BurnamycameawayfromseeingthepivotalgirlandhermotheroffonthetrainwhichtheyweretakingthateveningforFrankfortandHombourg，andstrolledbackthroughtheWeimarstreetslittleateasewithhimself。
　　Whilehewaswiththegirlandnearherhehadfelttheattractionbywhichyouthimpersonallydrawsyouth，thecharmwhichmeremaidhasformereman；butoncebeyondtherangeofthishefeltsickatheartandashamed。Hewasawareofhavingusedherfollyasananodyneforthepainwhichwasalwaysgnawingathim，andhehadmanagedtoforgetitinherfolly，butnowitcameback，andthesensethathehadbeenrecklessofherrightscamewithit。Hehaddonehisbesttomakeherthinkhiminlovewithher，byeverythingbutwords；hewonderedhowhecouldbesuchanass，suchawickedass，astotrymakingherpromisetowritetohimfromFrankfort；hewishednevertoseeheragain，andhewishedstilllesstohearfromher。Itwassomecomforttoreflectthatshehadnotpromised，butitwasnotcomfortenoughtorestorehimtosuchfragmentaryself-respectashehadbeenenjoyingsincehepartedwithAgathaTriscoeinCarlsbad；hecouldnotevengetbacktotheresentmentwithwhichhehadbeenstayinghimselfsomewhatbeforethepivotalgirlunexpectedlyappearedwithhermotherinWeimar。
　　ItwasSedanDay，buttherewasapparentlynoofficialobservanceoftheholiday，perhapsbecausetheGrand-Dukewasawayatthemanoeuvres，withalltheotherGermanprinces。Burnamyhadhopedforsomevoluntaryexcitementamongthepeople，atleastenoughtowarranthiminmakingapaperaboutSedanDayinWeimar，whichhecouldsellsomewhere；butthenightwasfalling，andtherewasstillnosignofpopularrejoicingovertheFrenchhumiliationtwenty-eightyearsbefore，exceptinthemultitudeofJapaneselanternswhichthechildrenwereeverywherecarryingattheendsofsticks。Babieshadthemintheircarriages，andtheeffectofthefloatinglightsinthewinding，up-and-down-hillstreetswascharmingeventoBurnamy’slack-lustreeyes。Hewentbyhishotelandontoacaf？withagarden，wheretherewasapatriotic，concertpromised；hesuppedthere，andthensatdreamilybehindhisbeer，whilethemusicbangedandbrayedroundhimunheeded。
　　PresentlyheheardavoiceoffriendlybantersayinginEnglish，“MayI
　　sitatyourtable？”andhesawanironicalfacelookingdownonhim。
　　“Theredoesn’tseemanyotherplace。”
　　“Why，Mr。March！”Burnamysprangupandwrungthehandheldouttohim，buthechokedwithhiswordsofrecognition；itwassogoodtoseethisfaithfulfriendagain，thoughhesawhimnowashehadseenhimlast，justwhenhehadsolittlereasontobeproudofhimself。
　　MarchsettledhispersoninthechairfacingBurnamy，andthenglancedroundatthejoyfuljamofpeopleeatinganddrinking，underafirmamentoflanterns。“Thisispretty。”hesaid，“mightypretty。IshallmakeMrs。Marchsorryfornotcoming，whenIgoback。”
　　“IsMrs。March——sheis——withyou——inWeimar？”Burnamyaskedstupidly。
　　Marchforboretotakeadvantageofhim。“Oh，yes。WesawyououtatBelvederethisafternoon。Mrs。Marchthoughtforamomentthatyoumeantnottoseeus。Awomanlikestoexerciseherimaginationinthoselittleflights。”
　　“Ineverdreamedofyourbeingthere——Ineversaw——“Burnamybegan。
　　“Ofcoursenot。NeitherdidMrs。Etkins，norMissEtkins；shewaslookingverypretty。Haveyoubeenheresometime？”
　　“Notlong。Aweekorso。I’vebeenattheparadeatWurzburg。”
　　“AtWurzburg！Ah，howlittletheworldis，orhowlargeWurzburgis！
　　Weweretherenearlyaweek，andwepervadedtheplace。Buttherewasagreatcrowdforyoutohideinfromus。WhathadIbettertake？”
　　Awaiterhadcomeup，andwasstandingatMarch’selbow。“IsupposeI
　　mustn’tsitherewithoutorderingsomething？”
　　“Whitewineandselters。”saidBurnamyvaguely。
　　“Theverything！Whydidn’tIthinkofit？It’sadivinedrink：itsatisfieswithoutfilling。Ihaditanightortwobeforewelefthome，intheMadisonSquareRoofGarden。Haveyouseen’EveryOtherWeek’
　　lately？”
　　“No。”saidBurnamy，withmorespiritthanhehadyetshown。
