War，andhadsplendidlylostittoGustavusAdolphus，andthengotitbackagainandheldittillNapoleontookitfromthem。HegaveitwiththeirflocktotheBavarians，whointurnbrieflyyieldedittothePrussiansin1866，andwerenowinapparentlyfinalpossessionofit。
　　Beforetheprince-bishops，CharlemagneandBarbarossahadcomeandgone，andsincetheprince-bishopstherehadbeenvisitingthronesandkingdomsenoughintheancientcity，whichwassoontobeillustratedbythepresenceofimperialGermany，royal，WirtembergandSaxony，grand-ducalBadenandWeimar，andasurfeitofalltheminorpotentatesamongthosewhospeakthebeautifullanguageoftheJa。
　　Butnoneofthesecoulddislodgetheprince-bishopsfromthatsupremeplacewhichtheyhadatoncetakeninMrs。March’sfancy。Thepotentateswereallgoingtobehousedinthevastpalacewhichtheprince-bishopshadbuiltthemselvesinWurzburgassoonastheyfounditsafetocomedownfromtheirstrongholdofMarienburg，andbegintoadorntheircity，andtoconfirmitinitsintensefidelitytotheChurch。TiepolohadcomeupoutofItalytofrescotheirpalace，wherehewroughtyearafteryear，inthatworldlytastewhichhassomehowcometoexpressthemostsovereignmomentofecclesiasticism。ItprevailedsouniversallyinWurzburgthatitleftherwiththenameoftheRococoCity，intrenchedinaperiodoftimeequallyremotefromearlyChristianityandmodernProtestantism。Outofhersixtythousandsouls，onlytenthousandarenowofthereformedreligion，andthesebearaboutthesamerelationtotheCatholicspiritoftheplacethattheGothicarchitecturebearstothebaroque。
　　Aslongastheprince-bishopslastedtheWurzburgersgotonverywellwithbutonenewspaper，andperhapsthesmallestamountofmerrymakingknownoutsideofthecolonyofMassachusettsBayatthesameepoch。Theprince-bishopshadtheirfingerineverybody’spie，andtheyportionedoutthecakesandale，whichweremadeaccordingtoformulasoftheirown。Thedistractionswereallofareligiouscharacter；churches，convents，monasteries，abounded；ecclesiasticalprocessionsandsolemnitieswerethespectaclesthatedifiediftheydidnotamusethedevoutpopulation。
　　ItseemedtoMarchanironicaloutcomeofallthisspiritualseveritythatoneofthegreatestmodernscientificdiscoveriesshouldhavebeenmadeinWurzburg，andthattheRoentgenraysshouldnowbegivinghernameasplendordestinedtoeclipsethegloriesofherpast。
　　Mrs。Marchcouldnotallowthattheywoulddoso；oratleastthatthenameofRoentgenwouldeverlendmorelustretohiscitythanthatofLongfellow’sWalthervonderVogelweide。ShewasnolesssurprisedthanpleasedtorealizethatthisfriendofthebirdswasaWurzburger，andshesaidthattheirfirstpilgrimageinthemorningshouldbetothechurchwhereheliesburied。
　　Marchwentdowntobreakfastnotquitesoearlyashiswifehadplanned，andlefthertohavehercoffeeinherroom。Hegotapleasanttableinthegalleryoverlookingtheriver，andhedecidedthatthelandscape，thoughitnowseemedtoberathertoomuchstudiedfromadrop-certain，hadcertainlylostnothingofitscharmintheclearmorninglight。Thewaiterbroughthisbreakfast，andafteralittledelaycamebackwithacardwhichheinsistedwasforMarch。ItwasnottillheputonhisglassesandreadthenameofMr。R。M。Kenbythathewasableatalltoagreewiththewaiter，whostoodpassiveathiselbow。
