Inthehotelservicetherewasoneofthosemenwhoareportersinthisworld，butwillbeangelsinthenext，unlesstheperfectgoodnessoftheirlooks，theconstantkindnessoftheiracts，beliesthem。TheMarcheshadknownandlovedthemanintheirbriefstay，andhehadbeenthefastfriendofBurnamyfromthemomenttheyfirstsaweachotheratthestation。HehadtenderlytakenpossessionofGeneralTriscoeonhisarrival，andhadconstitutedhimselfthenurseandkeeperoftheirascibleinvalid，intheintervalsofgoingtothetrains，withazealthatoftenrelievedhisdaughterandBurnamy。Thegeneralinfactpreferredhimtoeither，andatacitcustomgrewupbywhichwhenAugustknockedathisdoor，andofferedhimselfinhisfewwordsofserviceableEnglish，thatoneofthemwhohappenedtobesittingwiththegeneralgaveway，andlefthimincharge。Theretiringwatcherwasthenapttoencountertheotherwatcheronthestairs，orinthereading-room，orinthetiny，white-pebbleddoor-yardatalittletableintheshadeofthewooden-tubbedevergreens。FromthehabitofdoingthistheyonedaysuddenlyformedthehabitofgoingacrossthestreettothatgardenedhollowbeforeandbelowtheGrand-DucalMuseum。Therewashereabenchintheshelterofsomelate-floweringbushwhichthefewotherfrequentersoftheplacesoonrecognizedasbelongingtotheyoungstrangers，sothattheywouldsilentlyriseandleaveittothemwhentheysawthemcoming。Apparentlytheyyieldednotonlytotheirright，buttoacertainauthoritywhichresidesinlovers，andwhichallothermen，andespeciallyallotherwomen，liketoacknowledgeandrespect。
IntheabsenceofanycivicdocumentsbearingupontheaffairitisdifficulttoestablishthefactthatthiswasthecharacterinwhichAgathaandBurnamywerecommonlyregardedbytheinhabitantsofWeimar。
Butwhatevertheirownnotionoftheirrelationwas，ifitwasnotthatofaBrantandaBrautigam，thepeopleofWeimarwouldhavebeenpuzzledtosaywhatitwas。Itwasknownthatthegraciousyounglady’sfather，whowouldnaturallyhaveaccompaniedthem，wassick，andinthefactthattheywereAmericansmuchextenuationwasfoundforwhateverwasphenomenalintheirunencumberedenjoymentofeachother’ssociety。
IftheirfreeAmericanassociationwasindistinguishablylikethepeasantinformalitywhichGeneralTriscoedespisedintherelationsofKenbyandMrs。Adding，itistobesaidinhisexcusethathecouldnotbefullycognizantofit，inthecircumstances，andsocoulddonothingtopreventit。Hispessimismextendedtohishealth；fromthefirsthebelievedhimselfworsethanthedoctorthoughthim，andhewouldhavehadsomeotherphysicianifhehadnotfoundconsolationintheirdifferenceofopinionandtheconsequentcontemptwhichhewasenabledtocherishforthedoctorinviewoftheman’scompleteignoranceofthecase。Inproofofhisownbetterunderstandingofit，heremainedinbedsometimeafterthedoctorsaidhemightgetup。
Nearlytendayshadpassedbeforehelefthisroom，anditwasnottillthenthatheclearlysawhowfaraffairshadgonewithhisdaughterandBurnamy，thougheventhenhisobservanceseemedtohaveanticipatedtheirs。Hefoundtheminaquietacceptanceofthefortunewhichhadbroughtthemtogether，socontentedthattheyappearedtoasknothingmoreofit。ThedivinepatienceandconfidenceoftheiryouthmightsometimeshavehadalmosttheeffectofindifferencetoawitnesswhohadseenitsevolutionfromthemoodsofthefirstfewdaysoftheirreunioninWeimar。ToGeneralTriscoe，however，itlookedlikeanunderstandingwhichhadbeenmadewithoutreferencetohiswishes，andhadnotbeendirectlybroughttohisknowledge。
