“Yes，isn’tshe！”Mrs。Marchassented，andwithapassionatedesireforexcessinabadthing，whichweallknowattimes，shelookedeagerlyaboutherforproofsofthatodiousmilitarismoftheempire，whichoughttohavebeenconspicuousintheimperialcapital；butpossiblybecausethetroopswerenearlyallawayatthemanoeuvres，therewerehardlymoreinthestreetsthanshehadsometimesseeninWashington。AgaintheGermanofficerssignallyfailedtoofferheranyrudenesswhenshemetthemontheside-walks。Therewerescarcelyanyofthem，andperhapsthatmighthavebeenthereasonwhytheywerenotmoreaggressive；butawholecompanyofsoldiersmarchingcarelesslyuptothepalacefromtheBrandenburggate，withoutmusic，orsomuchstyleasourownmilitiaoftenputson，regardedherwithinoffensiveeyessofarastheylookedather。ShedeclaredthatpersonallytherewasnothingagainstthePrussians；evenwheninuniformtheywerekindlyandmodest-lookingmen；
itwaswhentheygotuponpedestals，inbronzeormarble，thatthey，begantobullyandtobrag。
ThedinnerwhichtheMarchesgotatarestaurantonUnterdenLindenalmostredeemedtheavenuefromthedisgraceithadfallenintowiththem。Itwas，thebestmealtheyhadyeteateninEurope，andastofactandformwasasortofcompromisebetweenaFrenchdinnerandanEnglishdinnerwhichtheydidnothesitatetopronouncePrussian。Thewaiterwhoserveditwasafriendlyspirit，verysensibleoftheirintelligentappreciationofthedinner；andfromhimtheyformedamorerespectfulopinionofBerlincivilizationthantheyhadyetheld。Afterthemannerofstrangerseverywheretheyjudgedthecountrytheywerevisitingfromsuchofitsinhabitantsaschancebroughtthemincontactwith；anditwouldreallybeagoodthingfornationsthatwishtostandwellwiththeworldatlargetolookcarefullytothebehaviorofitscabmenandcarconductors，itshotelclerksandwaiters，itstheatre-ticketsellersandushers，itspolicemenandsacristans，itslandlordsandsalesmen；forbytheseratherthanbyitssocietywomenanditsstatesmenanddivines，isitreallyjudgedinthebooksoftravellers；someattentionalsoshouldbepaidtotheweather，iftheclimateistobepraised。Intherailroadcaf？atPotsdamtherewasawaitersorudetotheMarchesthatiftheyhadnotbeenpeopleofgreatstrengthofcharacterhewouldhaveundonethefavorableimpressionthesoldiersandciviliansofBerlingenerallyhadbeenatsuchpainstoproduceinthem；andthroughouttheweekofearlySeptemberwhichtheypassedthere，itrainedsomuchandsobitterly，itwassowetandsocold，thattheymighthavecomeawaythinkingit’stheworstclimateintheworld，ifithadnotbeenforamanwhomtheysawinoneofthepublicgardenspouringaheavystreamfromhisgardenhoseupontheshrubberyalreadysoakedandshudderinginthecold。Butthisconvincedthemthattheyweresufferingfromweatherandnotfromtheclimate，whichmustreallybehotanddry；andtheywenthometotheirhotelandsatcontentedlydowninatemperatureofsixtydegrees。Theweather，wasnotalwayssobad；onedayitwasdrycoldinsteadofwetcold，withrough，rustycloudsbreakingabluesky；
anotherday，uptoelevenintheforenoon，itwaslikeIndiansummer；
thenitchangedtoaharshNovemberair；andthenitrelentedandendedsomildly，thattheyhiredchairsintheplacebeforetheimperialpalaceforfivepfennigseach，andsatwatchingthelifebeforethem。Motherlywomen-folkwerethereknitting；twoAmericangirlsinchairsnearthemchattedtogether；somefineequipages，theonlyonestheysawinBerlin，wentby；adogandaman(thewifewhooughttohavebeeninharnesswasprobablysick，andthepoorfellowwasforcedtotakeherplace)passeddraggingacart；someschoolboyswhohadhungtheirsatchelsuponthelowrailingwereplayingaboutthebaseofthestatueofKingWilliamIII。
