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Mrs。 March read aloud from her Baedeker； long ago directed his bequest to
themselves。 In revenge for their lawless greed the defrauded
beneficiaries choose to burlesque the affair by looking like the four…
and…twenty blackbirds when the pie was opened。
She consented to go for a moment to the Gothic Marienkapelle with her
husband in the revival of his mediaeval taste； and she was rewarded
amidst its thirteenth…century sincerity by his recantation。 〃You are
right！ Baroque is the thing for Wurzburg； one can't enjoy Gothic here
any more than one could enjoy baroque in Nuremberg。〃
Reconciled in the rococo； they now called a carriage； and went to visit
the palace of the prince…bishops who had so well known how to make the
heavenly take the image and superscription of the worldly； and they were
jointly indignant to find it shut against the public in preparation for
the imperialities and royalties coining to occupy it。 They were in time
for the noon guard…mounting； however； and Mrs。 March said that the way
the retiring squad kicked their legs out in the high martial step of the
German soldiers was a perfect expression of the insolent militarism of
their empire； and was of itself enough to make one thank Heaven that one
was an American and a republican。 She softened a little toward their
system when it proved that the garden of the palace was still open； and
yet more when she sank down upon a bench between two marble groups
representing the Rape of Proserpine and the Rape of Europa。 They stood
each in a gravelled plot； thickly overrun by a growth of ivy； and the
vine climbed the white naked limbs of the nymphs； who were present on a
pretence of gathering flowers； but really to pose at the spectators； and
clad them to the waist and shoulders with an effect of modesty never
meant by the sculptor； but not displeasing。 There was an old fountain
near； its stone rim and centre of rock…work green with immemorial mould；
and its basin quivering between its water…plants under the soft fall of
spray。 At a waft of fitful breeze some leaves of early autumn fell from
the trees overhead upon the elderly pair where they sat； and a little
company of sparrows came and hopped about their feet。 Though the square
without was so all astir with festive expectation； there were few people
in the garden； three or four peasant women in densely fluted white skirts
and red aprons and shawls wandered by and stared at the Europa and at the
Proserpine。
It was a precious moment in which the charm of the city's past seemed to
culminate； and they were loath to break it by speech。
〃Why didn't we have something like all this on our first wedding
journey？〃 she sighed at last。 〃To think of our battening from Boston to
Niagara and back！ And how hard we tried to make something of Rochester
and Buffalo； of Montreal and Quebec！〃
〃Niagara wasn't so bad；〃 he said； 〃and I will never go back on Quebec。〃
〃Ah； but if we could have had Hamburg and Leipsic； and Carlsbad and
Nuremberg； and Ansbach and Wurzburg！ Perhaps this is meant as a
compensation for our lost youth。 But I can't enjoy it as I could when I
was young。 It's wasted on my sere and yellow leaf。 I wish Burnamy and
Miss Triscoe were here； I should like to try this garden on them。〃
〃They wouldn't care for it；〃 he replied； and upon a daring impulse he
added； 〃Kenby and Mrs。 Adding might。〃 If she took this suggestion in
good part； he could tell her that Kenby was in Wurzburg。
〃Don't speak of them！ They're in just that besotted early middle…age
when life has settled into a self…satisfied present； with no past and no
future； the most philistine； the most bourgeois； moment of existence。
Better be elderly at once； as far as appreciation of all this goes。〃
She rose and put her hand on his arm； and pushed him away in the
impulsive fashion of her youth； across alleys of old trees toward a
balustraded terrace in the background which had tempted her。
〃It isn't so bad； being elderly；〃 he said。 〃By that time we have
accumulated enough past to sit down and really enjoy its associations。
We have got all sorts of perspectives and points of view。 We know ？
where we are at。〃
〃I don't mind being elderly。 The world's just as amusing as ever； and
lots of disagreeable things have dropped out。 It's the getting more than
elderly； it's the getting old； and then〃
They shrank a little closer together； and walked on in silence till he
said； 〃Perhaps there's something else； something bettersomewhere。〃
They had reached the balustraded terrace； and were pausing for pleasure
in the garden tops below； with the flowery spaces； and the statued
fountains all coming together。 She put her hand on one of the fat little
urchin…groups on the stone coping。 〃I don't want cherubs； when I can
have these putti。 And those old prince…bishops didn't； either！〃
I don't suppose they kept a New England conscience；〃 he said； with a
vague smile。 〃It would be difficult in the presence of the rococo。〃
They left the garden through the beautiful gate which the old court
ironsmith Oegg hammered out in lovely forms of leaves and flowers； and
shaped laterally upward； as lightly as if with a waft of his hand； in
gracious Louis Quinze curves； and they looked back at it in the kind of
despair which any perfection inspires。 They said how feminine it was；
how exotic； how expressive of a luxurious ideal of life which art had
purified and left eternally charming。 They remembered their Ruskinian
youth； and the confidence with which they would once have condemned it；
and they had a sense of recreance in now admiring it； but they certainly
admired it； and it remained for them the supreme expression of that time…
soul； mundane； courtly； aristocratic； flattering； which once influenced
the art of the whole world； and which had here so curiously found its
apotheosis in a city remote from its native place and under a rule
sacerdotally vowed to austerity。 The vast superb palace of the prince
bishops； which was now to house a whole troop of sovereigns； imperial；
royal； grand ducal and ducal； swelled aloft in superb amplitude； but it
did not realize their historic pride so effectively as this exquisite
work of the court ironsmith。 It related itself in its aerial beauty to
that of the Tiepolo frescoes which the travellers knew were swimming and
soaring on the ceilings within； and from which it seemed to accent their
exclusion with a delicate irony； March said。 〃Or iron…mongery；〃 he
corrected himself upon reflection。
LIV。
He had forgotten Kenby in these aesthetic interests； but he remembered
him again when he called a carriage； and ordered it driven to their
hotel。 It was the hour of the German mid…day table d'hote； and they
would be sure to meet him there。 The question now was how March should
own his presence in time to prevent his wife from showing her ignorance
of it to Kenby himself； and he was still turning the question hopelessly
over in his mind when the sight of the hotel seemed to remind her of a
fact which she announced。
〃Now； my dear； I am tired to death； and I am not going to sit through a
long table d'hote。 I want you to