Theycouldseenowayoutofthetrouble，andMrs。Marchcouldnotresignherselftoittillherhusbandsuggestedthatsheshouldconsideritprovidential。Thistouchedthelingeringsuperstitioninwhichshehadbeenancestrallytaughttoregardherselfasameans，wheninaverytightplace，andtoleavetheresponsibilitywiththemoralgovernmentoftheuniverse。Asshenowperceived，ithadbeenthesameasorderedthattheyshouldseeBurnamyundersuchconditionsintheafternoonthattheycouldnotspeaktohim，andhearwherehewasstaying；andinaninferiordegreeithadbeenthesameasorderedthatMarchshouldseehimintheeveningandtellhimeverything，sothatsheshouldknowjusthowtoactwhenshesawhiminthemorning。IfhecouldplausiblyaccountfortherenewalofhisflirtationwithMissElkins，orifheseemedgenerallyworthyapartfromthat，shecouldforgivehim。
　　Itwassopleasantwhenhecameinatbreakfastwithhiswell-rememberedsmile，thatshedidnotrequirefromhimanyexplicitdefence。WhiletheytalkedshewasrightingherselfinanundercurrentofdramawithMissTriscoe，andexplainingtoherthattheycouldnotpossiblywaitoverforherandherfatherinWeimar，butmustbeoffthatdayforBerlin，astheyhadmadealltheirplans。Itwasnoteasy，evenindramawhereonehaseverythingone’sownway，toprovethatshecouldnotwithoutimpietysofarinterferewiththecourseofProvidenceastopreventMissTriscoe’scomingwithherfathertothesamehotelwhereBurnamywasstaying。Shecontrived，indeed，topersuadeherthatshehadnotknownhewasstayingtherewhenshetelegraphedthemwheretocome，andthatintheabsenceofanyopenconfidencefromMissTriscoeshewasnotobligedtosupposethathispresencewouldbeembarrassing。
　　MarchproposedleavingherwithBurnamywhilehewentupintothetownandinterviewedthehouseofSchiller，whichhehadnotdoneyet；andassoonashegothimselfawayshecametobusiness，breakingaltogetherfromtheinnerdramawithMissTriscoeanddevotingherselftoBurnamy。
　　TheyhadalreadygotsofarastohavementionedthemeetingwiththeTriscoesinWurzburg，andshesaid：“DidMr。Marchtellyoutheywerecominghere？Or，no！Wehadn’theardthen。Yes，theyarecomingto-
　　morrow。Theymaybegoingtostaysometime。ShetalkedofWeimarwhenwefirstspokeofGermanyontheship。”Burnamysaidnothing，andshesuddenlyadded，withasharpglance，“Theywantedustogetthemrooms，andweadvisedtheircomingtothishouse。”Hestartedverysatisfactorily，and“Doyouthinktheywouldbecomfortable，here？”shepursued。
　　“Oh，yes，very。Theycanhavemyroom；it’ssoutheast；Ishallbegoingintootherquarters。”Shedidnotsayanything；and“Mrs。March。”hebeganagain，“whatistheuseofmybeatingaboutthebush？YoumustknowwhatIwentbacktoCarlsbadfor，thatnight——“
　　“Nooneevertold——“
　　“Well，youmusthavemadeaprettygoodguess。Butitwasafailure。I
　　oughttohavefailed，andIdid。Shesaidthatunlessherfatherlikedit——Andapparentlyhehasn’tlikedit。”Burnamysmiledruefully。
　　“Howdoyouknow？Shedidn’tknowwhereyouwere！”
　　“Shecouldhavegotwordtomeifshehadhadgoodnewsforme。They’veforwardedotherlettersfromPupp’s。Butit’sallright；IhadnobusinesstogobacktoCarlsbad。Ofcourseyoudidn’tknowIwasinthishousewhenyoutoldthemtocome；andImustclearout。IhadbetterclearoutofWeimar，too。”
　　“No，Idon’tthinkso；Ihavenorighttopryintoyouraffairs，but——“
