Atparting，thecustodiantoldtheMarchesthathewouldeasilyhaveknownthemforAmericansbythehandsomefeetheygavehim；theycameawayflownwithhispraise；andtheirnationalvanitywasagainflatteredwhentheygotoutintotheprincipalsquareofAnsbach。There，inabookseller’swindow，theyfoundamongthepamphletsteachingdifferentlanguageswithoutamaster，onedevotedtotheAmerikanischeSpracheasdistinguishedfromtheEnglischeSprache。Thattherecouldbenomistake，thecoverwasprintedwithcolorsinaGermanidealofthestar-
　　spangledbanner；andMarchsaidhealwaysknewthatwehadalanguageofourown，andthatnowhewasgoingintobuythatpamphletandfindoutwhatitwaslike。Heaskedtheyoungshop-womanhowitdifferedfromEnglish，whichshespokefairlywellfromhavinglivedeightyearsinChicago。ShesaidthatitdifferedfromtheEnglishmainlyinemphasisandpronunciation。“Forinstance，theEnglishsay’HALFpast’，andtheAmericans’HalfPAST’；theEnglishsay’laht’andtheAmericanssay’late’。”
　　Theweatherhadnowbeenclearquitelongenough，anditwasrainingagain，afine，bitter，piercingdrizzle。TheyaskedthegirlifitalwaysrainedinAnsbach；andsheownedthatitnearlyalwaysdid。ShesaidthatsometimesshelongedforalittleAmericansummer；thatitwasneverquitewarminAnsbach；andwhentheyhadgotoutintotherain，Marchsaid：“ItwasverynicetostumbleonChicagoinanAnsbachbook-
　　store。YououghttohavetoldheryouhadamarrieddaughterinChicago。
　　Don’tmissanothersuchchance。”
　　“Weshallneedanotherbagifwekeeponbuyingbooksatthisrate。”saidhiswifewithtranquilirrelevance；andnottogivehimtimeforprotest；
　　shepushedhimintoashopwherethevalisesinthewindowperhapssuggestedherthought。MarchmadehastetoforestallhertherebysayingtheywereAmericans，butthemistressoftheshopseemedtohavehermisgivings，and“BornAmericans，perhaps？”sheventured。Shehadprobablynevermetanybutthenaturalizedsort，andsupposedtheseweretheonlysort。Marchre-assuredher，andthenshesaidshehadasonlivinginJerseyCity，andshemadeMarchtakehisaddressthathemighttellhimhehadseenhismother；shehadapparentlynoconceptionwhatagreatwayJerseyCityisfromNewYork。
　　Mrs。Marchwouldnottakehisarmwhentheycameout。“Now，thatiswhatInevercangetusedtoinyou，Basil，andI’vetriedtopalliateitfortwenty-sevenyears。Youknowyouwon’tlookupthatpoorwoman’sson！
　　Whydidyouletherthinkyouwould？”
　　“HowcouldItellherIwouldn’t？PerhapsIshall。”
　　“No，no！Youneverwill。Iknowyou’regoodandkind，andthat’swhyI
　　can’tunderstandyourbeingsocruel。Whenwegetback，howwillyoueverfindtimetogoovertoJerseyCity？”
　　Hecouldnottell，butatlasthesaid：“I’lltellyonwhat！Youmustkeepmeuptoit。Youknowhowmuchyouenjoymakingmedomyduty，andthiswillbesuchapleasure！”
　　Shelaughedforlornly，butafteramomentshetookhisarm；andhebegan，fromtheexampleofthisgoodmother，tophilosophizethecontinuoussimplicityandsanityofthepeopleofAnsbachunderalltheircivicchanges。Saintsandsoldiers，knightsandbarons，margraves，princes，kings，emperors，hadcomeandgone，andlefttheirsingle-hearted，friendlysubjectfolkprettymuchwhattheyfoundthem。Thepeoplehadsufferedandsurvivedthroughathousandwars，andapparentlyprosperedonunderallgovernmentsandmisgovernments。WhenthecourtwasmostFrench，mostartificial，mostvicious，thecitizenlifemusthaveremainedimmutablyGerman，dull，andkind。Afterall，hesaid，humanityseemedeverywheretobeprettysafe，andprettymuchthesame。