inthejoyousfreedomofGermanchildhood。
Theyseemedthegayerforthebriefmomentsofsunshine，buttotheAmericans，whowereSouthernbyvirtueoftheirsky，thebrightnesshadasenseoflurkingwinterinit，suchastheyrememberedfeelingonasunnydayinQuebec。Theblueheavenlookedsad；buttheyagreedthatitfitlyroofedthebitofoldfeudalBerlinwhichformsthemostancientwingoftheSchloss。Thiswastime-blackenedandrude，butatleastitdidnottrytobeFrench，anditoverhungtheSpreewhichwindsthroughthecityandgivesitthegreatestcharmithas。InfactBerlin，whichisotherwisesograndiosewithoutgrandeurandsoseverewithoutimpressiveness，issympatheticwherevertheSpreeopensittothesky。
Thestreamisspannedbymanybridges，andbridgescannotwellbeunpicturesque，especiallyiftheyhavestatuestohelpthemout。TheSpreeaboundsinbridges，andithasacharminghabitofslowhay-ladenbarges；atthelandingsofthelittlepassenger-steamerswhichplyuponittherearecafesandsummer-gardens，andtheseevenintheinclementairofSeptembersuggestedafriendly“gayety。
TheMarchessawitbestinthetouroftheelevatedroadinBerlinwhichtheymadeinanimpassionedmemoryoftheelevatedroadinNewYork。ThebrickviaductswhichcarrythisarchtheSpreeagainandagainintheircoursethroughandaroundthecity，butwithneverquitesuchspectaculareffectsasourspiderytressels，achieve。Thestationsarepleasant，sometimeswithlunch-countersandnews-stands，buthavenotthecomic-
opera-chaletprettinessofours，andarenotsofrequent。Theroadisnotsosmooth，thecarsnotsosmooth-runningorsoswift。Ontheotherhandtheyarecomfortablycushioned，andtheyareneverovercrowded。Thelineisattimesabove，attimesbelowthehouses，andattimesonalevelwiththem，alikeincityandinsuburbs。Thetrainwhirledoutofthicklybuiltdistricts，pastthebacksoftheoldhouses，intooutskirtsthinlypopulated，withnewhousesspringingupwithoutorderorcontinuityamongthemeadowsandvegetable-gardens，andalongtheready-
made，elm-plantedavenues，wherewoodenfencesdividedthevacantlots。
Everywherethecitywasgrowingoutoverthecountry，inblocksanddetachededificesoflimestone，sandstone，redandyellowbrick，largerorsmaller，ofnomoreuniformitythanoursuburbandwellings，butneveroftheiruglinessorlawlessoffensiveness。
InaneffortfortheintimatelifeofthecountryMarchwenttwosuccessivemorningsforhisbreakfasttotheCaf？Bauer，whichhassomeadmirablewall-printings，andisthechiefcaf？onUnterdenLinden；butonbothdaysthereweremorepeopleinthepaintingsthanoutofthem。
Thesecondmorningthewaiterwhotookhisorderrecognizedhimandasked，“Wiegestern？”andfromthishearguedanaffectionateconstancyintheBerliners，andahospitableobservanceofthetastesofstrangers。
Athisbankers，ontheotherhand，thecashierscrutinizedhissignatureandremarkedthatitdidnotlooklikethesignatureinhisletterofcredit，andthenheinferredasuspiciousmindinthemoneyedclassesofPrussia；ashehadnotbeentreatedwithsuchunkinddoubtbyHebrewbankersanywhere，hemadeamentalnotethattheJewswerepoliterthantheChristiansinGermany。InstartingforPotsdamheaskedatraegerwherethePotsdamtrainwasandthemansaid，“Dattraindare。”andincomingbackhehelpedafatoldladyoutofthecar，andshethankedhiminEnglish。Fromtheseincidents，bothoccurringthesamedayinthesameplace，theinferenceofawidespreadknowledgeofourlanguageinallclassesofthepopulationwasinevitable。