　　“Oh，they’rewideenoughopen！”
　　“Andyoumayhavechangedyourmind。Ithoughtyoumight，whenIsawyouyesterdayatBelvedere——“
　　“Iwasonlytryingtomakebadworse。”
　　“ThenIthinkthesituationhaschangedentirelythroughwhatMr。StollersaidtoMr。March。”
　　“Ican’tseehowithas。Icommittedanactofshabbytreachery，andI’masmuchtoblameasifhestillwantedtopunishmeforit。”
　　“DidMr。Marchsaythattoyou？”
　　“No；IsaidthattoMr。March；andhecouldn’tanswerit，andyoucan’t。
　　You’reverygood，andverykind，butyoucan’tanswerit。”
　　“Icanansweritverywell。”sheboasted，butshecouldfindnothingbettertosaythan，“It’syourdutytohertoseeherandletherknow。”
　　“Doesn’tsheknowalready？”
　　“Shehasarighttoknowitfromyou。Ithinkyouaremorbid，Mr。
　　Burnamy。YouknowverywellIdidn’tlikeyourdoingthattoMr。
　　Stoller。Ididn’tsaysoatthetime，becauseyouseemedtofeelitenoughyourself。ButIdidlikeyourowninguptoit。”andhereMrs。
　　Marchthoughtittimetotrotoutherborrowedbattle-horseagain。“Myhusbandalwayssaysthatifapersonownsuptoanerror，fullyandfaithfully，asyou’vealwaysdone，theymakeitthesameinitsconsequencestothemasifithadneverbeendone。”
　　“DoesMr。Marchsaythat？”askedBurnamywitharelentingsmile。
　　“Indeedhedoes！”
　　Burnamyhesitated；thenheasked，gloomilyagain：
　　“Andwhatabouttheconsequencestothe，otherfellow？”
　　“Awoman。”saidMrs。March，“hasnoconcernwiththem。Andbesides，I
　　thinkyou’vedoneallyoucouldtosaveMr。Stollerfromtheconsequences。”
　　“Ihaven’tdoneanything。”
　　“Nomatter。Youwouldifyoucould。Iwonder。”shebrokeoff，topreventhispersistenceatapointwherehernerveswerebeginningtogiveway，“whatcanbekeepingMr。March？”
　　Nothingmuchmoreimportant，itappearedlater，thanthepleasureofsaunteringthroughthestreetsonthewaytothehouseofSchiller，andlookingattheprettychildrengoingtoschool，withbooksundertheirarms。Itwasthedayfortheschoolstoopenafterthelongsummervacation，andtherewasafreshnessofexpectationintheshiningfaceswhich，ifitcouldnotlightuphisowngraybeardvisage，couldatleasttouchhisheart：
　　WhenhereachedtheSchillerhousehefoundthatitwasreallynottheSchillerhouse，buttheSchillerflat，ofthreeorfourrooms，oneflightup，whosewindowslookoutuponthestreetnamedafterthepoet。Thewholeplaceisbareandclean；inonecornerofthelargeroomfrontingthestreetstandsSchiller’swriting-table，withhischairbeforeit；
　　withthefootextendingtowardthistherestands，inanothercorner，thenarrowbedonwhichhedied；somewitheredwreathsonthepillowframeapictureofhisdeathmask，whichatfirstglanceislikehisdeadfacelyingthere。Itisallrathertasteless，andallrathertouching，andtheplacewithitsmeagreappointments，ascomparedwiththerichGoethehouse，suggeststhatpersonalcompetitionwithGoetheinwhichSchillerisalwaysfallingintothesecondplace。Whetheritwillbefinallysowithhiminliteratureitistooearlytoaskoftime，anduponotherpointseternitywillnotbeinterrogated。“Thegreat，GoetheandthegoodSchiller。”theyremain；andyet，Marchreasoned，therewassomethinggoodinGoetheandsomethinggreat，inSchiller。
　　Hewassofullofthepathosoftheirinequalitybeforetheworldthathedidnotheedthewarningonthedoorofthepastry-shopneartheSchillerhouse，andonopeningithebedaubedhishandwiththefreshpaintonit。
