TheMarchesescapedfromthepresent，whentheyenteredthecathedral，aswhollyasiftheyhadtakenholdofthehornsofthealtar，thoughtheywerefarfromliterallydoingthisinaninteriorsograndiose。ThereareafewrococochurchesinItaly，andperhapsmoreinSpain，whichapproachtheperfectionachievedbytheWurzburgcathedralinthebaroquestyle。Foronceoneseeswhatthatstylecandoinarchitectureandsculpture，andwhateveronemaysayofthedetails，onecannotdenythatthereisaprodigiouslyeffectivekeepinginitall。Thisinteriorcametogether，asthedecoratorssay，withaharmonythatthetravellershadfeltnowhereintheirearlierexperienceoftherococo。Itwas，unimpeachablyperfectinitsway，“Just。”Marchmurmuredtohiswife，“asthesocialandpoliticalandscientificschemeoftheeighteenthcenturywasperfectedincertaintimesandplaces。ButtheoddthingistofindtheapotheosisoftherococoawayuphereinGermany。Iwonderhowmuchtheprince-bishopsreallylikedit。Buttheyhadbecomerococo，too！Lookatthatrowoftheirstatuesonbothsidesofthenave！Whatmagnificentswell！HowtheyabashthispoorplainChrist，here；hewouldliketogetbehindthepillar；heknowsthathecouldneverlendhimselftothebaroquestyle。Itexpressestheeighteenthcentury，though。Buthowyoulongforsomelittlehintofthethirteenth，oreventhenineteenth。”
　　“Idon’t。”shewhisperedback。“I’mperfectlywildwithWurzburg。
　　Iliketohaveathinggoasfarasitcan。AtNurembergIwantedalltheGothicIcouldget，andinWurzburgIwantallthebaroqueIcanget。
　　Iamconsistent。”
　　Shekeptonpraisingherselftohisdisadvantage，aswomendo，allthewaytotheNeumunsterChurch，wheretheyweregoingtoreverethetombofWaltheryonderVogelweide，notsomuchforhisownsakeasforLongfellow’s。Theolderpoetliesburiedwithin，buthismonumentisoutsidethechurch，perhapsforthegreaterconvenienceofthesparrows，whichnowrepresentthebirdsheloved。Thecenotaphissurmountedbyabroadvase，andaroundthisarethicklyperchedtheeffigiesoftheMeistersinger’sfeatheredfriends，fromwhomthecanonsofthechurch，asMrs。MarchreadaloudfromherBaedeker，longagodirectedhisbequesttothemselves。Inrevengefortheirlawlessgreedthedefraudedbeneficiarieschoosetoburlesquetheaffairbylookinglikethefour-
　　and-twentyblackbirdswhenthepiewasopened。
　　SheconsentedtogoforamomenttotheGothicMarienkapellewithherhusbandintherevivalofhismediaevaltaste，andshewasrewardedamidstitsthirteenth-centurysinceritybyhisrecantation。“Youareright！BaroqueisthethingforWurzburg；onecan’tenjoyGothichereanymorethanonecouldenjoybaroqueinNuremberg。”
　　Reconciledintherococo，theynowcalledacarriage，andwenttovisitthepalaceoftheprince-bishopswhohadsowellknownhowtomaketheheavenlytaketheimageandsuperscriptionoftheworldly；andtheywerejointlyindignanttofinditshutagainstthepublicinpreparationfortheimperialitiesandroyaltiescoiningtooccupyit。Theywereintimeforthenoonguard-mounting，however，andMrs。MarchsaidthatthewaytheretiringsquadkickedtheirlegsoutinthehighmartialstepoftheGermansoldierswasaperfectexpressionoftheinsolentmilitarismoftheirempire，andwasofitselfenoughtomakeonethankHeaventhatonewasanAmericanandarepublican。Shesoftenedalittletowardtheirsystemwhenitprovedthatthegardenofthepalacewasstillopen，andyetmorewhenshesankdownuponabenchbetweentwomarblegroupsrepresentingtheRapeofProserpineandtheRapeofEuropa。