Theycouldseenowayoutofthetrouble，andMrs。Marchcouldnotresignherselftoittillherhusbandsuggestedthatsheshouldconsideritprovidential。Thistouchedthelingeringsuperstitioninwhichshehadbeenancestrallytaughttoregardherselfasameans，wheninaverytightplace，andtoleavetheresponsibilitywiththemoralgovernmentoftheuniverse。Asshenowperceived，ithadbeenthesameasorderedthattheyshouldseeBurnamyundersuchconditionsintheafternoonthattheycouldnotspeaktohim，andhearwherehewasstaying；andinaninferiordegreeithadbeenthesameasorderedthatMarchshouldseehimintheeveningandtellhimeverything，sothatsheshouldknowjusthowtoactwhenshesawhiminthemorning。IfhecouldplausiblyaccountfortherenewalofhisflirtationwithMissElkins，orifheseemedgenerallyworthyapartfromthat，shecouldforgivehim。
Itwassopleasantwhenhecameinatbreakfastwithhiswell-rememberedsmile，thatshedidnotrequirefromhimanyexplicitdefence。WhiletheytalkedshewasrightingherselfinanundercurrentofdramawithMissTriscoe，andexplainingtoherthattheycouldnotpossiblywaitoverforherandherfatherinWeimar，butmustbeoffthatdayforBerlin，astheyhadmadealltheirplans。Itwasnoteasy，evenindramawhereonehaseverythingone’sownway，toprovethatshecouldnotwithoutimpietysofarinterferewiththecourseofProvidenceastopreventMissTriscoe’scomingwithherfathertothesamehotelwhereBurnamywasstaying。Shecontrived，indeed，topersuadeherthatshehadnotknownhewasstayingtherewhenshetelegraphedthemwheretocome，andthatintheabsenceofanyopenconfidencefromMissTriscoeshewasnotobligedtosupposethathispresencewouldbeembarrassing。
MarchproposedleavingherwithBurnamywhilehewentupintothetownandinterviewedthehouseofSchiller，whichhehadnotdoneyet；andassoonashegothimselfawayshecametobusiness，breakingaltogetherfromtheinnerdramawithMissTriscoeanddevotingherselftoBurnamy。
TheyhadalreadygotsofarastohavementionedthemeetingwiththeTriscoesinWurzburg，andshesaid：“DidMr。Marchtellyoutheywerecominghere？Or，no！Wehadn’theardthen。Yes，theyarecomingto-
morrow。Theymaybegoingtostaysometime。ShetalkedofWeimarwhenwefirstspokeofGermanyontheship。”Burnamysaidnothing，andshesuddenlyadded，withasharpglance，“Theywantedustogetthemrooms，andweadvisedtheircomingtothishouse。”Hestartedverysatisfactorily，and“Doyouthinktheywouldbecomfortable，here？”shepursued。
“Oh，yes，very。Theycanhavemyroom；it’ssoutheast；Ishallbegoingintootherquarters。”Shedidnotsayanything；and“Mrs。March。”hebeganagain，“whatistheuseofmybeatingaboutthebush？YoumustknowwhatIwentbacktoCarlsbadfor，thatnight——“
“Nooneevertold——“
“Well，youmusthavemadeaprettygoodguess。Butitwasafailure。I
oughttohavefailed，andIdid。Shesaidthatunlessherfatherlikedit——Andapparentlyhehasn’tlikedit。”Burnamysmiledruefully。
“Howdoyouknow？Shedidn’tknowwhereyouwere！”
“Shecouldhavegotwordtomeifshehadhadgoodnewsforme。They’veforwardedotherlettersfromPupp’s。Butit’sallright；IhadnobusinesstogobacktoCarlsbad。Ofcourseyoudidn’tknowIwasinthishousewhenyoutoldthemtocome；andImustclearout。IhadbetterclearoutofWeimar，too。”
“No，Idon’tthinkso；Ihavenorighttopryintoyouraffairs，but——“