　　Hewastheninsuchastate，thathecouldnotbringhismindtobearuponthequestionofwhichcakeshiswifewouldprobablyprefer，andhestoodhelplesslyholdinguphishandtillthegoodwomanbehindthecounterdiscoveredhisplight，andutteredaloudcryofcompassion。
　　Sheranandgotawetnapkin，whichsherubbedwithsoap，andthensheinstructedhimbywordandgesturetorubhishanduponit，andshedidnotleavehimtillhisrescuewascomplete。Heletherchooseavarietyofthecakesforhim，andcameawaywithagaypaperbagfullofthem，andwiththefeelingthathehadbeeninmoreintimaterelationswiththelifeofWeimarthantravellersareoftenprivilegedtobe。Hearguedfromtheinstantandintelligentsympathyofthepastrywomanahighgradeofcultureinallclasses；andheconceivedthenotionofpretendingtoMrs。Marchthathehadgotthesecakesfrom，adescendantofSchiller。
　　Hisdeceitavailedwithherforthebriefmomentinwhichshealways，aftersomanyyears’experienceofhisduplicity，believedanythinghetoldher。Theydinedmerrilytogetherattheirhotel，andthenBurnamycamedowntothestationwiththemandwasverycomfortabletoMarchinhelpinghimtogettheirticketsandtheirbaggageregistered。ThetrainwhichwastotakethemtoHalle，wheretheyweretochangeforBerlin，wasratherlate，andtheyhadbuttenminutesafteritcameinbeforeitwouldstartagain。Mrs。Marchwaswatchingimpatientlyatthewindowofthewaiting-roomforthedismountingpassengerstocleartheplatformandallowthedoorstobeopened；suddenlyshegaveacry，andturnedandranintothepassagebywhichthenewarrivalswerepouringouttowardthesuperabundantomnibuses。MarchandBurnamy，whohadbeentalkingapart，mechanicallyrushedafterherandfoundherkissingMissTriscoeandshakinghandswiththegeneralamidstatempestofquestionsandanswers，fromwhichitappearedthattheTriscoeshadgottiredofstayinginWurzburg，andhadsimplycomeontoWeimaradaysoonerthantheyhadintended。
　　The，generalwasrathermuchbundledupforadaywhichwasmildforaGermansummerday，andhecoughedoutanexplanationthathehadtakenanabominablecoldatthatridiculousparade，andhadnotshakenitoffyet。
　　Hehadanotionthatchangeofairwouldbebetterforhim；itcouldnotbeworse。
　　HeseemedalittlevagueastoBurnamy，ratherthaninimical。WhiletheladieswerestilltalkingeagerlytogetherinprofferandacceptanceofMrs。March’slamentationsthatsheshouldbegoingawayjustasMissTriscoewascoming，heaskediftheomnibusfortheirhotelwasthere。
　　HebynomeansresentedBurnamy’sassurancethatitwas，andhedidnotrefusetolethimordertheirbaggage，littleandlarge，loadeduponit。
　　Bythetimethiswasdone，Mrs。MarchandMissTriscoehadsofardetachedthemselvesfromeachotherthattheycouldseparateafteronemoreformalexpressionofregretandforgiveness。Withalamentintowhichshepouredaworldofinarticulateemotions，Mrs。Marchwrenchedherselffromtheplace，andsufferedherself，tobepushedtowardhertrain。Butwiththelastlonglookwhichshecastoverhershoulder，beforeshevanishedintothewaiting-room，shesawMissTriscoeandBurnamytransactingtheelaboratepolitenessesofamiablestrangerswithregardtotheverysmallbagwhichthegirlhadinherhand。Hesucceededinrelievingherofit；andthenheledthewayoutofthestationontheleftofthegeneral，whileMissTriscoebroughtuptherear。