room at the Swan？〃
〃Why； yes；〃 she assented； with a reluctance rather for the complicity in
which he had already involved her； and for which he was still unpunished；
than for what he was now proposing。 〃Or she could come in with me； and
Mr。 March could take it。〃
〃Whichever you think；〃 said Kenby so submissively that she relented； to
ask：
〃And what will you do？〃
He laughed。 〃Well； people have been known to sleep in a chair。 I shall
manage somehow。〃
〃You might offer to go in with the general；〃 March suggested； and the men
apparently thought this was a joke。 Mrs。 March did not laugh in her
feminine worry about ways and means。
〃Where is Miss Triscoe？〃 she asked。 〃We haven't seen them。〃
〃Didn't Mrs。 Adding tell you？ They went to supper at a restaurant； the
general doesn't like the cooking here。 They ought to have been back
before this。〃
He looked up at the clock on the wall； and she said； 〃I suppose you would
like us to wait。〃
〃It would be very kind of you。〃
〃Oh； it's quite essential；〃 she returned with an airy freshness which
Kenby did not seem to feel as painfully as he ought。
They all sat down； and the Triscoes came in after a few minutes； and a
cloud on the general's face lifted at the proposition Kenby left Mrs。
March to make。
〃I thought that child ought to be in his mother's charge；〃 he said。 With
his own comfort provided for； he made no objections to Mrs。 March's plan；
and Agatha went to take leave of Rose and his mother。 〃By…the…way；〃 the
general turned to March； 〃I found Stoller at the restaurant where we
supped。 He offered me a place in his carriage for the manoeuvres。 How
are you going？〃
〃I think I shall go by train。 I don't fancy the long drive。〃
〃Well； I don't know that it's worse than the long walk after you leave
the train；〃 said the general from the offence which any difference of
taste was apt to give him。 〃Are you going by train； too？〃 he asked Kenby
with indifference。
〃I'm not going at all；〃 said Kenby。 〃I'm leaving Wurzburg in the
morning。〃
〃Oh； indeed；〃 said the general。
Mrs。 March could not make out whether he knew that Kenby was going with
Rose and Mrs。 Adding； but she felt that there must be a full and open
recognition of the fact among them。 〃Yes；〃 she said； 〃isn't it fortunate
that Mr。 Kenby should be going to Holland； too！ I should have been so
unhappy about them if Mrs。 Adding had been obliged to make that long
journey with poor little Rose alone。〃
〃Yes； yes； very fortunate； certainly；〃 said the general colorlessly。
Her husband gave her a glance of intelligent appreciation； but Kenby was
too simply； too densely content with the situation to know the value of
what she had done。 She thought he must certainly explain； as he walked
back with her to the Swan； whether he had misrepresented her to Mrs。
Adding； or Mrs。 Adding had misunderstood him。 Somewhere there had been
an error； or a duplicity which it was now useless to punish； and Kenby
was so apparently unconscious of it that she had not the heart to be
cross with him。 She heard Miss Triscoe behind her with March laughing in
the gayety which the escape from her father seemed to inspire in her。
She was promising March to go with him in the morning to see the Emperor
and Empress of Germany arrive at the station； and he was warning her that
if she laughed there； like that； she would subject him to fine and
imprisonment。 She pretended that she would like to see him led off
between two gendarmes； but consented to be a little careful when he asked
her how she expected to get back to her hotel without him； if such a
thing happened。
LVIII。
After all； Miss Triscoe did not go with March； she preferred to sleep。
The imperial party was to arrive at half past seven； but at six the crowd
was already dense before the station； and all along the street leading to
the Residenz。 It was a brilliant day； with the promise of sunshine；
through which a chilly wind blew； for the manoeuvres。 The colors of all
the German states flapped in this breeze from the poles wreathed with
evergreen which encircled the square； the workmen putting the last
touches on the bronzed allegory hurried madly to be done； and they had；
scarcely finished their labors when two troops of dragoons rode into the
place and formed before the station； and waited as motionlessly as their
horses would allow。
These animals were not so conscious as lions at the approach of princes；
they tossed and stamped impatiently in the long interval before the
Regent and his daughter…in…law came to welcome their guests。 All the
human beings； both those who were in charge and those who were under
charge； were in a quiver of anxiety to play their parts well； as if there
were some heavy penalty for failure in the least point。 The policemen
keeping the people； in line behind the ropes which restrained them
trembled with eagerness； the faces of some of the troopers twitched。
An involuntary sigh went up from the crowd as the Regent's carriage
appeared； heralded by outriders； and followed by other plain carriages of
Bavarian blue with liveries of blue and silver。 Then the whistle of the