　　“Yes，thatisallverywell。”shereturned，“andyoucantheorizeinterestinglyenough；butI’mafraidthatpoormother，there，hadnomorerealityforyouthanthosepeopleinthepast。Youappreciateherasatype，andyoudon’tcareforherasahumanbeing。You’renothingbutadreamer，afterall。Idon’tblameyou。”shewenton。“It’syourtemperament，andyoucan’tchange，now。”
　　“Imaychangefortheworse。”hethreatened。“IthinkIhave，already。
　　Idon’tbelieveIcouldstanduptoDryfoos，now，asIdidforpooroldLindau，whenIriskedyourbreadandbutterforhis。Ilookbackinwonderandadmirationatmyself。I’vesteadilylosttouchwithlifesincethen。I’matrifler，adilettante，andanamateuroftherightandthegoodasIusedtobewhenIwasyoung。Oh，Ihavethegracetobetroubledattimes，now，andonceIneverwas。Itneveroccurredtomethenthattheworldwasn’tmadetointerestme，oratthebesttoinstructme，butitdoes，now，attimes。”
　　Shealwayscametohisdefencewhenheaccusedhimself；itwasthebestgroundhecouldtakewithher。“IthinkyoubehavedverywellwithBurnamy。Youdidyourdutythen。”
　　“DidI？I’mnotsosure。Atanyrate，it’sthelasttimeIshalldoit。
　　I’veservedmyterm。IthinkIshouldtellhimthathewasallrightinthatbusinesswithStoller，ifIweretomeethim，now。”
　　“Isn’titstrange。”shesaid，provisionally，“thatwedon’tcomeuponatraceofhimanywhereinAnsbach？”
　　“Ah，you’vebeenhopinghewouldturnup！”
　　“Yes。Idon’tdenyit。Ifeelveryunhappyabouthim。”
　　“Idon’t。He’stoomuchlikeme。HewouldhavebeenquitecapableofpromisingthatpoorwomantolookuphersoninJerseyCity。WhenI
　　thinkofthat，IhavenopatiencewithBurnamy。”
　　“Iamgoingtoaskthelandlordabouthim，nowhe’sgotridofhishighhotes。”saidMrs。March。
　　Theywenthometotheirhotelfortheirmiddaydinner，andtothecomfortofhavingitnearlyalltothemselves。PrinceLeopoldhadrisenearly，likeallthehard-workingpotentatesofthecontinent，andgotawaytothemanoeuvressomewhereatsixo’clock；thedecorationshadbeenremoved，andthecourt-yardwherethehiredcoachandpairoftheprincehadrolledintheeveningbeforehadonlyafewmajesticduckswaddlingaboutinitandquackingtogether，indifferenttothepresenceofayellowmail-wagon，onwhichthedriverhadbeenapparentlydozingtillthehourofnoonshouldsound。Hesatthereimmovable，butatthelaststrokeoftheclockhewokeupanddrovevigorouslyawaytothestation。
　　Thedining-roomwhichtheyhadbeenkeptoutofbytheprincethenightbeforewasnotsuchastoembitterthesenseoftheirwrongbyitssplendor。Afterall，thetastesofroyaltymustbesimple，iftheprincemighthavegonetotheSchlossandhadchosenrathertostayatthismodesthotel；butperhapstheSchlosswasreservedformoreimmediateroyaltythanthebrothersofprince-regents；andinthatcasehecouldnothavedonebetterthandineattheGoldenStar。Ifhepaidnomorethantwomarks，hedinedascheaplyasaprincecouldwish，andasabundantly。ThewineatAnsbachwasratherthinandsour，butthebread，Marchdeclared，wasthebestbreadinthewholeworld，notexceptingthebreadofCarlsbad。