Theystoodeachinagravelledplot，thicklyoverrunbyagrowthofivy，andthevineclimbedthewhitenakedlimbsofthenymphs，whowerepresentonapretenceofgatheringflowers，butreallytoposeatthespectators，andcladthemtothewaistandshoulderswithaneffectofmodestynevermeantbythesculptor，butnotdispleasing。Therewasanoldfountainnear，itsstonerimandcentreofrock-workgreenwithimmemorialmould，anditsbasinquiveringbetweenitswater-plantsunderthesoftfallofspray。Atawaftoffitfulbreezesomeleavesofearlyautumnfellfromthetreesoverheadupontheelderlypairwheretheysat，andalittlecompanyofsparrowscameandhoppedabouttheirfeet。Thoughthesquarewithoutwassoallastirwithfestiveexpectation，therewerefewpeopleinthegarden；threeorfourpeasantwomenindenselyflutedwhiteskirtsandredapronsandshawlswanderedbyandstaredattheEuropaandattheProserpine。
　　Itwasapreciousmomentinwhichthecharmofthecity’spastseemedtoculminate，andtheywereloathtobreakitbyspeech。
　　“Whydidn’twehavesomethinglikeallthisonourfirstweddingjourney？”shesighedatlast。“TothinkofourbatteningfromBostontoNiagaraandback！AndhowhardwetriedtomakesomethingofRochesterandBuffalo，ofMontrealandQuebec！”
　　“Niagarawasn’tsobad。”hesaid，“andIwillnevergobackonQuebec。”
　　“Ah，butifwecouldhavehadHamburgandLeipsic，andCarlsbadandNuremberg，andAnsbachandWurzburg！Perhapsthisismeantasacompensationforourlostyouth。ButIcan’tenjoyitasIcouldwhenI
　　wasyoung。It’swastedonmysereandyellowleaf。IwishBurnamyandMissTriscoewerehere；Ishouldliketotrythisgardenonthem。”
　　“Theywouldn’tcareforit。”hereplied，anduponadaringimpulseheadded，“KenbyandMrs。Addingmight。”Ifshetookthissuggestioningoodpart，hecouldtellherthatKenbywasinWurzburg。
　　“Don’tspeakofthem！They’reinjustthatbesottedearlymiddle-agewhenlifehassettledintoaself-satisfiedpresent，withnopastandnofuture；themostphilistine，themostbourgeois，momentofexistence。
　　Betterbeelderlyatonce，asfarasappreciationofallthisgoes。”
　　Sheroseandputherhandonhisarm，andpushedhimawayintheimpulsivefashionofheryouth，acrossalleysofoldtreestowardabalustradedterraceinthebackgroundwhichhadtemptedher。
　　“Itisn’tsobad，beingelderly。”hesaid。“Bythattimewehaveaccumulatedenoughpasttositdownandreallyenjoyitsassociations。
　　Wehavegotallsortsofperspectivesandpointsofview。Weknow？
　　whereweareat。”
　　“Idon’tmindbeingelderly。Theworld’sjustasamusingasever，andlotsofdisagreeablethingshavedroppedout。It’sthegettingmorethanelderly；it’sthegettingold；andthen——“
　　Theyshrankalittleclosertogether，andwalkedoninsilencetillhesaid，“Perhapsthere’ssomethingelse，somethingbetter——somewhere。”
　　Theyhadreachedthebalustradedterrace，andwerepausingforpleasureinthegardentopsbelow，withthefloweryspaces，andthestatuedfountainsallcomingtogether。Sheputherhandononeofthefatlittleurchin-groupsonthestonecoping。“Idon’twantcherubs，whenIcanhavetheseputti。Andthoseoldprince-bishopsdidn’t，either！”
　　Idon’tsupposetheykeptaNewEnglandconscience。”hesaid，withavaguesmile。“Itwouldbedifficultinthepresenceoftherococo。”