“Agatha。”hesaid，afterduenoteofagaycontestbetweenherandBurnamyoverthepleasureandprivilegeoforderinghissuppersenttohisroomwhenhehadgonebacktoitfromhisfirstafternoonintheopenair，“howlongisthatyoungmangoingtostayinWeimar？”
“Why，Idon’tknow！”sheanswered，startledfromherworkofbeatingthesofapillowsintoshape，andpausingwithoneoftheminherhand。
“Ineveraskedhim。”Shelookeddowncandidlyintohisfacewherehesatinaneasy-chairwaitingforherarrangementofthesofa。“Whatmakesyouask？”
Heansweredwithanotherquestion。“Doesheknowthatwehadthoughtofstayinghere？”
“Why，we’vealwaystalkedofthat，haven’twe？Yes，heknowsit。Didn’tyouwanthimtoknowit，papa？Yououghttohavebegunontheship，then。OfcourseI’veaskedhimwhatsortofplaceitwas。I’msorryifyoudidn’twantmeto。”
“HaveIsaidthat？It’sperfectlyeasytopushontoParis。Unless——“
“Unlesswhat？”Agathadroppedthepillow，andlistenedrespectfully。Butinspiteofherfilialattitudeshecouldnotkeepheryouthandstrengthandcouragefromquellingtheforcesoftheelderlyman。
Hesaidquerulously，“Idon’tseewhyyoutakethattonewithme。YoucertainlyknowwhatImean。Butifyoudon’tcaretodealopenlywithme，Iwon’taskyou。”Hedroppedhiseyesfromherface，andatthesametimeadeepblushbegantotingeit，growingupfromhernecktoherforehead。“Youmustknow——you’renotachild。”hecontinued，stillwithavertedeyes，“thatthissortofthingcan’tgoon……Itmustbesomethingelse，oritmustn’tbeanythingatall。Idon’taskyouforyourconfidence，andyouknowthatI’veneversoughttocontrolyou。”
Thiswasnottheleasttrue，butAgathaanswered，eitherabsentlyorprovisionally，“No。”
“AndIdon’tseektodosonow。Ifyouhavenothingthatyouwishtotellme——“
Hewaited，andafterwhatseemedalongtime，sheaskedasifshehadnotheardhim，“Willyouliedownalittlebeforeyoursupper，papa？”
“IwillliedownwhenIfeellikeit。”heanswered。“SendAugustwiththesupper；hecanlookafterme。”
Hisresentfultone，evenmorethanhiswords，dismissedher，butshelefthimwithoutapparentgrievance，sayingquietly，“IwillsendAugust。”
AgathadidnotcomedowntosupperwithBurnamy。SheaskedAugust，whenshegavehimherfather’sorder，tohaveacupofteasenttoherroom，where，whenitcame，sheremainedthinkingsolongthatitwasrathertepidbythetimeshedrankit。
Thenshewenttoherwindow，andlookedout，firstaboveandnextbelow。
Above，themoonwashangingoverthegardenedhollowbeforetheMuseumwiththeairylightnessofanAmericanmoon。BelowwasBurnamybehindthetubbedevergreens，sittingtiltedinhischairagainstthehousewall，withthesparkofhiscigarfaintingandflashinglikeanAmericanfirefly。Agathawentdowntothedoor，afteralittledelay，andseemedsurprisedtofindhimthere；atleastshesaid，“Oh！”inatoneofsurprise。
Burnamystoodup，andanswered，“Nicenight。”
“Beautiful！”shebreathed。“Ididn’tsupposetheskyinGermanycouldeverbesoclear。”
“Itseemstobedoingitsbest。”
“Theflowersovertherelooklikeghostsinthelight。”shesaiddreamily。
“They’renot。Don’tyouwanttogetyourhatandwrap，andgooverandexposethefraud？”
“Oh。”sheanswered，asifitweremerelyaquestionofthehatandwrap，“Ihavethem。”
