarchwhenhecametoconfesshavingtoldBurnamyeverythingbeforeshegotachanceathim；hepushedonrecklessly，upontheprinciple，whichprobablywillnotholdinmorals，thatonemayaswellbehungforasheepasalamb。“IhaveamessageforyoufromMr。Stoller。”
“Forme？”Burnamygasped。
“I’vebeenwonderinghowIshouldputit，forIhadn’texpectedtoseeyou。Butit’ssimplythis：hewantsyoutoknow——andheseemedtowantmetoknow——thathedoesn’tholdyouaccountableinthewayhedid。He’sthoughtitallover，andhe’sdecidedthathehadnorighttoexpectyoutosavehimfromhisownignorancewherehewasmakingashowofknowledge。Ashesaid，hedoesn’tchoosetopleadthebabyact。Hesaysthatyou’reallright，andyourplaceonthepaperisopentoyou。”
Burnamyhadnotbeenverypromptbefore，butnowheseemedbracedforinstantresponse。“Ithinkhe’swrong。”hesaid，soharshlythatthepeopleatthenexttablelookedround。“Hisfeelingashedoeshasnothingtodowiththefact，anditdoesn’tletmeout。”
Marchwouldhavelikedtotakehiminhisarms；hemerelysaid，“Ithinkyou’requiteright，astothat。Butthere’ssuchathingasforgiveness，youknow。Itdoesn’tchangethenatureofwhatyou’vedone；butasfarasthesuffererfromitisconcerned，itannulsit。”
“Yes，Iunderstandthat。ButIcan’taccepthisforgivenessifIhatehim。”
“Butperhapsyouwon’talwayshatehim。Somedayyoumayhaveachancetodohimagoodturn。It’sratherbanale；buttheredoesn’tseemanyotherway。Well，Ihavegivenyouhismessage。Areyougoingwithmetogetthatpoem？”
WhenMarchhadgivenBurnamythepaperathishotel，andBurnamyhadputitinhispocket，theyoungmansaidhethoughthewouldtakesomecoffee，andheaskedMarchtojoinhiminthedining-roomwheretheyhadstoodtalking。
“No，thankyou。”saidtheelder，“Idon’tproposesittingupallnight，andyou’llexcusemeifIgotobednow。It’salittleinformaltoleaveaguest——“
“You’renotleavingaguest！I’mathomehere。I’mstayinginthishoteltoo。”
Marchsaid，“Oh！”andthenheaddedabruptly，“Good-night。”andwentupstairsunderthefrescoofthefivepoets。
“Whomwereyoutalkingwithbelow？”askedMrs。Marchthroughthedooropeningintohisroomfromhers。
“Burnamy。”heansweredfromwithin。“He’sstayinginthishouse。HeletmeknowjustasIwasgoingtoturnhimoutforthenight。It’soneofthoselittleuncandorsofhisthatthrowsuspiciononhishonestyingreatthings。”
“Oh！Thenyou’vebeentellinghim。”shesaid，withamentalboundhighaboveandfarbeyondthepoint。
“Everything。”
“AboutStoller，too？”
“AboutStollerandhisdaughters，andMrs。AddingandRoseandKenbyandGeneralTriscoe——andAgatha。”
“Verywell。That’swhatIcallshabby。Don’tevertalktomeagainabouttheinconsistenciesofwomen。Butnowthere’ssomethingperfectlyfearful。”
“Whatisit？”
“AletterfromMissTriscoecameafteryouweregone，askingustofindroomsinsomehotelforherandherfatherto-morrow。Heisn’twell，andthey’recoming。AndI’vetelegraphedthemtocomehere。Nowwhatdoyousay？”
