their silver wedding journey v3-第8章

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him　to　exploring　the　labyrinths　of　their　German；　with　a　mounting
exultation　in　his　discoveries。　　There　was　a　general　guide　to　the　city；
and　a　special　guide；　with　plans　and　personal　details　of　the　approaching
manoeuvres　and　the　princes　who　were　to　figure　in　them；　and　there　was　a
sketch　of　the　local　history：　a　kind　of　thing　that　the　Germans　know　how　to
write　particularly；　well；　with　little　gleams　of　pleasant　humor　blinking
through　it。　　For　the　study　of　this；　Mrs。　March　realized；　more　and　more
passionately；　that　they　were　in　the　very　most　central　and　convenient
point；　for　the　history　of　Wurzburg　might　be　said　to　have　begun　with　her
prince…bishops；　whose　rule　had　begun　in　the　twelfth　century；　and　who　had
built；　on　a　forgotten　Roman　work；　the　fortress　of　the　Marienburg　on　that
vineyarded　hill　over　against　the　Swan　Inn。　　There　had　of　course　been
history　before　that；　but　'nothing　so　clear；　nothing　so　peculiarly　swell；
nothing　that　so　united　the　glory　of　this　world　and　the　next　as　that　of
the　prince…bishops。　　They　had　made　the　Marienburg　their　home；　and　kept　it
against　foreign　and　domestic　foes　for　five　hundred　years。　　Shut　within
its　well…armed　walls　they　had　awed　the　often…turbulent　city　across　the
Main；　they　had　held　it　against　the　embattled　farmers　in　the　Peasants'
War；　and　had　splendidly　lost　it　to　Gustavus　Adolphus；　and　then　got　it
back　again　and　held　it　till　Napoleon　took　it　from　them。　　He　gave　it　with
their　flock　to　the　Bavarians；　who　in　turn　briefly　yielded　it　to　the
Prussians　in　1866；　and　were　now　in　apparently　final　possession　of　it。

Before　the　prince…bishops；　Charlemagne　and　Barbarossa　had　come　and　gone；
and　since　the　prince…bishops　there　had　been　visiting　thrones　and　kingdoms
enough　in　the　ancient　city；　which　was　soon　to　be　illustrated　by　the
presence　of　imperial　Germany；　royal；　Wirtemberg　and　Saxony；　grand…ducal
Baden　and　Weimar；　and　a　surfeit　of　all　the　minor　potentates　among　those
who　speak　the　beautiful　language　of　the　Ja。

But　none　of　these　could　dislodge　the　prince…bishops　from　that　supreme
place　which　they　had　at　once　taken　in　Mrs。　March's　fancy。　　The　potentates
were　all　going　to　be　housed　in　the　vast　palace　which　the　prince…bishops
had　built　themselves　in　Wurzburg　as　soon　as　they　found　it　safe　to　come
down　from　their　stronghold　of　Marienburg；　and　begin　to　adorn　their　city；
and　to　confirm　it　in　its　intense　fidelity　to　the　Church。　　Tiepolo　had
come　up　out　of　Italy　to　fresco　their　palace；　where　he　wrought　year　after
year；　in　that　worldly　taste　which　has　somehow　come　to　express　the　most
sovereign　moment　of　ecclesiasticism。　　It　prevailed　so　universally　in
Wurzburg　that　it　left　her　with　the　name　of　the　Rococo　City；　intrenched　in
a　period　of　time　equally　remote　from　early　Christianity　and　modern
Protestantism。　　Out　of　her　sixty　thousand　souls；　only　ten　thousand　are
now　of　the　reformed　religion；　and　these　bear　about　the　same　relation　to
the　Catholic　spirit　of　the　place　that　the　Gothic　architecture　bears　to
the　baroque。

As　long　as　the　prince…bishops　lasted　the　Wurzburgers　got　on　very　well
with　but　one　newspaper；　and　perhaps　the　smallest　amount　of　merrymaking
known　outside　of　the　colony　of　Massachusetts　Bay　at　the　same　epoch。　　The
prince…bishops　had　their　finger　in　everybody's　pie；　and　they　portioned
out　the　cakes　and　ale；　which　were　made　according　to　formulas　of　their
own。　　The　distractions　were　all　of　a　religious　character；　churches；
convents；　monasteries；　abounded；　ecclesiastical　processions　and
solemnities　were　the　spectacles　that　edified　if　they　did　not　amuse　the
devout　population。

It　seemed　to　March　an　ironical　outcome　of　all　this　spiritual　severity
that　one　of　the　greatest　modern　scientific　discoveries　should　have　been
made　in　Wurzburg；　and　that　the　Roentgen　rays　should　now　be　giving　her
name　a　splendor　destined　to　eclipse　the　glories　of　her　past。

Mrs。　March　could　not　allow　that　they　would　do　so；　or　at　least　that　the
name　of　Roentgen　would　ever　lend　more　lustre　to　his　city　than　that　of
Longfellow's　Walther　von　der　Vogelweide。　　She　was　no　less　surprised　than
pleased　to　realize　that　this　friend　of　the　birds　was　a　Wurzburger；　and
she　said　that　their　first　pilgrimage　in　the　morning　should　be　to　the
church　where　he　lies　buried。




