TherococomargravesandmargravinesusedofcoursetoworshipinSt。
JohannisChurch。Nowtheyall，suchasdidnotmarryabroad，lieinthecryptofthechurch，incasketsofbronzeandcopperandmarble，withdraperiesofblacksamite，moreandmorefunereallyvainglorioustothelast。Theircourtlycoffinsarerangedinakindofhemicycle，withthelittlecoffinsofthechildrenthatdiedbeforetheycametotheknowledgeoftheirgreatness。Ononeoftheseakneelingfigurineinbronzeholdsuptheeffigyofthechildwithin；onanothertheepitaphplaystenderlywiththefateofalittleprincess，whodiedinherfirstyear。
IntheRose-monthwasthissweetRosetaken。
FortheRose-kindhathsheearthforsaken。
ThePrincessistheRose，thatherenolongerblows。
Fromthestembydeath’shandrudelyshaken。
ThenrestintheRose-house。
LittlePrincess-Rosebuddear！
Therelife’sRoseshallbloomagainInHeaven’ssunshineclear。
WhileMarchstruggledtogetthisintoEnglishwords，twoGermanladies，whohadmadethemselvesofhisparty，passedreverentlyawayandlefthimtopaythesacristanalone。
“Thatisallright。”hesaid，whenhecameout。“Ithinkwegotthemostvalue；andtheydidn’tlookasiftheycouldafforditsowell；thoughyounevercantell，here。Theseladiesmaybethehighestkindofhighhotespractisingapraiseworthyeconomy。Ihopethelessonwon’tbelostonus。TheyhavesavedenoughbyusfortheircoffeeattheOrangery。Letusgoandhavealittlewillow-leaftea！”
TheOrangeryperpetuallyluredthembywhatithadkeptofthedayswhenanOrangerywasessentialtotheself-respectofeverysovereignprince，andofsomanyprivategentlemen。OntheirwaytheyalwayspassedthestatueofCountPlaten，thedullpoetwhomHeine’shatewouldhavedeliveredsocruellyovertoanimmortalityofcontempt，butwhostandsthereneartheSchlossinagrass-plotprettilyplantedwithflowers，andignoreshisbrilliantenemyinthecomfortabledurabilityofbronze；andtherealwaysawaitedthemintheoldpleasauncethepathosofKasparHauser’sfate；whichhismurderaffixestoitwitharedstain。
Aftertheircupsofwillowleavesatthecaf？theywentupintothatnookoftheplantationwherethesimpleshaftofchurch-warden’sGothiccommemoratestheassassinationonthespotwhereitbefell。Herethehaplessyouth，whosemysterywillneverbefathomedonearth，usedtocomeforalittlerespitefromhisharshguardianinAnsbach，homesickforthekindnessofhisNurembergfriends；andherehismurdererfoundhimanddealthimthemortalblow。
Marchlingereduponthelastsadcircumstanceofthetragedyinwhichthewoundedboydraggedhimselfhome，tosufferthesuspicionandneglectofhisguardiantilldeathattestedhisgoodfaithbeyondcavil。Hesaidthiswasthehardestthingtobearinallhisstory，andthathewouldliketohavealookintothesoulofthedull，unkindwretchwhohadsomisreadhischarge。Hewasgoingonwithaninquirythatpleasedhimmuch，whenhiswifepulledhimabruptlyaway。
“Now，Isee，youareyieldingtothefascinationofit，andyouarewantingtotakethematerialfromBurnamy！”
“Oh，well，lethimhavethematerial；hewillspoilit。AndIcanalwaysrejectit，ifheoffersitto’EveryOtherWeek’。”
“Icouldbelieve，afteryourbehaviortothatpoorwomanabouthersoninJerseyCity，you’rereallycapableofit。”
“Whatcomprehensiveinculpation！Ihadforgottenaboutthatpoorwoman。”
TheletterswhichMarchhadaskedhisNurembergbankertosendthemcamejustastheywereleavingAnsbach。Thelandlordsentthemdowntothestation，andMrs。Marchopenedtheminthetrain，andreadthemfirstsothatshecouldpreparehimiftherewereanythingannoyinginthem，aswellasindulgeherliveliercuriosity。
“They’refromboththechildren。”shesaid，withoutwaitingforhimtoask。“Youcanlookatthemlater。There’saveryniceletterfromMrs。
Addingtome，andonefromdearlittleRoseforyou。”Thenshehesitated，withherhandonaletterfaceddowninherlap。“Andthere’sonefromAgathaTriscoe，whichIwonderwhatyou’llthinkof。”Shedelayedagain，andthenflasheditopenbeforehim，andwaitedwithasortofimpassionedpatiencewhilehereadit。
