his own threshold。 A shepherd who met the Margrave on a shying horse did
not get his flock out of the way quickly enough； the Margrave demanded
the pistols of a gentleman in his company； but he answered that they were
not loaded； and the shepherd's life was saved。 As they returned home the
gentleman fired them off。 〃What does that mean？〃 cried the Margrave；
furiously。 〃It means； gracious lord； that you will sleep sweeter
tonight； for not having heard my pistols an hour sooner。〃
From this it appears that the gracious lord had his moments of regret；
but perhaps it is not altogether strange that when he died； the whole
population 〃stormed through the streets to meet his funeral train； not in
awe…stricken silence to meditate on the fall of human grandeur； but to
unite in an eager tumult of rejoicing； as if some cruel brigand who had
long held the city in terror were delivered over to them bound and in
chains。〃 For nearly thirty years this blood…stained miscreant had
reigned over his hapless people in a sovereign plenitude of power； which
by the theory of German imperialism in our day is still a divine right。
They called him the Wild Margrave； in their instinctive revolt from the
belief that any man not untamably savage could be guilty of his
atrocities； and they called his son the Last Margrave； with a touch of
the poetry which perhaps records a regret for their extinction as a
state。 He did not harry them as his father had done； his mild rule was
the effect partly of the indifference and distaste for his country bred；
by his long sojourns abroad； but doubtless also it was the effect of a
kindly nature。 Even in the matter of selling a few thousands of them to
fight the battles of a bad cause on the other side of the world； he had
the best of motives； and faithfully applied the proceeds to the payment
of the state debt and the embellishment of the capital。
His mother was a younger sister of Frederick the Great； and was so
constantly at war with her husband that probably she had nothing to do
with the marriage which the Wild Margrave forced upon their son。 Love
certainly had nothing to do with it； and the Last Margrave early escaped
from it to the society of Mlle。 Clairon； the great French tragedienne；
whom he met in Paris； and whom he persuaded to come and make her home
with him in Ansbach。 She lived there seventeen years； and though always
an alien； she bore herself with kindness to all classes； and is still
remembered there by the roll of butter which calls itself a Klarungswecke
in its imperfect French。
No roll of butter records in faltering accents the name of the brilliant
and disdainful English lady who replaced this poor tragic muse in the
Margrave's heart； though the lady herself lived to be the last Margravine
of Ansbach； where everybody seems to have hated her with a passion which
she doubtless knew how to return。 She was the daughter of the Earl of
Berkeley； and the wife of Lord Craven； a sufficiently unfaithful and
unworthy nobleman by her account； from whom she was living apart when the
Margrave asked her to his capital。 There she set herself to oust Mlle。
Clairon with sneers and jests for the theatrical style which the actress
could not outlive。 Lady Craven said she was sure Clairon's nightcap must
be a crown of gilt paper； and when Clairon threatened to kill herself；
and the Margrave was alarmed； 〃You forget；〃 said Lady Craven； 〃that
actresses only stab themselves under their sleeves。〃
She drove Clairon from Ansbach； and the great tragedienne returned to
Paris； where she remained true to her false friend； and from time to time
wrote him letters full of magnanimous counsel and generous tenderness。
But she could not have been so good company as Lady Craven； who was a
very gifted person； and knew how to compose songs and sing them； and
write comedies and play them； and who could keep the Margrave amused in
many ways。 When his loveless and childless wife died he married the
English woman； but he grew more and more weary of his dull little court
and his dull little country； and after a while； considering the uncertain
tenure sovereigns had of their heads since the French King had lost his；
and the fact that he had no heirs to follow him in his principality； he
resolved to cede it for a certain sum to Prussia。 To this end his new
wife's urgence was perhaps not wanting。 They went to England； where she
outlived him ten years； and wrote her memoirs。
The custodian of the Schloss came at last； and the Marches saw instantly
that he was worth waiting for。 He was as vainglorious of the palace as
any grand…monarching margrave of them all。 He could not have been more
personally superb in showing their different effigies if they had been
his own family portraits； and he would not spare the strangers a single
splendor of the twenty vast； handsome； tiresome； Versailles…like rooms he
led them through。 The rooms were fatiguing physically； but so poignantly
interesting that Mrs。 March would not have missed； though she perished of
her pleasure； one of the things she saw。 She had for once a surfeit of
