of French splendor。 In Potsdam the grandeur； was not a historical growth
as at Versailles； but was the effect of family genius； in which there was
often the curious fascination of insanity。
They felt this strongly again amidst the futile monuments of the
Hohenzollern Museum； in Berlin； where all the portraits； effigies；
personal belongings and memorials of that gifted； eccentric race are
gathered and historically disposed。 The princes of the mighty line who
stand out from the rest are Frederick the Great and his infuriate。
father； and in the waxen likeness of the son； a small thin figure；
terribly spry； and a face pitilessly alert； appears something of the
madness which showed in the life of the sire。
They went through many rooms in which the memorials of the kings and
queens； the emperors and empresses were carefully ordered； and felt no
kindness except before the relics relating to the Emperor Frederick and
his mother。 In the presence of the greatest of the dynasty they
experienced a kind of terror which March expressed； when they were safely
away； in the confession of his joy that those people were dead。
LXVI。
The rough weather which made Berlin almost uninhabitable to Mrs。 March
had such an effect with General Triscoe at Weimar that under the orders
of an English…speaking doctor he retreated from it altogether and went to
bed。 Here he escaped the bronchitis which had attacked him； and his
convalesence left him so little to complain of that he could not always
keep his temper。 In the absence of actual offence； either from his
daughter or from Burnamy； his sense of injury took a retroactive form； it
centred first in Stoller and the twins； then it diverged toward Rose
Adding； his mother and Kenby； and finally involved the Marches in the
same measure of inculpation； for they had each and all had part； directly
or indirectly； in the chances that brought on his cold。
He owed to Burnamy the comfort of the best room in the hotel； and he was
constantly dependent upon his kindness； but he made it evident that he
did not over…value Burnamy's sacrifice and devotion； and that it was not
an unmixed pleasure； however great a convenience； to have him about。 In
giving up his room； Burnamy had proposed going out of the hotel
altogether； but General Triscoe heard of this with almost as great
vexation as he had accepted the room。 He besought him not to go； but so
ungraciously that his daughter was ashamed； and tried to atone for his
manner by the kindness of her own。
Perhaps General Triscoe would not have been without excuse if he were not
eager to have her share with destitute merit the fortune which she had
hitherto shared only with him。 He was old； and certain luxuries had
become habits if not necessaries with him。 Of course he did not say this
to himself； and still less did he say it to her。 But he let her see that
he did not enjoy the chance which had thrown them again in such close
relations with Burnamy； and he did pot hide his belief that the Marches
were somehow to blame for it。 This made it impossible for her to write
at once to Mrs。 March as she had promised； but she was determined that it
should not make her unjust to Burnamy。 She would not avoid him； she
would not let anything that had happened keep her from showing that she
felt his kindness and was glad of his help。
Of course they knew no one else in Weimar； and his presence merely as a
fellow…countryman would have been precious。 He got them a doctor；
against General Triscoe's will； he went for his medicines； he lent him
books and papers； he sat with him and tried to amuse him。 But with the
girl he attempted no return to the situation at Carlsbad； there is
nothing like the delicate pride of a young man who resolves to forego
unfair advantage in love。
The day after their arrival； when her father was making up for the sleep
he had lost by night； she found herself alone in the little reading…room
of the hotel with Burnamy for the first time； and she said： 〃I suppose
you must have been all over Weimar by this time。〃
〃Well； I've been here； off and on； almost a month。 It's an interesting
place。 There's a good deal of the old literary quality left。〃
〃And you enjoy that！ I saw〃she added this with a little unnecessary
flush〃your poem in the paper you lent papa。〃
〃I suppose I ought to have kept that back。 But I couldn't。〃 He laughed；
and she said：
〃You must find a great deal of inspiration in such a literary place。〃
〃It isn't lying about loose； exactly。〃 Even in the serious and
perplexing situation in which he found himself he could not help being
amused with her unliterary notions of literature； her conventional and
commonplace conceptions of it。 They had their value with him as those of
a more fashionable world than his own； which he believed was somehow a
greater world。 At the same time he believed that she was now interposing
them between the present and the past； and forbidding with them any
return to the mood of their last meeting in Carlsbad。 He looked at her
ladylike composure and unconsciousness； and wondered if she could be the