　　“Well。”hesaid，“whywasn’tthiscardsentuplastnight？”
　　Thewaiterexplainedthatthegentlemanhadjust，givenhimhiscard，afteraskingMarch’snationality，andwasthenbreakfastinginthenextroom。Marchcaughtuphisnapkinandranroundthepartitionwall，andKenbyrosewithhisnapkinandhurriedtomeethim。
　　“Ithoughtitmustbeyou。”hecalledout，joyfully，astheystrucktheirextendedhandstogether，“butsomanypeoplelookalike，nowadays，thatI
　　don’ttrustmyeyesanymore。”
　　KenbysaidhehadspentthetimesincetheylastmetpartlyinLeipsicandpartlyinGotha，wherehehadamusedhimselfinrubbinguphisrustyGerman。AssoonasherealizedthatWurzburgwassonearhehadslippeddownfromGothaforaglimpseofthemanoeuvres。HeaddedthathesupposedMarchwastheretoseethem，andheaskedwithaquiteunembarrassedsmileiftheyhadmetMr。AddinginCarlsbad，andwithoutheedingMarch’sanswer，helaughedandadded：“Ofcourse，IknowshemusthavetoldMrs。Marchallaboutit。”
　　Marchcouldnotdenythis；helaughed，too；thoughinhiswife’sabsencehefeltboundtoforbidhimselfanythingmoreexplicit。
　　“Idon’tgiveitup，youknow。”Kenbywenton，withperfectease。“I’mnotayoungfellow，ifyoucallthirty-nineold。”
　　“AtmyageIdon’t。”Marchputin，andtheyroaredtogether，inmen’ssecurityfromtheencroachmentsoftime。
　　“ButshehappenstobetheonlywomanI’veeverreallywantedtomarry，formorethanafewdaysatastretch。Youknowhowitiswithus。”
　　“Oh，yes，Iknow。”saidMarch，andtheyshoutedagain。
　　“We’reinlove，andwe’reoutoflove，twentytimes。Butthisisn’tamerefancy；it’saconviction。Andthere’snoreasonwhysheshouldn’tmarryme。”
　　Marchsmiledgravely，andhissmilewasnotlostuponKenby。“Youmeantheboy。”hesaid。“Well，IlikeRose。”andnowMarchreallyfeltsweptfromhisfeet。“Shedoesn’tdenythatshelikesme，butsheseemstothinkthathermarryingagainwilltakeherfromhim；thefactis，itwillonlygivemetohim。Asfordevotingherwholelifetohim，shecouldn’tdoaworsethingforhim。Whattheboyneedsisaman’scare，andaman’swill——Goodheavens！Youdon’tthinkIcouldeverbeunkindtothelittlesoul？”Kenbythrewhimselfforwardoverthetable。
　　“Mydearfellow！”Marchprotested。
　　“I’drathercutoffmyrighthand！“Kenbypursued，excitedly，andthenhesaid，withahumorousdrop：“Thefactis，Idon’tbelieveIshouldwanthersomuchifIcouldn’thaveRosetoo。Iwanttohavethemboth。
　　Sofar，I’veonlygotnoforananswer；butI’mnotgoingtokeepit。
　　IhadaletterfromRoseatCarlsbad，theotherday；and——“
　　Thewaitercameforwardwithafoldedscrapofpaperonhissalver，whichMarchknewmustbefromhiswife。“Whatiskeepingyouso？”shewrote。
　　“Iamallready。”“It’sfromMrs。March。”heexplainedtoKenby。“Iamgoingoutwithheronsomeerrands。I’mawfullygladtoseeyouagain。
　　Wemusttalkitallover，andyoumust——youmustn’t——Mrs。Marchwillwanttoseeyoulater——I——Areyouinthehotel？”
　　“Ohyes。I’llseeyouattheone-o’clocktabled’hote，Isuppose。”
　　MarchwentawaywithhisheadwhirlinginthequestionwhetherheshouldtellhiswifeatonceofKenby’spresence，orleaveherfreeforthepleasuresofWurzburg，tillhecouldshapethefactintosomesafeandacceptableform。Shemethimatthedoorwithherguide-books，wrapsandumbrellas，andwouldhardlygivehimtimetogetonhishatandcoat。