LIII。

March　went　down　to　breakfast　not　quite　so　early　as　his　wife　had　planned；
and　left　her　to　have　her　coffee　in　her　room。　　He　got　a　pleasant　table　in
the　gallery　overlooking　the　river；　and　he　decided　that　the　landscape；
though　it　now　seemed　to　be　rather　too　much　studied　from　a　drop…certain；
had　certainly　lost　nothing　of　its　charm　in　the　clear　morning　light。　　The
waiter　brought　his　breakfast；　and　after　a　little　delay　came　back　with　a
card　which　he　insisted　was　for　March。　　It　was　not　till　he　put　on　his
glasses　and　read　the　name　of　Mr。　R。　M。　Kenby　that　he　was　able　at　all　to
agree　with　the　waiter；　who　stood　passive　at　his　elbow。

〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃why　wasn't　this　card　sent　up　last　night？〃

The　waiter　explained　that　the　gentleman　had　just；　given　him　his　card；
after　asking　March's　nationality；　and　was　then　breakfasting　in　the　next
room。　　March　caught　up　his　napkin　and　ran　round　the　partition　wall；　and
Kenby　rose　with　his　napkin　and　hurried　to　meet　him。

〃I　thought　it　must　be　you；〃　he　called　out；　joyfully；　as　they　struck　their
extended　hands　together；　〃but　so　many　people　look　alike；　nowadays；　that　I
don't　trust　my　eyes　any　more。〃

Kenby　said　he　had　spent　the　time　since　they　last　met　partly　in　Leipsic
and　partly　in　Gotha；　where　he　had　amused　himself　in　rubbing　up　his　rusty
German。　　As　soon　as　he　realized　that　Wurzburg　was　so　near　he　had　slipped
down　from　Gotha　for　a　glimpse　of　the　manoeuvres。　　He　added　that　he
supposed　March　was　there　to　see　them；　and　he　asked　with　a　quite
unembarrassed　smile　if　they　had　met　Mr。　Adding　in　Carlsbad；　and　without
heeding　March's　answer；　he　laughed　and　added：　〃Of　course；　I　know　she　must
have　told　Mrs。　March　all　about　it。〃

March　could　not　deny　this；　he　laughed；　too；　though　in　his　wife's　absence
he　felt　bound　to　forbid　himself　anything　more　explicit。

〃I　don't　give　it　up；　you　know；〃　Kenby　went　on；　with　perfect　ease。　　〃I'm
not　a　young　fellow；　if　you　call　thirty…nine　old。〃

〃At　my　age　I　don't；〃　March　put　in；　and　they　roared　together；　in　men's
security　from　the　encroachments　of　time。

〃But　she　happens　to　be　the　only　woman　I've　ever　really　wanted　to　marry；
for　more　than　a　few　days　at　a　stretch。　　You　know　how　it　is　with　us。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　I　know；〃　said　March；　and　they　shouted　again。

〃We're　in　love；　and　we're　out　of　love；　twenty　times。　　But　this　isn't　a
mere　fancy；　it's　a　conviction。　　And　there's　no　reason　why　she　shouldn't
marry　me。〃

March　smiled　gravely；　and　his　smile　was　not　lost　upon　Kenby。　　〃You　mean
the　boy；〃　he　said。　　〃Well；　I　like　Rose；〃　and　now　March　really　felt　swept
from　his　feet。　　〃She　doesn't　deny　that　she　likes　me；　but　she　seems　to
think　that　her　marrying　again　will　take　her　from　him；　the　fact　is；　it
will　only　give　me　to　him。　　As　for　devoting　her　whole　life　to　him；　she
couldn't　do　a　worse　thing　for　him。　　What　the　boy　needs　is　a　man's　care；
and　a　man's　will　Good　heavens！　　You　don't　think　I　could　ever　be　unkind
to　the　little　soul？〃　　Kenby　threw　himself　forward　over　the　table。

〃My　dear　fellow！〃　　March　protested。

〃I'd　rather　cut　off　my　right　hand！　〃　Kenby　pursued；　excitedly；　and　then
he　said；　with　a　humorous　drop：　〃The　fact　is；　I　don't　believe　I　should
want　her　so　much　if　I　couldn't　have　Rose　too。　　I　want　to　have　them　both。
So　far；　I've　only　got　no　for　an　answer；　but　I'm　not　going　to　keep　it。
I　had　a　letter　from　Rose　at　Carlsbad；　the　other　day；　and〃

The　waiter　came　forward　with　a　folded　scrap　of　paper　on　his　salver；　which
March　knew　must　be　from　his　wife。　　〃What　is　keeping　you　so？〃　she　wrote。
〃I　am　all　ready。〃　　〃It's　from　Mrs。　March；〃　he　explained　to　Kenby。　　〃I　am
going　out　with　her　on　some　errands。　　I'm　awfully　glad　to　see　you　again。
We　must　talk　it　all　over；　and　you　mustyou　mustn'tMrs。　March　will　want
to　see　you　laterIAre　you　in　the　hotel？〃

〃Oh　yes。　　I'll　see　you　at　the　one…o'clock　table　d'hote；　I　suppose。〃

March　went　away　with　his　head　whirling　in　the　question　whether　he　should
tell　his　wife　at　once　of　Kenby's　presence