same person and the same person as they who lost themselves in the crowd
that night and heard and said words palpitant with fate。 Perhaps there
had been no such words； perhaps it was all a hallucination。 He must
leave her to recognize that it was reality； till she did so； he felt
bitterly that there was nothing for him but submission and patience； if
she never did so； there was nothing for him but acquiescence。
In this talk and in the talks they had afterwards she seemed willing
enough to speak of what had happened since： of coming on to Wurzburg with
the Addings and of finding the Marches there； of Rose's collapse； and of
his mother's flight seaward with him in the care of Kenby； who was so
fortunately going to Holland； too。 He on his side told her of going to
Wurzburg for the manoeuvres； and they agreed that it was very strange
they had not met。
She did not try to keep their relations from taking the domestic
character which was inevitable； and it seemed to him that this in itself
was significant of a determination on her part that was fatal to his
hopes。 With a lover's indefinite power of blinding himself to what is
before his eyes； he believed that if she had been more diffident of him；
more uneasy in his presence； he should have had more courage； but for her
to breakfast unafraid with him； to meet him at lunch and dinner in the
little dining…room where they were often the only guests； and always the
only English…speaking guests； was nothing less than prohibitive。
In the hotel service there was one of those men who are porters in this
world； but will be angels in the next； unless the perfect goodness of
their looks； the constant kindness of their acts； belies them。 The
Marches had known and loved the man in their brief stay； and he had been
the fast friend of Burnamy from the moment they first saw each other at
the station。 He had tenderly taken possession of General Triscoe on his
arrival； and had constituted himself the nurse and keeper of the
irascible invalid； in the intervals of going to the trains； with a zeal
that often relieved his daughter and Burnamy。 The general in fact
preferred him to either； and a tacit custom grew up by which when August
knocked at his door； and offered himself in his few words of serviceable
English； that one of them who happened to be sitting with the general
gave way； and left him in charge。 The retiring watcher was then apt to
encounter the other watcher on the stairs； or in the reading…room； or in
the tiny； white…pebbled door…yard at a little table in the shade of the
wooden…tubbed evergreens。 From the habit of doing this they one day
suddenly formed the habit of going across the street to that gardened
hollow before and below the Grand…Ducal Museum。 There was here a bench
in the shelter of some late…flowering bush which the few other
frequenters of the place soon recognized as belonging to the young
strangers； so that they would silently rise and leave it to them when
they saw them coming。 Apparently they yielded not only to their right；
but to a certain authority which resides in lovers； and which all other
men； and especially all other women； like to acknowledge and respect。
In the absence of any civic documents bearing upon the affair it is
difficult to establish the fact that this was the character in which
Agatha and Burnamy were commonly regarded by the inhabitants of Weimar。
But whatever their own notion of their relation was； if it was not that
of a Brant and a Brautigam； the people of Weimar would have been puzzled
to say what it was。 It was known that the gracious young lady's father；
who would naturally have accompanied them； was sick； and in the fact that
they were Americans much extenuation was found for whatever was
phenomenal in their unencumbered enjoyment of each other's society。
If their free American association was indistinguishably like the peasant
informality which General Triscoe despised in the relations of Kenby and
Mrs。 Adding； it is to be said in his excuse that he could not be fully
cognizant of it； in the circumstances； and so could do nothing to prevent
it。 His pessimism extended to his health； from the first he believed
himself worse than the doctor thought him； and he would have had some
other physician if he had not found consolation in their difference of
opinion and the consequent contempt which he was enabled to cherish for
the doctor in view of the man's complete ignorance of the case。 In proof
of his own better understanding of it； he remained in bed some time after
the doctor said he might get up。
Nearly ten days had passed before he left his room； and it was not till
then that he clearly saw how far affairs had gone with his daughter and
Burnamy； though even then his observance seemed to have anticipated
theirs。 He found them in a quiet acceptance of the fortune which had
brought them together； so contented that they appeared to ask nothing
more of it。 The divine patience and confidence of their youth might
sometimes have had almost the effect of indifference