第18章

Theirabsencewasplausiblyexplained，thenextmorning，bytheyoungGermanfriendwhocameintoseetheMarchesatbreakfast。HesaidHamburghadbeensolongafreerepublicthatthepresenceofalargeimperialgarrisonwasdistastefultothepeople，andasamatteroffacttherewereveryfewsoldiersquarteredthere，whethertheauthoritieschosetoindulgethepopulargrudgeornot。Hewashimselfinajoyfulflutterofspirits，forhehadjustthedaybeforegothisreleasefrommilitaryservice。Hegavethemanotionofwhattheraptureofamanreprievedfromdeathmightbe，andhewasasradiantlyhappyintheillhealthwhichhadgothimhisreleaseasifithadbeenthegreatestblessingofheaven。Hebubbledoverwithsmilingregretsthatheshouldbeleavinghishomeforthefirststageofthejourneywhichhewastotakeinsearchofstrength，justastheyhadcome，andhepressedthemtosayiftherewerenotsomethingthathecoulddoforthem。

Yes。”saidMrs。March，withapromptnesssurprisingtoherhusband，whocouldthinkofnothing；“telluswhereHeinrichHeinelivedwhenhewasinHamburg。Myhusbandhasalwayshadagreatpassionforhimandwantstolookhimupeverywhere。”

MarchhadforgottenthatHeineeverlivedinHamburg，andtheyoungmanhadapparentlyneverknownit。Hisfacefell；hewishedtomakeMrs。

MarchbelievethatitwasonlyHeine’sunclewhohadlivedthere；butshewasfirm；andwhenhehadaskedamongthehotelpeoplehecamebackgladlyowningthathewaswrong，andthatthepoetusedtoliveinKonigstrasse，whichwasverynearby，andwheretheycouldeasilyknowthehousebyhisbustsetinitsfront。TheportierandtheheadwaitersharedhisecstasyinsoeasilyobligingthefriendlyAmericanpair，andjoinedhiminminutelyinstructingthedriverwhentheyshutthemintotheircarriage。

TheydidnotknowthathiswasalmosttheonlylaughingfacetheyshouldseeintheseriousGermanEmpire；justastheydidnotknowthatitrainedthereeveryday。Astheydroveoffinthegraydrizzlewiththeunfoundedhopethatsoonerorlatertheweatherwouldbefine，theybadetheirdriverbeveryslowintakingthemthroughKonigstrasse，sothatheshouldbynomeansmissHeine’sdwelling，andhedulystoppedinfrontofahousebearingthepromisedbust。Theydismountedinordertorevereitmoreattheirease，butthebustproved，byanironybittererthanthesick，heart-breaking，brilliantJewcouldhaveimaginedinhiscruelestmoment，tobethatoftheGermanMilton，therespectablepoetKlopstock，whomHeineabhorredandmockedsopitilessly。

Infactitwasherethatthegood，much-forgottenKlopstockdwelt，whenhecamehometolivewithacomfortablepensionfromtheDanishgovernment；andthepilgrimstothemistakenshrinewentaskingaboutamongtheneighborsinKonigstrasse，forsomemannerofhousewhereHeinemighthavelived；theywouldhavebeenwillingtoacceptaflat，oranysortoftwo-pairback。Theneighborsweresomewhatmovedbytheanxietyofthestrangers；buttheywerenotsomuchmovedasneighborsinItalywouldhavebeen。Therevasnoeagerandsmilingsympathyinthelittlecrowdthatgatheredtoseewhatwasgoingon；theywerepatientofquestionandkindintheirhelplessresponse，buttheywerenotgay。

ToamantheyhadnotheardofHeine；eventheownerofasausageandblood-puddingshopacrossthewayhadnotheardofhim；theclerkofastationer-and-bookseller’snexttothebutcher’shadheardofhim，buthehadneverheardthathelivedinKonigstrasse；heneverhadheardwherehelivedinHamburg。

