BurnamyhadfoundthePosthofforthem，ashehadfoundmostoftheotheragreeablethingsinCarlsbad，whichhebroughttotheirknowledgeonebyone，withsuchforethoughtthatMarchsaidhehopedheshouldbecaredforinhisdecliningyearsasaneditorratherthanasafather；therewasnotendernesslikeayoungcontributor’s。
　　ManypeoplefromthehotelsonthehillfoundatPupp’sjustthetimeandspacebetweentheirlastcupofwaterandtheirfirstcupofcoffeewhichareprescribedatCarlsbad；buttheMarcheswereawaresomehowfromthebeginningthatPupp’shadnottheholdupontheworldatbreakfastwhichithadatthemid-daydinner，oratsupperontheeveningswhentheconcertwasthere。Stillitwasamusing，andtheywerepatientofBurnamy’sdelaytillhecouldgetamorningofffromStollerandgowiththemtothePosthof。HemetMrs。Marchinthereading-room，whereMarchwastojointhemonhiswayfromthespringswithhisbagofbread。TheearlierusageofbuyingthedelicatepinkslicesofWestphaliaham，whichformthechiefmotiveofaCarlsbadbreakfast，atacertainshopinthetown，andcarryingthemtothecaf？withyou，isnolongerofsuchbindingforceasthecustomofgettingyourbreadattheSwissbakery。
　　Youchooseityourselfatthecounter，whichbeginstobecrowdedbyhalfpastseven，andwhenyouhavecollectedtheprescribedloavesintothebasketofmetallicfiligreegivenyoubyoneofthebaker’smaids，sheputsitintoatissue-paperbagofagayredcolor，andyoujointheotherinvalidsstreamingawayfromthebakery，theirpaperbagsmakingafestiverustlingastheygo。
　　Tworoadsleadoutofthetownintothelovelymeadow-lands，agoodmileupthebrawlingTepl，beforetheyjoinontherightsideofthetorrent，wherethePosthoflurksnestledundertreeswhoseboughsletthesunandrainimpartiallythroughuponitsarmyoflittletables。BythistimetheslowomnibusplyingbetweenCarlsbadandsomevillagesinthevalleybeyondhascrossedfromtheleftbanktotheright，andkeepsonpasthalfadozenothercafes，wherepatientswhoseprescriptionsmarshalthembeyondthePosthofdropoffbythedozensandscores。
　　TheroadontheleftbankoftheTepliswildandoverhungatpointswithwoodedsteeps，whenitleavesthetown；butontherightitisborderedwithshopsandrestaurantsagreatpartofitslength。Inleafynooksbetweenthese，uphillwalksbegintheirclimbofthemountains，fromthefootofvotiveshrinessetroundwithtabletscommemoratinginGerman，French，Russian，Hebrew，MagyarandCzech，thecureofhigh-well-bornsofallthoseracesandlanguages。Boothsglitteringwiththelapidary’sworkinthecheapergems，orfulloftheingeniousfiguresofthetoy-
　　makers，alternatewiththeshrinesandthecafesonthewaytothePosthof，andwiththeirshouldersagainsttheoverhangingcliff，spreadforthepassingcrowdalureofViennesejewelryingarnets，opals，amethysts，andthelike，andofsuchBohemianplaythingsascarrot-eatingrabbits，worsted-workingcats，dancing-bears，andpeacocksthatstrutaboutthefeetofthepassersandexpandtheiriridescenttailsinmimicpride。
　　Burnamygothischargeswithdifficultybytheshrinesinwhichtheyfeltthefar-reflectedcharmofthecrucifixesofthewhite-hotItalianhighwaysoftheirearlytravel，andbythetoyshopswheretheyhadamechanical，out-datedimpulsetogetsomethingforthechildren，endinginapangforthefactthattheywerechildrennolonger。HewaitedpolitelywhileMrs。Marchmadeuphermindthatshewouldnotbuyanylacesofthemotherlyoldwomenwhoshowedthemunderpent-roofsonway-