highhoting in the pictures； the porcelains； the thrones and canopies； the
tapestries； the historical associations with the margraves and their
marriages； with the Great Frederick and the Great Napoleon。 The Great
Napoleon's man Bernadotte made the Schloss his headquarters when he
occupied Ansbach after Austerlitz； and here he completed his arrangements
for taking her bargain from Prussia and handing it over to Bavaria； with
whom it still remains。 Twice the Great Frederick had sojourned in the
palace； visiting his sister Louise； the wife of the Wild Margrave； and
more than once it had welcomed her next neighbor and sister Wilhelmina；
the Margravine of Baireuth； whose autobiographic voice； piercingly
plaintive and reproachful； seemed to quiver in the air。 Here； oddly
enough； the spell of the Wild Margrave weakened in the presence of his
portrait； which signally failed to justify his fame of furious tyrant。
That seems； indeed； to have been rather the popular and historical
conception of him than the impression he made upon his exalted
contemporaries。 The Margravine of Baireuth at any rate could so far
excuse her poor blood…stained brother…in…law as to say： 〃The Margrave of
Ansbach 。 。 。 was a young prince who had been very badly educated。
He continually ill…treated my sister； they led the life of cat and dog。
My sister； it is true； was sometimes in fault 。 。 。 。 Her education
had been very bad。 。 。 She was married at fourteen。〃
At parting； the custodian told the Marches that he would easily have
known them for Americans by the handsome fee they gave him； they came
away flown with his praise； and their national vanity was again flattered
when they got out into the principal square of Ansbach。 There； in a
bookseller's window； they found among the pamphlets teaching different
languages without a master； one devoted to the Amerikanische Sprache as
distinguished from the Englische Sprache。 That there could be no
mistake； the cover was printed with colors in a German ideal of the star…
spangled banner； and March said he always knew that we had a language of
our own； and that now he was going in to buy that pamphlet and find out
what it was like。 He asked the young shop…woman how it differed from
English； which she spoke fairly well from having lived eight years in
Chicago。 She said that it differed from the English mainly in emphasis
and pronunciation。 〃For instance； the English say 'HALF past'； and the
Americans 'Half PAST'； the English say 'laht' and the Americans say
'late'。〃
The weather had now been clear quite long enough； and it was raining
again； a fine； bitter； piercing drizzle。 They asked the girl if it
always rained in Ansbach； and she owned that it nearly always did。 She
said that sometimes she longed for a little American summer； that it was
never quite warm in Ansbach； and when they had got out into the rain；
March said： 〃It was very nice to stumble on Chicago in an Ansbach book…
store。 You ought to have told her you had a married daughter in Chicago。
Don't miss another such chance。〃
〃We shall need another bag if we keep on buying books at this rate；〃 said
his wife with tranquil irrelevance； and not to give him time for protest；
she pushed him into a shop where the valises in the window perhaps
suggested her thought。 March made haste to forestall her there by saying
they were Americans； but the mistress of the shop seemed to have her
misgivings； and 〃Born Americans； perhaps？〃 she ventured。 She had
probably never met any but the naturalized sort； and supposed these were
the only sort。 March re…assured her； and then she said she had a son
living in Jersey City； and she made March take his address that he might
tell him he had seen his mother； she had apparently no conception what a
great way Jersey City is from New York。
Mrs。 March would not take his arm when they came out。 〃Now； that is what
I never can get used to in you； Basil； and I've tried to palliate it for
twenty…seven years。 You know you won't look up that poor woman's son！
Why did you let her think you would？〃
〃How could I tell her I wouldn't？ Perhaps I shall。〃
〃No； no！ You never will。 I know you're good and kind； and that's why I
can't understand your being so cruel。 When we get back； how will you
ever find time to go over to Jersey City？〃
He could not tell； but at last he said ： 〃I'll tell yon what！ You must
keep me up to it。 You know how much you enjoy making me do my duty； and
this will be such a pleasure！〃
She laughed forlornly； but after a moment she took his arm； and he began；
from the example of this good mother； to philosophize the continuous
simplicity and sanity of the people of Ansbach under all their civic
changes。 Saints and soldiers； knights and barons； margraves； princes；
kings； emperors； had come and gone； and left their single…hearted；
friendly subjectfolk pretty much what they found them。 The people had
suffered and survived through a thousand wars； and apparently prospered
on under all governments and misgovernments。 When the court was most
French； mo