Theysaunteredthroughthegardenwalksforawhile，longenoughtohaveascertainedthattherewasnotaveridicalphantomamongtheflowers，iftheyhadbeenlooking，andthenwhentheycametotheiraccustomedseat，theysatdown，andshesaid，“Idon’tknowthatI’veseenthemoonsoclearsinceweleftCarlsbad。”Atthelastwordhisheartgaveajumpthatseemedtolodgeitinhisthroatandkepthimfromspeaking，sothatshecouldresumewithoutinterruption，“I’vegotsomethingofyours，thatyouleftatthePosthof。Thegirlthatbrokethedishesfoundit，andLiligaveittoMrs。Marchforyou。”ThisdidnotaccountforAgatha’shavingthething，whateveritwas；butwhenshetookahandkerchieffromherbelt，andputoutherhandwithittowardhim，heseemedtofindthatherhavingithadnecessarilyfollowed。Hetriedtotakeitfromher，buthisownhandtrembledsothatitclungtohers，andhegasped，“Can’tyousaynow，whatyouwouldn’tsaythen？”
Thelogicalsequencewasnomoreobviousthanbefore；butsheapparentlyfeltitinherturnashehadfeltitinhis。Shewhisperedback，“Yes。”
andthenshecouldnotgetoutanythingmoretillsheentreatedinahalf-stifledvoice，“Oh，don’t！”`
“No，no！”hepanted。“Iwon’t——Ioughtn’ttohavedoneit——Ibegyourpardon——Ioughtn’ttohavespoken，——even——I——“
Shereturnedinafarlessbreathlessandtremulousfashion，butstillbetweenlaughingandcrying，“Imeanttomakeyou。Andnow，ifyou’reeversorry，orI’mevertootoppingaboutanything，youcanbeperfectlyfreetosaythatyou’dneverhavespokenifyouhadn’tseenthatIwantedyouto。”
“ButIdidn’tseeanysuchthing。”heprotested。“IspokebecauseI
couldn’thelpitanylonger。”
Shelaughedtriumphantly。“Ofcourseyouthinkso！Andthatshowsthatyouareonlyamanafterall；inspiteofyourfinessing。ButIamgoingtohavethecreditofit。Iknewthatyouwereholdingbackbecauseyouweretooproud，orthoughtyouhadn’ttheright，orsomething。Weren’tyou？”Shestartledhimwiththesuddenvehemenceofherchallenge：“Ifyoupretend，thatyouweren’tIshallneverforgiveyou！”
“ButIwas！OfcourseIwas。Iwasafraid——“
“Isn’tthatwhatIsaid？”Shetriumphedoverhimwithanotherlaugh，andcoweredalittleclosertohim，ifthatcouldbe。
Theywerestanding，withoutknowinghowtheyhadgottotheirfeet；andnowwithoutanypurposeofthekind，theybegantostrollagainamongthegardenpaths，andtoaskandtoanswerquestions，whichtouchedeverypointoftheircommonhistory，andyetleftitamineofinexhaustibleknowledgeforallfuturetime。Outofthesweetanddeardelightofthisencyclopedianreservetwoorthreefactsappearedwithapresentdistinctness。OneofthesewasthatBurnamyhadregardedherrefusaltobedefiniteatCarlsbadasdefiniterefusal，andhadmeantnevertoseeheragain，andcertainlynevertospeakagainoflovetoher。Anotherpointwasthatshehadnotresentedhiscomingbackthatlastnight，buthadbeenproudandhappyinitasproofofhislove，andhadalwaysmeantsomehowtolethimknowthatshewastorchedbyhistrustingherenoughtocomebackwhilebewasstillunderthatcloudwithMr。Stoller。Withfurtherlogic，purelyoftheheart，sheacquittedhimaltogetherofwronginthataffair，andallegedinproof，whatMr。StollerhadsaidofittoMr。March。BurnamyownedthatheknewwhatStollerhadsaid，buteveninhispresentconditionhecouldnotacceptfullyherreadingofthatobscurepassageofhislife。Hepreferredtoputthequestionby，andperhapsneitherofthemcaredanythingaboutitexceptasitrelatedtothefactthattheywerenoweachother’sforever。