　　“We’vejustgotourmailfromNuremberg。ThelastnumberhasapoeminitthatIratherlike。”Marchlaughedtoseetheyoungfellow’sfacelightupwithjoyfulconsciousness。“Comeroundtomyhotel，afteryou’retiredhere，andI’llletyouseeit。There’snohurry。Didyounoticethelittlechildrenwiththeirlanterns，asyoucamealong？It’sthegentlesteffectthatawarlikememoryevercameto。TheFrenchthemselvescouldn’thavemindedthoseinnocentscarryingthosesoftlightsonthedayoftheirdisaster。Yououghttogetsomethingoutofthat，andI’vegotasubjectintrustforyoufromRoseAdding。HeandhismotherwereatWurzburg；I’msorrytosaythepoorlittlechapdidn’tseemverywell。They’vegonetoHollandfortheseaair。”MarchhadbeentalkingforquantityincompassionoftheembarrassmentinwhichBurnamyseemedbound；buthequestionedhowfarheoughttobringcomforttotheyoungfellowmerelybecausehelikedhim。Sofarashecouldmakeout，Burnamyhadbeendoingratherlessthannothingtoretrievehimselfsincetheyhadmet；anditwasbyanimpulsethathecouldnothavelogicallydefendedtoMrs。Marchthatheresumed。“WefoundanotherfriendofyoursinWurzburg：Mr。Stoller。”
　　“Mr。Stoller？”Burnamyfaintlyechoed。
　　“Yes；hewastheretogivehisdaughtersaholidayduringthemanoeuvres；
　　andtheymadethemostofit。Hewantedustogototheparadewithhisfamilybutwedeclined。ThetwinswereprettynearlythedeathofGeneralTriscoe。”
　　AgainBurnamyechoedhim。“GeneralTriscoe？”
　　“Ah，yes：Ididn’ttellyou。GeneralTriscoeandhisdaughterhadcomeonwithMrs。AddingandRose。Kenby——yourememberKenby，OntheNorumbia？——Kenbyhappenedtobethere，too；wewerequiteafamilyparty；
　　andStollergotthegeneraltodriveouttothemanoeuvreswithhimandhisgirls。”
　　Nowthathewaslaunched，Marchratherenjoyedlettinghimselfgo。HedidnotknowwhatheshouldsaytoMrs。MarchwhenhecametoconfesshavingtoldBurnamyeverythingbeforeshegotachanceathim；hepushedonrecklessly，upontheprinciple，whichprobablywillnotholdinmorals，thatonemayaswellbehungforasheepasalamb。“IhaveamessageforyoufromMr。Stoller。”
　　“Forme？”Burnamygasped。
　　“I’vebeenwonderinghowIshouldputit，forIhadn’texpectedtoseeyou。Butit’ssimplythis：hewantsyoutoknow——andheseemedtowantmetoknow——thathedoesn’tholdyouaccountableinthewayhedid。He’sthoughtitallover，andhe’sdecidedthathehadnorighttoexpectyoutosavehimfromhisownignorancewherehewasmakingashowofknowledge。Ashesaid，hedoesn’tchoosetopleadthebabyact。Hesaysthatyou’reallright，andyourplaceonthepaperisopentoyou。”
　　Burnamyhadnotbeenverypromptbefore，butnowheseemedbracedforinstantresponse。“Ithinkhe’swrong。”hesaid，soharshlythatthepeopleatthenexttablelookedround。“Hisfeelingashedoeshasnothingtodowiththefact，anditdoesn’tletmeout。”
　　Marchwouldhavelikedtotakehiminhisarms；hemerelysaid，“Ithinkyou’requiteright，astothat。Butthere’ssuchathingasforgiveness，youknow。Itdoesn’tchangethenatureofwhatyou’vedone；butasfarasthesuffererfromitisconcerned，itannulsit。”
　　“Yes，Iunderstandthat。ButIcan’taccepthisforgivenessifIhatehim。”
　　“Butperhapsyouwon’talwayshatehim。Somedayyoumayhaveachancetodohimagoodturn。It’sratherbanale；buttheredoesn’tseemanyotherway。Well，Ihavegivenyouhismessage。Areyougoingwithmetogetthatpoem？”
　　WhenMarchhadgivenBurnamythepaperathishotel，andBurnamyhadputitinhispocket，theyoungmansaidhethoughthewouldtakesomecoffee，andheaskedMarchtojoinhiminthedining-roomwheretheyhadstoodtalking。
　　“No，thankyou。”saidtheelder，“Idon’tproposesittingupallnight，andyou’llexcusemeifIgotobednow。It’salittleinformaltoleaveaguest——“
　　“You’renotleavingaguest！I’mathomehere。I’mstayinginthishoteltoo。”
　　Marchsaid，“Oh！”andthenheaddedabruptly，“Good-night。”andwentupstairsunderthefrescoofthefivepoets。
　　“Whomwereyoutalkingwithbelow？”askedMrs。Marchthroughthedooropeningintohisroomfromhers。
　　“Burnamy。”heansweredfromwithin。“He’sstayinginthishouse。HeletmeknowjustasIwasgoingtoturnhimoutforthenight。It’soneofthoselittleuncandorsofhisthatthrowsuspiciononhishonestyingreatthings。”
　　“Oh！Thenyou’vebeentellinghim。”shesaid，withamentalboundhighaboveandfarbeyondthepoint。
　　“Everything。”
　　“AboutStoller，too？”
　　“AboutStollerandhisdaughters，andMrs。AddingandRoseandKenbyandGeneralTriscoe——andAgatha。”
　　“Verywell。That’swhatIcallshabby。Don’tevertalktomeagainabouttheinconsistenciesofwomen。Butnowthere’ssomethingperfectlyfearful。”
　　“Whatisit？”
　　“AletterfromMissTriscoecameafteryouweregone，askingustofindroomsinsomehotelforherandherfatherto-morrow。Heisn’twell，andthey’recoming。AndI’vetelegraphedthemtocomehere。Nowwhatdoyousay？”