pleased to realize that this friend of the birds was a Wurzburger； and
she said that their first pilgrimage in the morning should be to the
church where he lies buried。
LIII。
March went down to breakfast not quite so early as his wife had planned；
and left her to have her coffee in her room。 He got a pleasant table in
the gallery overlooking the river； and he decided that the landscape；
though it now seemed to be rather too much studied from a drop…certain；
had certainly lost nothing of its charm in the clear morning light。 The
waiter brought his breakfast； and after a little delay came back with a
card which he insisted was for March。 It was not till he put on his
glasses and read the name of Mr。 R。 M。 Kenby that he was able at all to
agree with the waiter； who stood passive at his elbow。
〃Well；〃 he said； 〃why wasn't this card sent up last night？〃
The waiter explained that the gentleman had just； given him his card；
after asking March's nationality； and was then breakfasting in the next
room。 March caught up his napkin and ran round the partition wall； and
Kenby rose with his napkin and hurried to meet him。
〃I thought it must be you；〃 he called out； joyfully； as they struck their
extended hands together； 〃but so many people look alike； nowadays； that I
don't trust my eyes any more。〃
Kenby said he had spent the time since they last met partly in Leipsic
and partly in Gotha； where he had amused himself in rubbing up his rusty
German。 As soon as he realized that Wurzburg was so near he had slipped
down from Gotha for a glimpse of the manoeuvres。 He added that he
supposed March was there to see them； and he asked with a quite
unembarrassed smile if they had met Mr。 Adding in Carlsbad； and without
heeding March's answer； he laughed and added： 〃Of course； I know she must
have told Mrs。 March all about it。〃
March could not deny this； he laughed； too； though in his wife's absence
he felt bound to forbid himself anything more explicit。
〃I don't give it up； you know；〃 Kenby went on； with perfect ease。 〃I'm
not a young fellow； if you call thirty…nine old。〃
〃At my age I don't；〃 March put in； and they roared together； in men's
security from the encroachments of time。
〃But she happens to be the only woman I've ever really wanted to marry；
for more than a few days at a stretch。 You know how it is with us。〃
〃Oh； yes； I know；〃 said March； and they shouted again。
〃We're in love； and we're out of love； twenty times。 But this isn't a
mere fancy； it's a conviction。 And there's no reason why she shouldn't
marry me。〃
March smiled gravely； and his smile was not lost upon Kenby。 〃You mean
the boy；〃 he said。 〃Well； I like Rose；〃 and now March really felt swept
from his feet。 〃She doesn't deny that she likes me； but she seems to
think that her marrying again will take her from him； the fact is； it
will only give me to him。 As for devoting her whole life to him； she
couldn't do a worse thing for him。 What the boy needs is a man's care；
and a man's will Good heavens！ You don't think I could ever be unkind
to the little soul？〃 Kenby threw himself forward over the table。
〃My dear fellow！〃 March protested。
〃I'd rather cut off my right hand！ 〃 Kenby pursued； excitedly； and then
he said； with a humorous drop： 〃The fact is； I don't believe I should
want her so much if I couldn't have Rose too。 I want to have them both。
So far； I've only got no for an answer； but I'm not going to keep it。
I had a letter from Rose at Carlsbad； the other day； and〃
The waiter came forward with a folded scrap of paper on his salver； which
March knew must be from his wife。 〃What is keeping you so？〃 she wrote。
〃I am all ready。〃 〃It's from Mrs。 March；〃 he explained to Kenby。 〃I am
going out with her on some errands。 I'm awfully glad to see you again。
We must talk it all over； and you mustyou mustn'tMrs。 March will want
to see you laterIAre you in the hotel？〃
〃Oh yes。 I'll see you at the one…o'clock table d'hote； I suppose。〃
March went away with his head whirling in the question whether he should
tell his wife at once of Kenby's presence； or leave her free for the
pleasures of Wurzburg； till he could shape the fact into some safe and
acceptable form。 She met him at the door with her guide…books； wraps and
umbrellas； and would hardly give him time to get on his hat and coat。
〃Now； I want you to avoid the Stollers as far as you can see them。 This
is to be a real wedding…journey day； with no extraneous acquaintance to
bother； the more strangers the better。 Wurzburg is richer than anything
I imagined。 I've looked it all up； I've got the plan of the city； so
that we can easily find the way。 We'll walk first； and take carriages
whenever we get tired。 We'll go to the cathedral at once； I want a good
gulp of rococo to begin with； there wasn't half enough of it at Ansbach。
Isn't it strange how we've come round to it？〃
She referred to that passion for the Gothic which they had obediently
imbibed from Ruskin in the days of their early Italian travel and
courtship； when all the English…speaking world bowed down to him in