　　sidetables；andhewaitedpatientlyatthegateoftheflower-gardensbeyondtheshopswhereMarchboughtlavishlyofsweetpeasefromthebusinesslikeflower-woman，andfeignedagratefuljoyinherbecausesheknewnoEnglish，andgavehimachanceofspeakinghisGerman。
　　“You’llfind。”hesaid，astheycrossedtheroadagain，“thatit’swelltotrifleagooddeal；itmakesthetimepass。Ishouldstillbelaggingalonginmythirtiesifithadn’tbeenforfooling，andhereIamwelloninmyfifties，andMrs。Marchisyoungerthanever。”
　　Theywereatthegateofthegardenandgroundsofthecaf？atlast，andaturnofthepathbroughtthemtotheprospectofitstables，underthetrees，betweenthetwolongglazedgallerieswherethebreakfasterstakerefugeatothertableswhenitrains；itrainsnearlyalways，andthetrunksofthetreesareasgreenwithdampasifpainted；butthatmorningthesunwasshining。Atthevergeoftheopenspaceagroupofprettyserving-maids，eachwithhernameonasilverbandpinneduponherbreast，metthemandbadethema’GutenMorgen’ofalmostcheerfulnote，butgaveway，toaneagerlittlesmilingblonde，whocamepushingdownthepathatsightofBurnamy，andclaimedhimforherown。
　　“Ah，Lili！Wewantanextragoodtable，thismorning。ThesearesomeAmericanExcellencies，andyoumustdoyourbestforthem。”
　　“Oh，yes。”thegirlansweredinEnglish，afteraradiantsalutationoftheMarches；“Igetyouone。
　　“Youarealittlemoreformerly，to-day，andIdidn’thadonealready。”
　　Sheranamongthetablesalongtheedgeofthewesternedgeofthegallery，andwasfarbeyondhearinghisprotestthathewasnotearlierthanusualwhenshebeckonedhimtothetableshehadfound。Shehadcrowdeditinbetweentwobelongingtoothergirls，andbythetimeherbreakfasterscameupshewasreadyfortheirorder，withthepoutingpretencethatthegirlsalwaystriedtorobherofthebestplaces。
　　Burnamyexplainedproudly，whenshewent，thatnoneoftheothergirlsevergotanadvantageofher；shehadmorecustomthananythreeofthem，andshehadhiredamantohelphercarryherorders。Thegirlswereallfromtheneighboringvillages，hesaid，andtheylivedathomeinthewinterontheirsummertips；theirwageswerenothing，orless，forsometimestheypaidfortheirplaces。
　　“Whatamassofinformation！”saidMarch。“Howdidyoucomebyit？”
　　“Newspaperhabitofinterviewingtheuniverse。”
　　“It’snotabadhabit，ifonedoesn’tcarryittoofar。HowdidLililearnherEnglish？”
　　“Shetakeslessonsinthewinter。She’saperfectlittleelectricmotor。
　　Idon’tbelieveanyYankeegirlcouldequalher。”
　　“Shewouldexpecttomarryamillionaireifshedid。Whatastonishesoneoverhereistoseehowcontentedlypeopleprosperalongontheirownlevel。Andthewomendotwicetheworkofthemenwithoutexpectingtoequaltheminanyotherway。AtPupp’s，ifwegotooneendoftheout-
　　doorrestaurant，ittakesthreementowaitonus：onetobringourcoffeeortea，anothertobringourbreadandmeat，andanothertomakeoutourbill，andIhavetotipallthreeofthem。Ifwegototheotherend，onegirlservesus，andIhavetogiveonlyonefee；ImakeitlessthantheleastIgiveanythreeofthemenwaiters。”
　　“Yououghttobeashamedofthat。”saidhiswife。
　　“I’mnot。I’msimplyproudofyoursex，mydear。”
　　“Womendonearlyeverything，here。”saidBurnamy，impartially。“TheybuiltthatbignewKaiserbadbuilding：mixedthemortar，carriedthehods，andlaidthestone。”