“Oh，they’rewideenoughopen！”
“Andyoumayhavechangedyourmind。Ithoughtyoumight，whenIsawyouyesterdayatBelvedere——“
“Iwasonlytryingtomakebadworse。”
“ThenIthinkthesituationhaschangedentirelythroughwhatMr。StollersaidtoMr。March。”
“Ican’tseehowithas。Icommittedanactofshabbytreachery，andI’masmuchtoblameasifhestillwantedtopunishmeforit。”
“DidMr。Marchsaythattoyou？”
“No；IsaidthattoMr。March；andhecouldn’tanswerit，andyoucan’t。
You’reverygood，andverykind，butyoucan’tanswerit。”
“Icanansweritverywell。”sheboasted，butshecouldfindnothingbettertosaythan，“It’syourdutytohertoseeherandletherknow。”
“Doesn’tsheknowalready？”
“Shehasarighttoknowitfromyou。Ithinkyouaremorbid，Mr。
Burnamy。YouknowverywellIdidn’tlikeyourdoingthattoMr。
Stoller。Ididn’tsaysoatthetime，becauseyouseemedtofeelitenoughyourself。ButIdidlikeyourowninguptoit。”andhereMrs。
Marchthoughtittimetotrotoutherborrowedbattle-horseagain。“Myhusbandalwayssaysthatifapersonownsuptoanerror，fullyandfaithfully，asyou’vealwaysdone，theymakeitthesameinitsconsequencestothemasifithadneverbeendone。”
“DoesMr。Marchsaythat？”askedBurnamywitharelentingsmile。
“Indeedhedoes！”
Burnamyhesitated；thenheasked，gloomilyagain：
“Andwhatabouttheconsequencestothe，otherfellow？”
“Awoman。”saidMrs。March，“hasnoconcernwiththem。Andbesides，I
thinkyou’vedoneallyoucouldtosaveMr。Stollerfromtheconsequences。”
“Ihaven’tdoneanything。”
“Nomatter。Youwouldifyoucould。Iwonder。”shebrokeoff，topreventhispersistenceatapointwherehernerveswerebeginningtogiveway，“whatcanbekeepingMr。March？”
Nothingmuchmoreimportant，itappearedlater，thanthepleasureofsaunteringthroughthestreetsonthewaytothehouseofSchiller，andlookingattheprettychildrengoingtoschool，withbooksundertheirarms。Itwasthedayfortheschoolstoopenafterthelongsummervacation，andtherewasafreshnessofexpectationintheshiningfaceswhich，ifitcouldnotlightuphisowngraybeardvisage，couldatleasttouchhisheart：
WhenhereachedtheSchillerhousehefoundthatitwasreallynottheSchillerhouse，buttheSchillerflat，ofthreeorfourrooms，oneflightup，whosewindowslookoutuponthestreetnamedafterthepoet。Thewholeplaceisbareandclean；inonecornerofthelargeroomfrontingthestreetstandsSchiller’swriting-table，withhischairbeforeit；
withthefootextendingtowardthistherestands，inanothercorner，thenarrowbedonwhichhedied；somewitheredwreathsonthepillowframeapictureofhisdeathmask，whichatfirstglanceislikehisdeadfacelyingthere。Itisallrathertasteless，andallrathertouching，andtheplacewithitsmeagreappointments，ascomparedwiththerichGoethehouse，suggeststhatpersonalcompetitionwithGoetheinwhichSchillerisalwaysfallingintothesecondplace。Whetheritwillbefinallysowithhiminliteratureitistooearlytoaskoftime，anduponotherpointseternitywillnotbeinterrogated。“Thegreat，GoetheandthegoodSchiller。”theyremain；andyet，Marchreasoned，therewassomethinggoodinGoetheandsomethinggreat，inSchiller。
Hewassofullofthepathosoftheirinequalitybeforetheworldthathedidnotheedthewarningonthedoorofthepastry-shopneartheSchillerhouse，andonopeningithebedaubedhishandwiththefreshpaintonit。