Hereadit，andgaveitbacktoher。“Theredoesn’tseemtobeverymuchinit。”
“That’sit！Don’tyouthinkIhadarighttotherebeingsomethinginit，afterallIdidforher？”
“Ialwayshopedyouhadn’tdoneanythingforher，butifyouhave，whyshouldshegiveherselfawayonpaper？It’saveryproperletter。”
“It’salittletooproper，andit’sthelastIshallhavetodowithher。
SheknewthatIshouldbeonpinsandneedlestillIheardhowherfatherhadtakenBurnamy’sbeingthere，thatnight，andshedoesn’tsayawordaboutit。”
“Thegeneralmayhavehadatantrumthatshecouldn’tdescribe。Perhapsshehasn’ttoldhim，yet。”
“Shewouldtellhiminstantly！”criedMrs。Marchwhobegantofindreasoninthesupposition，aswellascomfortforthehurtwhichthegirl’sreticencehadgivenher。“Orifshewouldn’t，itwouldbebecauseshewaswaitingforthebestchance。”
“Thatwouldbelikethewisedaughterofadifficultfather。Shemaybewaitingforthebestchancetosayhowhetookit。No，I’mallforMissTriscoe，andIhopethatnow，ifshe’stakenherselfoffourhands，she’llkeepoff。”
“It’saltogetherlikelythathe’smadeherpromisenottotellmeanythingaboutit。”Mrs。Marchmusedaloud。
“Thatwouldbeunjusttoapersonwhohadbehavedsodiscreetlyasyouhave。”saidherhusband。
TheywereontheirwaytoWurzburg，andatthefirststation，whichwasajunction，aladymountedtotheircompartmentjustbeforethetrainbegantomove。Shewasstoutandmiddle-aged，andhadneverbeenpretty，butsheboreherselfwithakindofauthorityinspiteofherthreadgloves，herdowdygraytravelling-dress，andahatoflowermiddle-classEnglishtastelessness。Shetooktheonlyseatvacant，abackward-ridingplacebesideasleepingpassengerwholookedlikeacommercialtraveller，butsheseemedillateaseinit，andMarchofferedherhisseat。Sheaccepteditverypromptly，andthankedhimforitintheEnglishofaGerman，andMrs。MarchnowclassedherasagovernesswhohadbeenteachinginEnglandandhadacquiredthenationalfeelingfordress。
Butinthischaractershefoundherinteresting，andevenalittlepathetic，andshemadehersomeoverturesoftalkwhichtheothermeteagerlyenough。Theywerenowrunningamonglowhills，notsopicturesqueasthosebetweenEgerandNuremberg，butofmuchthesametoylikequaintnessinthevillagesdroppedhereandthereintheirvalleys。Onesmalltown，completelywalled，withitsgrayhousesandredroofs，showedthroughthegreenofitstreesandgardenssolikeacoloredprintinachild’sstory-bookthatMrs。Marchcriedoutforjoyinit，andthenaccountedforherrapturebyexplainingtothestrangerthattheywereAmericansandhadneverbeeninGermanybefore。Theladywasnotvisiblyaffectedbythefact，shesaidcasuallythatshehadoftenbeeninthatlittletown，whichshenamed；herunclehadacastleinthecountrybackofit，andshecamewithherhusbandfortheshootingintheautumn。Byanaturaltransitionshespokeofherchildren，forwhomshehadanEnglishgoverness；shesaidshehadneverbeeninEngland，buthadlearntthelanguagefromagovernessinherownchildhood；andthroughitallMrs。Marchperceivedthatshewastryingtoimpressthemwithherconsequence。Tohumorherpose，shesaidtheyhadbeenlookingupthesceneofKasparHauser’sdeathatAnsbach；andatthisthestrangerlaunchedintosuchintimateparticularsconcerninghim，andwassofamiliaratfirsthandswiththefactsofhislife，thatMrs。
Marchletherrunon，toomuchamusedwithherpretensionstobetrayanydoubtofher。ShewonderedifMarchwereenjoyingitallasmuch，andfromtimetotimeshetriedtocatchhiseye，whiletheladytalkedconstantlyandratherloudly，helpingherselfoutwithwordsfromthembothwhenherEnglishfailedher。Inthesafetyofherperfectunderstandingofthecase，Mrs。Marchnowsubmittedfarther，andevensufferedsomepatronagefromher，whichinanothermoodshewouldhavemetwithadecidedsnub。