devout aversion from the renaissance； and pious abhorrence of the rococo。
〃What biddable little things we were！〃 she went on； while March was
struggling to keep Kenby in the background of his consciousness。
〃The rococo must have always had a sneaking charm for us； when we were
pinning our faith to pointed arches； and yet I suppose we were perfectly
sincere。 Oh； look at that divinely ridiculous Madonna！〃 They were now
making their way out of the crooked footway behind their hotel toward the
street leading to the cathedral； and she pointed to the Blessed Virgin
over the door of some religious house； her drapery billowing about her
feet； her body twisting to show the sculptor's mastery of anatomy； and
the halo held on her tossing head with the help of stout gilt rays。 In
fact； the Virgin's whole figure was gilded； and so was that of the child
in her arms。 〃Isn't she delightful？〃
〃I see what you mean；〃 said March； with a dubious glance at the statue；
〃but I'm not sure； now； that I wouldn't like something quieter in my
Madonnas。〃
The thoroughfare which they emerged upon； with the cathedral ending the
prospective； was full of the holiday so near at hand。 The narrow
sidewalks were thronged with people； both soldiers and civilians； and up
the middle of the street detachments of military came and went； halting
the little horse…cars and the huge beer…wagons which otherwise seemed to
have the sole right to the streets of Wurzburg； they came jingling or
thundering out of the aide streets and hurled themselves round the
corners reckless of the passers； who escaped alive by flattening
themselves like posters against the house walls。 There were peasants；
men and women； in the costume which the unbroken course of their country
life had kept as quaint as it was a hundred years before； there were
citizens in the misfits of the latest German fashions； there were
soldiers of all arms in their vivid uniforms； and from time to time there
were pretty young girls in white dresses with low necks； and bare arms
gloved to the elbows； who were following a holiday custom of the place in
going about the streets in ball costume。 The shop windows were filled
with portraits of the Emperor and the Empress； and the Prince…Regent and
the ladies of his family； the German and Bavarian colors draped the
facades of the houses and festooned the fantastic Madonnas posing above
so many portals。 The modern patriotism included the ancient piety
without disturbing it； the rococo city remained ecclesiastical through
its new imperialism； and kept the stamp given it by the long rule of the
prince…bishops under the sovereignty of its King and the suzerainty of
its Kaiser。
The Marches escaped from the present； when they entered the cathedral； as
wholly as if they had taken hold of the horns of the altar； though they
were far from literally doing this in an interior so grandiose。 There
area few rococo churches in Italy； and perhaps more in Spain； which
approach the perfection achieved by the Wurzburg cathedral in the baroque
style。 For once one sees what that style can do in architecture and
sculpture； and whatever one may say of the details； one cannot deny that
there is a prodigiously effective keeping in it all。 This interior came
together； as the decorators say； with a harmony that the travellers had
felt nowhere in their earlier experience of the rococo。 It was；
unimpeachably perfect in its way； 〃Just；〃 March murmured to his wife；
〃as the social and political and scientific scheme of the eighteenth
century was perfected in certain times and places。 But the odd thing is
to find the apotheosis of the rococo away up here in Germany。 I wonder
how much the prince…bishops really liked it。 But they had become rococo；
too！ Look at that row of their statues on both sides of the nave！ What
magnificent swell！ How they abash this poor plain Christ； here； he would
like to get behind the pillar； he knows that he could never lend himself
to the baroque style。 It expresses the eighteenth century； though。 But
how you long for some little hint of the thirteenth； or even the
nineteenth。〃
〃I don't；〃 she whispered back。 〃I'm perfectly wild with Wurzburg。
I like to have a thing go as far as it can。 At Nuremberg I wanted all
the Gothic I could get； and in Wurzburg I want all the baroque I can get。
I am consistent。〃
She kept on praising herself to his disadvantage； as women do； all the
way to the Neumunster Church； where they were going to revere the tomb of
Walther yon der Vogelweide； not so much for his own sake as for
Longfellow's。 The older poet lies buried within； but his monument is
outside the church； perhaps for the greater convenience of the sparrows；
which now represent the birds he loved。 The cenotaph is surmounted by a
broad vase； and around this are thickly perched the effigies of the
Meistersinger's feathered friends； from whom the canons of the church； as
Mrs。 March read aloud from her Baedeker； long ago directed his bequest to
themselves。 In revenge for their lawless greed the defrauded
b