Hewastheninsuchastate，thathecouldnotbringhismindtobearuponthequestionofwhichcakeshiswifewouldprobablyprefer，andhestoodhelplesslyholdinguphishandtillthegoodwomanbehindthecounterdiscoveredhisplight，andutteredaloudcryofcompassion。
Sheranandgotawetnapkin，whichsherubbedwithsoap，andthensheinstructedhimbywordandgesturetorubhishanduponit，andshedidnotleavehimtillhisrescuewascomplete。Heletherchooseavarietyofthecakesforhim，andcameawaywithagaypaperbagfullofthem，andwiththefeelingthathehadbeeninmoreintimaterelationswiththelifeofWeimarthantravellersareoftenprivilegedtobe。Hearguedfromtheinstantandintelligentsympathyofthepastrywomanahighgradeofcultureinallclasses；andheconceivedthenotionofpretendingtoMrs。Marchthathehadgotthesecakesfrom，adescendantofSchiller。
Hisdeceitavailedwithherforthebriefmomentinwhichshealways，aftersomanyyears’experienceofhisduplicity，believedanythinghetoldher。Theydinedmerrilytogetherattheirhotel，andthenBurnamycamedowntothestationwiththemandwasverycomfortabletoMarchinhelpinghimtogettheirticketsandtheirbaggageregistered。ThetrainwhichwastotakethemtoHalle，wheretheyweretochangeforBerlin，wasratherlate，andtheyhadbuttenminutesafteritcameinbeforeitwouldstartagain。Mrs。Marchwaswatchingimpatientlyatthewindowofthewaiting-roomforthedismountingpassengerstocleartheplatformandallowthedoorstobeopened；suddenlyshegaveacry，andturnedandranintothepassagebywhichthenewarrivalswerepouringouttowardthesuperabundantomnibuses。MarchandBurnamy，whohadbeentalkingapart，mechanicallyrushedafterherandfoundherkissingMissTriscoeandshakinghandswiththegeneralamidstatempestofquestionsandanswers，fromwhichitappearedthattheTriscoeshadgottiredofstayinginWurzburg，andhadsimplycomeontoWeimaradaysoonerthantheyhadintended。
The，generalwasrathermuchbundledupforadaywhichwasmildforaGermansummerday，andhecoughedoutanexplanationthathehadtakenanabominablecoldatthatridiculousparade，andhadnotshakenitoffyet。
Hehadanotionthatchangeofairwouldbebetterforhim；itcouldnotbeworse。
HeseemedalittlevagueastoBurnamy，ratherthaninimical。WhiletheladieswerestilltalkingeagerlytogetherinprofferandacceptanceofMrs。March’slamentationsthatsheshouldbegoingawayjustasMissTriscoewascoming，heaskediftheomnibusfortheirhotelwasthere。
HebynomeansresentedBurnamy’sassurancethatitwas，andhedidnotrefusetolethimordertheirbaggage，littleandlarge，loadeduponit。
Bythetimethiswasdone，Mrs。MarchandMissTriscoehadsofardetachedthemselvesfromeachotherthattheycouldseparateafteronemoreformalexpressionofregretandforgiveness。Withalamentintowhichshepouredaworldofinarticulateemotions，Mrs。Marchwrenchedherselffromtheplace，andsufferedherself，tobepushedtowardhertrain。Butwiththelastlonglookwhichshecastoverhershoulder，beforeshevanishedintothewaiting-room，shesawMissTriscoeandBurnamytransactingtheelaboratepolitenessesofamiablestrangerswithregardtotheverysmallbagwhichthegirlhadinherhand。Hesucceededinrelievingherofit；andthenheledthewayoutofthestationontheleftofthegeneral，whileMissTriscoebroughtuptherear。
