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demand。
〃What！〃 she cried。 〃A fire in September！〃
〃Yes；〃 March returned； inspired to miraculous aptness in his German by
the exigency； 〃yes； if September is cold。〃
The girl looked at him； and then； either because she thought him mad； or
liked him merry； burst into a loud laugh； and kindled the fire without a
word more。
He lighted all the reluctant gas…jets in the vast gilt chandelier； and in
less than half an hour the temperature of the place rose to at least
sixty…five Fahrenheit； with every promise of going higher。 Mrs。 March
made herself comfortable in a deep chair before the stove； and said she
would have her supper there； and she bade him send her just such a supper
of chicken and honey and tea as they had all had in Mayence when they
supped in her aunt's parlor there all those years ago。 He wished to
compute the years； but she drove him out with an imploring cry； and he
went down to a very gusty dining…room on the ground…floor； where he found
himself alone with a young English couple and their little boy。 They
were friendly； intelligent people； and would have been conversable；
apparently； but for the terrible cold of the husband； which he said he
had contracted at the manoeuvres in Hombourg。 March said he was going to
Holland； and the Englishman was doubtful of the warmth which March
expected to find there。 He seemed to be suffering from a suspense of
faith as to the warmth anywhere； from time to time the door of the
dining…room self…opened in a silent； ghostly fashion into the court
without； and let in a chilling draught about the legs of all； till the
little English boy got down from his place and shut it。
He alone continued cheerful； for March's spirits certainly did not rise
when some mumbling Americans came in and muttered over their meat at
another table。 He hated to own it； but he had to own that wherever he
had met the two branches of the Anglo…Saxon race together in Europe； the
elder had shown； by a superior chirpiness； to the disadvantage of the
younger。 The cast clothes of the old…fashioned British offishness seemed
to have fallen to the American travellers who were trying to be correct
and exemplary； and he would almost rather have had back the old…style
bragging Americans whom he no longer saw。 He asked of an agreeable
fellow…countryman whom he found later in the reading…room； what had
become of these； and this compatriot said he had travelled with one only
the day before； who had posed before their whole compartment in his scorn
of the German landscape； the German weather； the German government； the
German railway management； and then turned out an American of German
birth！ March found his wife in great bodily comfort when he went back to
her； but in trouble of mind about a clock which she had discovered
standing on the lacquered iron top of the stove。 It was a French clock；
of architectural pretensions； in the taste of the first Empire； and it
looked as if it had not been going since Napoleon occupied Mayence early
in the century。 But Mrs。 March now had it sorely on her conscience
where； in its danger from the heat of the stove； it rested with the
weight of the Pantheon； whose classic form it recalled。 She wondered
that no one had noticed it before the fire was kindled； and she required
her husband to remove it at once from the top of the stove to the mantel
under the mirror； which was the natural habitat of such a clock。 He said
nothing could be simpler； but when he lifted it； it began to fall all
apart； like a clock in the house of the Hoodoo。 Its marble base
dropped…off； its pillars tottered； its pediment swayed to one side。
While Mrs。 March lamented her hard fate； and implored him to hurry it
together before any one came； he contrived to reconstruct it in its new
place。 Then they both breathed freer； and returned to sit down before
the stove。 But at the same moment they both saw； ineffaceably outlined
on the lacquered top； the basal form of the clock。 The chambermaid would
see it in the morning； she would notice the removal of the clock； and
would make a merit of reporting its ruin by the heat to the landlord； and
in the end they would be mulcted of its value。 Rather than suffer this
wrong they agreed to restore it to its place； and； let it go to
destruction upon its own terms。 March painfully rebuilt it where he had
found it； and they went to bed with a bad conscience to worse dreams。
He remembered； before he slept； the hour of his youth when he was in
Mayence before； and was so care free that he had heard with impersonal
joy two young American voices speaking English in the street under his
window。 One of them broke from the common talk with a gay burlesque of
pathos in the line：
〃Oh heavens！ she cried； my Heeding country save！〃
and then with a laughing good…night these unseen； unknown spirits of
youth parted and departed。 Who were they； and in what different places；
with what cares or ills； had their joyous voices grown old； or fallen
silent for evermore？ It was a moonlight night； March remembered； and he
remembered how he wished he were out in it with those merry fellows。
He nursed the memory and the wonder in his dreaming thought； and he woke
early to other voices under his window。 But now the voices； though
young； were many and were German； and the march of feet and the stamp of
hooves kept time with their singing。 He drew his curtain and saw the
street filled with broken squads of men； some afoot and some on
horseback； some in uniform and some in civil dress with students' caps；
loosely straggling on and roaring forth that song whose words he could
not make out。 At breakfast he asked the waiter what it all meant； and he
said that these were conscripts whose service had expired with the late
manoeuvres； and who were now going home。 He promised March a translation
of the song； but he never gave it； and perhaps the sense of their joyful
home…going remained the more poetic with him because its utterance
remained inarticulate。
March spent the rainy Sunday； on which they had fallen； in wandering
about the little city alone。 His wife said she was tired and would sit
by the fire； and hear about Mayence when he came in。 He went to the
cathedral； which has its renown for beauty and antiquity； and he there
added to his stock of useful information the fact that the people of
Mayence seemed very Catholic and very devout。 They proved it by
preferring to any of the divine old Gothic shrines in the cathedral； an
ugly baroque altar； which was everywhere hung about with votive
offerings。 A fashionably dressed young man and young girl sprinkled
themselves with holy water as reverently as if they had been old and
ragged。 Some tourists strolled up and down the aisles with their red
guide…books； and studied the objects of interest。 A resplendent beadle
in a cocked hat； and with along staff of authority posed before his own
ecclesiastical consciousness in blue and silver。 At the high altar a
priest was saying mass； and March wondered whether his consciousness was
as wholly ecclesiastical as the beadle's； or whether somewhere in it he
felt the historical ma