Kaiser's train sounded； a trumpeter advanced and began to blow his
trumpet as they do in the theatre； and exactly at the appointed moment
the Emperor and Empress came out of the station through the brilliant
human alley leading from it； mounted their carriages； with the stage
trumpeter always blowing； and whirled swiftly round half the square and
flashed into the corner toward the Residenz out of sight。 The same
hollow groans of Ho…o…o…ch greeted and followed them from the spectators
as had welcomed the Regent when he first arrived among his fellow…
townsmen； with the same effect of being the conventional cries of a stage
mob behind the scenes。
The Emperor was like most of his innumerable pictures； with a swarthy
face from which his blue eyes glanced pleasantly； he looked good…humored
if not good…natured； the Empress smiled amiably beneath her deeply
fringed white parasol； and they both bowed right and left in
acknowledgment of those hollow groans； but again it seemed； to March that
sovereignty； gave the popular curiosity； not to call it devotion； a
scantier return than it merited。 He had perhaps been insensibly working
toward some such perception as now came to him that the great difference
between Europe and America was that in Europe life is histrionic and
dramatized； and that in America； except when it is trying to be European；
it is direct and sincere。 He wondered whether the innate conviction of
equality； the deep； underlying sense of a common humanity transcending
all social and civic pretences； was what gave their theatrical effect to
the shows of deference from low to high； and of condescension from high
to low。 If in such encounters of sovereigns and subjects； the prince did
not play his part so well as the people； it might be that he had a harder
part to play； and that to support his dignity at all； to keep from being
found out the sham that he essentially was； he had to hurry across the
stage amidst the distracting thunders of the orchestra。 If the star
staid to be scrutinized by the soldiers； citizens； and so forth； even the
poor supernumeraries and scene…shifters might see that he was a tallow
candle like themselves。
In the censorious mood induced by the reflection that he had waited an
hour and a half for half a minute's glimpse of the imperial party； March
now decided not to go to the manoeuvres； where he might be subjected to
still greater humiliation and disappointment。 He had certainly come to
Wurzburg for the manoeuvres； but Wurzburg had been richly repaying in
itself； and why should he stifle half an hour in an overcrowded train；
and struggle for three miles on foot against that harsh wind； to see a
multitude of men give proofs of their fitness to do manifold murder？
He was； in fact； not the least curious for the sight； and the only thing
that really troubled him was the question of how he should justify his
recreance to his wife。 This did alloy the pleasure with which he began；
after an excellent breakfast at a neighboring caf？ to stroll about the
streets； though he had them almost to himself； so many citizens had
followed the soldiers to the manoeuvres。
It was not till the soldiers began returning from the manoeuvres； dusty…
footed； and in white canvas overalls drawn over their trousers to save
them； that he went back to Mrs。 March and Miss Triscoe at the Swan。 He
had given them time enough to imagine him at the review； and to wonder
whether he had seen General Triscoe and the Stollers there； and they met
him with such confident inquiries that he would not undeceive them at
once。 He let them divine from his inventive answers that he had not gone
to the manoeuvres； which put them in the best humor with themselves； and
the girl said it was so cold and rough that she wished her father had not
gone； either。 The general appeared just before dinner and frankly avowed
the same wish。 He was rasping and wheezing from the dust which filled
his lungs； he looked blown and red； and he was too angry with the company
he had been in to have any comments on the manoeuvres。 He referred to
the military chiefly in relation to the Miss Stollers' ineffectual
flirtations； which he declared had been outrageous。 Their father had
apparently no control over them whatever； or else was too ignorant to
know that they were misbehaving。 They were without respect or reverence
for any one； they had talked to General Triscoe as if he were a boy of
their own age； or a dotard whom nobody need mind； they had not only kept
up their foolish babble before him； they had laughed and giggled； they
had broken into snatches of American song； they had all but whistled and
danced。 They made loud comments in Illinois Englishon the cuteness of
the officers whom they admired； and they had at one time actually got out
their handkerchiefs。 He supposed they meant to wave them at the
officers； but at the look he gave them they merely put their hats
together and snickered in derision of him。 They were American girls of
the worst type； they conforme