　　TheyleftthegardenthroughthebeautifulgatewhichtheoldcourtironsmithOegghammeredoutinlovelyformsofleavesandflowers，andshapedlaterallyupward，aslightlyasifwithawaftofhishand，ingraciousLouisQuinzecurves；andtheylookedbackatitinthekindofdespairwhichanyperfectioninspires。Theysaidhowfeminineitwas，howexotic，howexpressiveofaluxuriousidealoflifewhicharthadpurifiedandlefteternallycharming。TheyrememberedtheirRuskinianyouth，andtheconfidencewithwhichtheywouldoncehavecondemnedit；
　　andtheyhadasenseofrecreanceinnowadmiringit；buttheycertainlyadmiredit，anditremainedforthemthesupremeexpressionofthattime-
　　soul，mundane，courtly，aristocratic，flattering，whichonceinfluencedtheartofthewholeworld，andwhichhadheresocuriouslyfounditsapotheosisinacityremotefromitsnativeplaceandunderarulesacerdotallyvowedtoausterity。Thevastsuperbpalaceoftheprincebishops，whichwasnowtohouseawholetroopofsovereigns，imperial，royal，grandducalandducal，swelledaloftinsuperbamplitude；butitdidnotrealizetheirhistoricpridesoeffectivelyasthisexquisiteworkofthecourtironsmith。ItrelateditselfinitsaerialbeautytothatoftheTiepolofrescoeswhichthetravellersknewwereswimmingandsoaringontheceilingswithin，andfromwhichitseemedtoaccenttheirexclusionwithadelicateirony，Marchsaid。“Oriron-mongery。”hecorrectedhimselfuponreflection。
　　HehadforgottenKenbyintheseaestheticinterests，butherememberedhimagainwhenhecalledacarriage，andordereditdriventotheirhotel。ItwasthehouroftheGermanmid-daytabled’hote，andtheywouldbesuretomeethimthere。ThequestionnowwashowMarchshouldownhispresenceintimetopreventhiswifefromshowingherignoranceofittoKenbyhimself，andhewasstillturningthequestionhopelesslyoverinhismindwhenthesightofthehotelseemedtoremindherofafactwhichsheannounced。
　　“Now，mydear，Iamtiredtodeath，andIamnotgoingtositthroughalongtabled’hote。Iwantyoutosendmeupasimplebeefsteakandacupofteatoourrooms；andIdon’twantyoutocomenearforhours；becauseIintendtotakeawholeafternoonnap。Youcankeepallthemapsandplans，andguides，andyouhadbettergoandseewhattheVolksfestislike；itwillgiveyousomenotionofthepartthepeoplearereallytakinginallthisofficialcelebration，andyouknowIdon’tcare。
　　Don’tcomeupafterdinnertoseehowIamgettingalong；Ishallgetalong；andifyoushouldhappentowakemeafterIhaddroppedoff——“
　　Kenbyhadseenthemarrivefromwherehesatatthereading-roomwindow，waitingforthedinnerhour，andhadmeanttorushoutandgreetMrs。
　　Marchastheypassedupthecorridor。Butshelookedsotiredthathehaddecidedtosparehertillshecamedowntodinner；andashesatwithMarchattheirsoup，heaskedifshewerenotwell。
　　Marchexplained，andheprovisionallyinventedsomeregretsfromherthatsheshouldnotseeKenbytillsupper。
　　KenbyorderedabottleofoneofthefamousWurzburgwinesfortheirmutualconsolationinherabsence，andinthefriendlinesswhichitspromotedtheyagreedtospendtheafternoontogether。Nomanissoinveterateahusbandasnottotakekindlyanoccasionalreleasetobachelorcompanionship，andbeforethedinnerwasovertheyagreedthattheywouldgototheVolksfest，andgetsomenotionofthepopularlifeandamusementsofWurzburg，whichwasoneofthefewplaceswhereKenbyhadneverbeenbefore；andtheyagreedthattheywouldwalk。