　　“Thatmakesmeprouderofthesexthanever。Butcome，Mr。Burnamy！
　　Isn’tthereanybodyofpoliteinterestthatyouknowofinthiscrowd？”
　　“Well，Ican’tsay。”Burnamyhesitated。
　　Thebreakfastershadbeenthrongingintothegroveandthegalleries；thetableswerealreadyfilled，andmenwerebringingothertablesontheirheads，andmakingplacesforthem，withentreatiesforpardoneverywhere；
　　theproprietorwasanxiouslydirectingthem；theprettyserving-girlswererunningtoandfromthekitcheninabuildingapartwithshrill，sweetpromisesofhaste。Themorningsunfellbrokenthroughtheleavesonthegayhatsanddressesoftheladies，anddappledthefiguresofthemenwithharlequinpatchesoflightandshade。Atallwoman，withasortofsharpenedbeauty，andanartificialpermanencyoftintinhercheeksandyellowhair，cametrailingherselfupthesun-shotpath，andfound，withhardyinsistenceuponthepublicity，placesforthesurly-looking，down-facedyoungmanbehindher，andforhermaidandherblackpoodle；
　　thedogwasliketheblackpoodleoutofFaust。Burnamyhadheardherhistory；infact，hehadalreadyroughedoutapoemonit，whichhecalledEuropa，notaftertheoldfable，butbecauseitseemedtohimthatsheexpressedEurope，ononesideofitscivilization，andhadanauthorizedplaceinitsorder，asshewouldnothavehadinours。ShewaswhereshewasbyatolerationofcertainsocialfactswhichcorrespondsinEuropetoourreverenceforthevestedinterests。Inherhistorythere，hadbeenofficersandbankers；evenforeigndignitaries；
　　nowtherewasthissullenyoungfellow……BurnamyhadwonderedifitwoulddotoofferhispoemtoMarch，butthepresenceoftheoriginalabashedhim，andinhismindhehadtornthepoemup，withaheartacheforitsaptness。
　　“Idon’tbelieve。”hesaid，“thatIrecognize-anycelebritieshere。”
　　“I’msorry。”saidMarch。“Mrs。MarchwouldhavebeengladofsomeHoheits，someGrafsandGrafins，orafewExcellenzes，orevensomemerewell-borns。Butwemusttrytogetalongwiththepicturesqueness。”
　　“I’msatisfiedwiththepicturesqueness。”saidhiswife。“Don’tworryaboutme，Mr。Burnamy。“Whycan’twehavethissortofthingathome？”
　　“We’regettingsomethinglikeitintheroof-gardens。”saidMarch。”
　　Wecouldn’thaveitnaturallybecausetheclimateisagainstit，withus。
　　Atthistimeinthemorningoverthere，thesunwouldbeburningthelifeoutoftheair，andtheflieswouldbeswarmingoneverytable。AtnineA。M。themosquitoeswouldbeeatingusupinsuchagroveasthis。Sowehavetouseartifice，andliftourPosthofabovethefly-lineandthemosquito-lineintothenightair。Ihaven’tseenaflysinceIcametoEurope。Ireallymissthem；itmakesmehomesick。”
　　“ThereareplentyinItaly。”hiswifesuggested。
　　“Wemustgetdowntherebeforewegohome。”
　　“ButwhydidnobodyevertellusthattherewerenofliesinGermany？
　　Whydidnotravellereverputitinhisbook？Whenyourstewardesssaidsoonthesteamer，Irememberthatyouregardeditasabluff。”HeturnedtoBurnamy，whowaslisteningwiththedeferenceofacontributor：
　　“Isn’tLiliratherlong？Imeanforsuchaverypromptperson。Oh，no！”
　　ButBurnamygottohisfeet，andshouted“Fraulein！”toLili；withherhirelingatherheelsshewasflyingdownadistantaislebetweenthetables。Shecalledback，withafacelaughingoverhershoulder，“Inaminute！”andvanishedinthecrowd。
　　“Doesthatmeananythinginparticular？There’sreallynohurry。”