Inthisobviousandeasymannerhestudiedcontemporarycivilizationinthecapital。Heevencarriedhisresearchesfarther，andwentonerainyafternoontoanexhibitionofmodernpicturesinapavilionoftheThiergarten，wherefromthesmallattendanceheinferredanindifferencetotheartswhichhewouldnotascribetotheweather。Oneeveningatasummertheatrewheretheygavethepantomimeofthe’Puppenfee’andtheoperettaof’HanselandGretel’，heobservedthatthegreaterpartoftheaudiencewascomposedofniceplainyounggirlsandchildren，andhenotedthattherewasnosortofeveningdress；fromthelargenumberofAmericanspresentheimaginedanumerouscolonyinBerlin，wheretheymasthaveaninstinctivesenseoftheirco-nationality，sinceoneoftheminthestressofgettinghishatandovercoatwhentheyallcameout，confidentlyaddressedhiminEnglish。Buthetookstockofhisimpressionswithhiswife，andtheyseemedtohimsofew，afterall，thathecouldnotresistapainfulsenseofisolationinthemidstoftheenvironment。
TheymadeaSundayexcursiontotheZoologicalGardensintheThiergarten，withalargecrowdofthelowerclasses，butthoughtheyhadagreatdealoftroubleingettingtherebythevariouskindsofhorsecarsandelectriccars，theydidnotfeelthattheyhadgotneartothepopularlife。TheyendeavoredforsomesenseofBerlinsocietybydrivinghomeinadrosky，andonthewaytheypassedrowsofbeautifulhouses，inFrenchandItaliantaste，frontingthedeep，dampgreenparkfromtheThiergartenstrasse，inwhichtheywereconfidentcultivatedanddelightfulpeoplelived；buttheyremainedtothelastwithnothingbuttheirunsupportedconjecture。
TheirexcursiontoPotsdamwasthecreamoftheirsojourninBerlin。
Theychoseforitthefirstfairmorning，andtheyranoutovertheflatsandyplainssurroundingthecapital，andamongthelowhillssurroundingPotsdambeforeitactuallybegantorain。
TheywishedimmediatelytoseeSansSouciforthegreatFrederick’ssake，andtheydrovethroughalivelyshowertothepalace，wheretheywaitedwithahordeoftwenty-fiveothertouristsinagustycolonnadebeforetheywereledthroughVoltaire’sroomandFrederick’sdeathchamber。
TheFrenchphilosophercomesbeforethePrussianprinceatSansSoucieveninthepalatialvillawhichexpressesthewilfulcapriceofthegreatFrederickasfewedificeshaveembodiedthewhimsortastesoftheirowners。Thewholeaffairiseighteenth-centuryFrench，astheGermansconceivedit。Thegardenedterracefromwhichthelow，one-storybuilding，thicklycrustedwithbaroquesculptures，looksdownintoamany-coloredparterre，wasluxuriantlyFrench，andsentimentallyFrenchthecolonnadedfrontopeningtoaperspectiveofartificialruins，withbrokenpillarsliftingaconsciousfragmentofarchitraveagainstthesky。Within，allagainwasFrenchinthedesign，thedecorationandthefurnishing。Atthattimethere，wasinfactnoothertaste，andFrederick，whodespisedanddisusedhisnativetongue，wasresolveduponFrenchtasteeveninhisintimatecompanionship。ThedrollstoryofhiscoquetrywiththeterriblefreespiritwhichhegotfromFrancetobehisguestisvividlyreanimatedatSansSouci，whereonebreathestheveryairinwhichthestrangelyassortedcompanionslived，andinwhichtheypartedsosoontopursueeachotherwithbrutalannoyanceononeside，andwithmercilessmockeryontheother。Voltairewaslongagorevengeduponhishostforalltheindignitieshesufferedfromhimintheircomedy；heleftdeeplygravenuponFrederick’sfamethetraceofthoselaceratingtalonswhichhecouldstriketothequick；anditisthesingulareffectofthissceneoftheirbrieffriendshipthatonefeelstherethepre-eminenceofthewitinwhateverwasmostimportanttomankind。
