MarchwentwiththeyoungpeopleacrossthemeadowbehindthePosthofandupintotheforest，whichbeganatthebaseofthemountain。Atfirsttheytriedtokeephimintherangeoftheirtalk；buthefellbehindmoreandmore，andasthetalknarrowedtothemselvesitwaslessandlesspossibletoincludehiminit。WhenitbegantoconcerntheircommonappreciationoftheMarches，theyeventriedtogetoutofhishearing。
　　“They’resoyoungintheirthoughts。”saidBurnamy，“andtheyseemasmuchinterestedineverythingastheycouldhavebeenthirtyyearsago。
　　Theybelongtoatimewhentheworldwasagooddealfresherthanitisnow；don’tyouthink？Imean，intheeighteen-sixties。”
　　“Oh，yes，Icanseethat。”
　　“Idon’tknowwhyweshouldn’tbebornolderineachgenerationthanpeoplewereinthelast。Perhapsweare。”hesuggested。
　　“Idon’tknowhowyoumean。”saidthegirl，keepingvigorouslyupwithhim；shelethimtakethejacketshethrewoff，butshewouldnothavehishandatthelittlesteepswherehewantedtogiveit。
　　“Idon’tbelieveIcanquitemakeitoutmyself。Butfancyamanthatbegantoactattwenty，quiteunconsciouslyofcourse，fromthepastexperienceofthewholerace——“
　　“Hewouldberatheradreadfulperson，wouldn’the？”
　　“Rathermonstrous，yes。”heowned，withalaugh。“Butthat’swherethepsychologicalinterestwouldcomein。”
　　Asifshedidnotfeelthenotionquitepleasantsheturnedfromit。
　　“Isupposeyou’vebeenwritingallsortsofthingssinceyoucamehere。”
　　“Well，ithasn’tbeensuchagreatwhileasit’sseemed，andI’vehadMr。
　　Stoller’spsychologicalintereststolookafter。”
　　“Oh，yes！Doyoulikehim？”
　　“Idon’tknow。He’salumpofhonestselfishness。Heisn’tbad。Youknowwheretohavehim。He’ssimple，too。”
　　“Youmean，likeMr。March？”
　　“Ididn’tmeanthat；butwhynot？They’renotofthesamegeneration，butStollerisn’tmodern。”
　　“I’mverycurioustoseehim。”saidthegirl。
　　“Doyouwantmetointroducehim？”
　　“Youcanintroducehimtopapa。”
　　Theystoppedandlookedacrossthecurveofthemountingpath，downonMarch，whohadsunkonaway-sideseat，andwasmoppinghisforehead。Hesawthem，andcalledup：“Don’twaitforme。I’lljoinyou，gradually。”
　　“Idon’twanttoloseyou。”Burnamycalledback，buthekeptonwithMissTriscoe。“IwanttogettheHirschensprungin。”heexplained。“It’sthecliffwhereahunteddeerleapeddownseveralhundredfeettogetawayfromanemperorwhowasafterhim。”
　　“Oh，yes。Theyhavethemeverywhere。”
　　“Dothey？Well，anyway，there’sanobleviewupthere。”
　　Therewasnoviewonthewayup。TheGermans’notionofawoodlandiseverywherethatofadenseforestsuchastheirbarbaroustribesprimevallyherdedin。Itmeanstheclose-setstemsoftrees，withtheirtopsinterwoveninaroofofboughsandleavessodenselythatyoumaywalkdrythroughitalmostaslongasaGermanshowerlasts。Whenthesunshinesthereisapleasantgreenishlightintheaisles，shothereandtherewiththegoldthattricklesthrough。ThereisnothingoftheaccidentofanAmericanwoodintheseforests，whichhavebeenwatchedandweededbymaneversincetheyburstthesoil。Theyremainnurseries，buttheyhavethecharmwhichnohumancarecanalienate。Thesmelloftheirbarkandtheirleaves，andofthemoist，flowerlessearthabouttheirroots，cametoMarchwherehesatrichwiththememoriesofhiscountry-bredyouth，anddruggedallconsciousnessofhislonglifeincitiessince，andmadehimapartofnature，withdulledinterestsanddimmedperspectives，sothatforthemomenthehadtheenjoymentofexemptionfromcare。Therewasnowildlifetopenetratehisisolation；
　　nobirds，notasquirrel，notaninsect；anoldmanwhohadbiddenhimgood-morning，ashecameup，keptfumblingatthepathwithhishoe，andwaslessintrusivethanifhehadnotbeenthere。
　　Marchthoughtoftheimpassionedexistenceoftheseyoungpeopleplayingtheinevitablecomedyofhideandseekwhichtheyouthoftheracehasplayedfromthebeginningoftime。Theotherinvalidswhohauntedtheforest，andpassedupanddownbeforehiminfulfilmentoftheirseveralprescriptions，hadathinunrealityinspiteofthephysicalbulkthatprevailedamongthem，andtheyheightenedthereliefthattheforest-