　　AfterdinnertheMarcheshadsomeofthelocalpastry，notsoincomparableasthebread，withtheircoffee，whichtheyhadservedtheminapavilionofthebeautifulgardenremainingtothehotelfromthetimewhenitwasapatricianmansion。Thegardenhadrosesinitandseveralsortsoflatesummerflowers，aswellasripecherries，currants，grapes，andaVirginia-creeperredwithautumn，allharmoniouslycontemporaneous，astheymighteasilybeinaclimatewherenooneoftheseasonscanverywellknowitselffromtheothers。Ithadnotbeenrainingforhalfanhour，andthesunwasscaldinghot，sothattheshelteroftheirroofwasverygrateful，andthepuddlesofthepathsweredryingupwiththehastewhichpuddleshavetomakeinGermany，betweenrains，iftheyareevergoingtodryupatall。
　　Thelandlordcameouttoseeiftheywerewellserved，andhewassincerelyobligingintheEnglishhehadlearnedasawaiterinLondon。
　　Mrs。MarchmadehastetoaskhimifayoungAmericanofthenameofBurnamyhadbeenstayingwithhimafewweeksbefore；andshedescribedBurnamy’sbeautyandamiabilitysovividlythatthelandlord，ifhehadbeenawoman，couldnothavefailedtorememberhim。Buthefailed，witharealgrief，apparently，andcertainlyarealpoliteness，torecalleitherhisnameorhisperson。Thelandlordwasanintelligent，good-
　　lookingyoungfellow；hetoldthemthathewaslatelymarried，andtheylikedhimsomuchthattheyweresorrytoseehimafterwardsprivatelyboxingtheearsofthepiccolo，thewaiter’slittleunderstudy。Perhapsthepiccolodeservedit，buttheywouldrathernothavewitnessedhispunishment；hisbeinginadress-coatseemedtomakeitalsoanindignity。
　　Inthelateafternoontheywenttothecaf？intheoldOrangeryoftheSchlossforacupoftea，andfoundthemselvesinthecompanyofseveralAnsbachladieswhohadbroughttheirwork，intheevidenthabitofcomingthereeveryafternoonfortheircoffeeandforadishofgossip。Theywerekind，uncomely，motherly-lookingbodies；oneofthemcombedherhairatthetable；andtheyallsatoutsideofthecaf？withtheirfeetonthebordersofthepuddleswhichhadnotdriedupthereintheshadeofthebuilding。
　　Adeeplawn，darkenedatitsfartheredgebythelongshadowsoftrees，stretchedbeforethemwiththesunsetlightonit，anditwasallveryquietandfriendly。TheteabroughttotheMarcheswasbrewedfromsomeherbapparentlyofnativegrowth，withbitsofwhatlookedlikewillowleavesinit，butitwasflavoredwithacloveineachcup，andtheysatcontentedlyoveritandtriedtomakeoutwhattheAnsbachladieswere，talkingabout。ThesehadrecognizedthestrangersforAmericans，andoneofthemexplainedthatAmericansspokethesamelanguageastheEnglishandyetwerenotquitethesamepeople。
　　“Shediffersfromthegirlinthebook-store。”saidMarch，translatingtohiswife。“LetusgetawaybeforeshesaysthatwearenotsoniceastheEnglish。”andtheymadeofftowardtheavenueoftreesbeyondthelawn。
　　Therewereafewpeoplewalkingupanddowninthealley，makingthemostofthemomentofdryweather。Theysalutedoneanotherlikeacquaintances，andthreeclean-shaven，walnut-facedoldpeasantsbowedinresponsetoMarch’sstare，withaself-respectfulcivility。TheywereyeomenoftheregionofAnsbach，wherethecountryroundaboutisdottedwiththeircottages，andnotheldinvasthomelesstractsbythenoblesasinNorthGermany。
　　TheBavarianwhohadimpartedthisfacttoMarchatbreakfast，notwithoutacertaintacitprideinittothedisadvantageofthePrussians，wasatthesuppertable，andwasdisposedtomoretalk，whichhemanagedinastout，slowEnglishofhisown。HesaidhehadneverreallyspokenEnglishwithanEnglish-speakingpersonbefore，oratallsincehestudieditinschoolatMunich。