　　“Now，IwantyoutoavoidtheStollersasfarasyoucanseethem。Thisistobearealwedding-journeyday，withnoextraneousacquaintancetobother；themorestrangersthebetter。WurzburgisricherthananythingIimagined。I’velookeditallup；I’vegottheplanofthecity，sothatwecaneasilyfindtheway。We’llwalkfirst，andtakecarriageswheneverwegettired。We’llgotothecathedralatonce；Iwantagoodgulpofrococotobeginwith；therewasn’thalfenoughofitatAnsbach。
　　Isn’titstrangehowwe’vecomeroundtoit？”
　　ShereferredtothatpassionfortheGothicwhichtheyhadobedientlyimbibedfromRuskininthedaysoftheirearlyItaliantravelandcourtship，whenalltheEnglish-speakingworldboweddowntohimindevoutaversionfromtherenaissance，andpiousabhorrenceoftherococo。
　　“Whatbiddablelittlethingswewere！”shewenton，whileMarchwasstrugglingtokeepKenbyinthebackgroundofhisconsciousness。
　　“Therococomusthavealwayshadasneakingcharmforus，whenwewerepinningourfaithtopointedarches；andyetIsupposewewereperfectlysincere。Oh，lookatthatdivinelyridiculousMadonna！”Theywerenowmakingtheirwayoutofthecrookedfootwaybehindtheirhoteltowardthestreetleadingtothecathedral，andshepointedtotheBlessedVirginoverthedoorofsomereligioushouse，herdraperybillowingaboutherfeet；herbodytwistingtoshowthesculptor’smasteryofanatomy，andthehaloheldonhertossingheadwiththehelpofstoutgiltrays。Infact，theVirgin’swholefigurewasgilded，andsowasthatofthechildinherarms。“Isn’tshedelightful？”
　　“Iseewhatyoumean。”saidMarch，withadubiousglanceatthestatue，“butI’mnotsure，now，thatIwouldn’tlikesomethingquieterinmyMadonnas。”
　　Thethoroughfarewhichtheyemergedupon，withthecathedralendingtheprospective，wasfulloftheholidaysonearathand。Thenarrowsidewalkswerethrongedwithpeople，bothsoldiersandcivilians，andupthemiddleofthestreetdetachmentsofmilitarycameandwent，haltingthelittlehorse-carsandthehugebeer-wagonswhichotherwiseseemedtohavethesolerighttothestreetsofWurzburg；theycamejinglingorthunderingoutoftheaidestreetsandhurledthemselvesroundthecornersrecklessofthepassers，whoescapedalivebyflatteningthemselveslikepostersagainstthehousewalls。Therewerepeasants，menandwomen，inthecostumewhichtheunbrokencourseoftheircountrylifehadkeptasquaintasitwasahundredyearsbefore；therewerecitizensinthemisfitsofthelatestGermanfashions；thereweresoldiersofallarmsintheirvividuniforms，andfromtimetotimetherewereprettyyounggirlsinwhitedresseswithlownecks，andbarearmsglovedtotheelbows，whowerefollowingaholidaycustomoftheplaceingoingaboutthestreetsinballcostume。TheshopwindowswerefilledwithportraitsoftheEmperorandtheEmpress，andthePrince-Regentandtheladiesofhisfamily；theGermanandBavariancolorsdrapedthefacadesofthehousesandfestoonedthefantasticMadonnasposingabovesomanyportals。Themodernpatriotismincludedtheancientpietywithoutdisturbingit；therocococityremainedecclesiasticalthroughitsnewimperialism，andkeptthestampgivenitbythelongruleoftheprince-bishopsunderthesovereigntyofitsKingandthesuzeraintyofitsKaiser。