　　spiritbroughthimfromthestrenuouscontactofthatyoungdrama。Hehadbeenalmostpainfullyawarethatthepersonsinithadmet，howeverlittletheyknewit，withaneagernessintensifiedbytheirbriefseparation，andhefancieditwasthegirlwhohadunconsciouslyoperatedtheirreunioninresponsetotheyoungman’slonging，herwillmakingitselfelectricallyfeltthroughspacebythatsortofwirelesstelegraphywhichlovehaslongemployed，andsciencehasjustbeguntoimagine。
　　Hewouldhavebeenwillingthattheyshouldgethomealone，butheknewthathiswifewouldrequireanaccountofthemfromhim，andthoughhecouldhaveinventedsomethingofthekind，ifitcametotheworst，hewasawarethatitwouldnotdoforhimtoarrivewithoutthem。Thethoughtgoadedhimfromhisseat，andhejoinedtheupwardprocessionofhisfellow-sick，asitmetanotherprocessionstragglingdownward；thewaysbranchedinalldirections，withpeopleonthemeverywhere，bentuponbuildingupinamonththehealthwhichtheywouldspendtherestoftheyearindemolishing。
　　Hecameuponhischargesunexpectedlyataturnofthepath，andMissTriscoetoldhimthatheoughttohavebeenwiththemfortheviewfromtheHirschensprung。Itwasmagnificent，shesaid，andshemadeBurnamycorroborateherpraiseofit，andagreewithherthatitwasworththeclimbathousandtimes；hemodestlyacceptedthecreditsheappearedwillingtogivehim，ofinventingtheHirschensprung。
　　BetweenhisworkforStollerandwhatsometimesseemedtheobstructivenessofGeneralTriscoe，BurnamywasnotverymuchwithMissTriscoe。Hewasnotdevout，buthewenteverySundaytotheprettyEnglishchurchonthehill，wherehecontributedbeyondhismeanstothesupportoftheEnglishclergyontheContinent，forthesakeoflookingatherbackhairduringtheservice，andlosinghimselfinthegracefullineswhichdefined，thegirl’sfigurefromtheslantofherfloweryhattothepointwherethepewtopcrossedherelasticwaist。Onehappymorningthegeneraldidnotcometochurch，andhehadthefortunetowalkhomewithhertoherpension，whereshelingeredwithhimamoment，andalmostmadehimbelieveshemightbegoingtoaskhimtocomein。
　　Thenextevening，whenhewassaunteringdowntherowofglitteringshopsbesidetheTepl，withMrs。March，theyovertookthegeneralandhisdaughterataplacewherethegirlwasadmiringsomestork-scissorsinthewindow；shesaidshewishedshewerestilllittle，sothatshecouldgetthem。TheywalkedhomewiththeTriscoes，andthenhehurriedMrs。
　　Marchbacktotheshop。Themanhadalreadyputuphisshutters，andwasjustclosinghisdoor，butBurnamypushedin，andaskedtolookatthestork-scissorstheyhadseeninthewindow。Thegaswasout，andtheshopmanlightedaverydimcandle，toshowthem。
　　“Iknewyouwantedtogetthemforher，afterwhatshesaid，Mrs。March。”
　　helaughed，nervously，“andyoumustletmelendyouthemoney。”
　　“Why，ofcourse！”sheanswered，joyfullyhumoringhisfeint。“ShallI
　　putmycardinforthemantosendhometoherwiththem？”
　　“Well——no。No。Notyourcard——exactly。Or，yes！Yes，youmust，I
　　suppose。”
　　Theymadethehushingstreetgaywiththeirlaughter；thenexteveningMissTriscoecameupontheMarchesandBurnamywheretheysataftersupperlisteningtotheconcertatPupp’s，andthankedMrs。Marchforthescissors。ThensheandBurnamyhadtheirlaughagain，andMissTriscoejoinedthem，toherfather’sfrowningmystification。Hestaredroundforatable；theywerealltaken，andhecouldnotrefusetheinterestBurnamymadewiththewaiterstobringthemoneandcrowditin。Hehadtoaskhimtosupwiththem，andBurnamysatdownandheardtheconcertthroughbesideMissTriscoe。
　　“Whatissotremendouslyamusinginapairofstork-scissors？”Marchdemanded，whenhiswifeandhewerealone。
　　“Why，Iwaswantingtotellyou，dearest。”shebegan，inatonewhichhefelttobewheedling，andshetoldthestoryofthescissors。
　　“Lookhere，mydear！Didn’tyoupromisetoletthislove-affairalone？”
　　“Thatwasontheship。Andbesides，whatwouldyouhavedone，Ishouldliketoknow？Wouldyouhaverefusedtolethimbuythemforher？”
　　Sheadded，carelessly，“HewantsustogototheKurhausballwithhim。”
　　“Oh，doeshe！”
　　“Yes。Hesaysheknowsthatshecangetherfathertolethergoifwewillchaperonthem。AndIpromisedthatyouwould。”
　　“ThatIwould？”
　　“Itwilldojustaswellifyougo。Anditwillbeveryamusing；youcanseesomethingofCarlsbadsociety。”
　　“ButI’mnotgoing！”hedeclared。“Itwouldinterferewithmycure。Thesittinguplatewouldbebadenough，butIshouldgetveryhungry，andI
　　shouldeatpotatosaladandsausages，anddrinkbeer，anddoallsortsofunwholesomethings。”