Thepilgrimstothefraudulentshrinegotbackintotheircarriage，anddrovesadlyaway，instructingtheirdriverwiththerigiditywhichtheirlimitedGermanfavored，nottoletanyhousewithabustinitsfrontescapehim。Hepromised，andtookhiscourseoutthroughKonigstrasse，andsuddenlytheyfoundthemselvesinaworldofsucheldandquaintnessthattheyforgotHeineascompletelyasanyofhiscountrymenhaddone。

Theywereinsteepandnarrowstreets，thatcrookedandturnedwithnoapparentpurposeofleadinganywhere，amonghousesthatlookeddownuponthemwithanastonishedstarefromtheleaden-sashedwindowsoftheirtimber-lacedgables。Thefacadeswiththeirlatticesstretchinginbandsquiteacrossthem，andwiththeirsteeproofsclimbinghighinsuccessionsofblinkingdormers，weremorerichlymediaevalthananythingthetravellershadeverdreamtofbefore，andtheyfeastedthemselvesupontheunimaginedpicturesquenesswithaleisurelyminutenesswhichbroughtresponsivegazerseverywheretothewindows；windowsweresetajar；shopdoorsweredarkenedbycuriousfiguresfromwithin，andthetrafficofthetortuousalleyswasinterruptedbytheirprogress。Theycouldnothavesaidwhichdelightedthemmore——thehousesintheimmediateforeground，orthesharphighgablesintheperspectivesandthebackground；butallwerelikethepaintedscenesofthestage，andtheyhadapleasantdifficultyinrealizingthattheywerenotpersonsinsomeromanticdrama。

TheillusionremainedwiththemandqualifiedtheimpressionwhichHamburgmadebyhermuch-trolleyedBostonianeffect；bythedecorousactivityandParisianarchitectureofherbusinessstreets；bytheturmoilofherquays，andtheinnumerablemastsandchimneysofhershipping。Attheheartofallwasthatquaintness，thatpicturesquenessofthepast，whichembodiedthespiritoftheoldHanseaticcity，andseemedtheexpressionofthehome-sideofherhistory。Thesenseofthisgainedstrengthfromsuchslightstudyofherannalsastheyafterwardsmade，andassistedthedigestionofsomemorselsoftoughstatistics。

IntheshadowofthoseGothichousesthefactthatHamburgwasoneofthegreatestcoffeemartsandmoneymartsoftheworldhadaromanticglamour；andthefactthatinthefouryearsfrom1870till1874aquarterofamillionemigrantssailedonhershipsfortheUnitedStatesseemedtostretchanerveofkindredfeelingfromthosemediaevalstreetsthroughthewholeshabbylengthofThirdAvenue。

Itwasperhapsinthisglamour，orthisfeelingofcommercialsolidarity，thatMarchwenttohavealookattheHamburgBourse，inthebeautifulnewRathhaus。Itwasnotundergoingrepairs，itwastoonewforthat；

butitwasinconstruction，andsoitfulfilledthefunctionofapublicedifice，inwithholdingitsentireinterestfromthestranger。HecouldnotgetintotheSenateChamber；buttheBoursewasfreetohim，andwhenhesteppedwithin，itroseathimwitharoarofvoicesandoffeetliketheNewYorkStockExchange。Thespectaclewasnotsofrantic；peoplewerenotshakingtheirfistsorfingersineachother’snoses；buttheywereallwildinthetamerGermanway，andhewasgladtomountfromtheBoursetothepoorlittleartgalleryupstairs，andtoshutoutitsclamor。Hewasnotsogladwhenhelookedroundonthese，hisfirst，examplesofmodernGermanart。Thecustodianledhimgentlyaboutandsaidwhichthingswereforsale，anditmadehisheartachetoseehowbadtheywere，andtothinkthat，badastheywere，hecouldnotbuyanyofthem。

InthestartfromCuxhaventhepassengershadtheirresponsibleeaseofpeopleticketedthrough，andthesteamshipcompanyhadstillthechargeoftheirbaggage。ButwhentheMarchesleftHamburgforLeipsic(wheretheyhaddecidedtobreakthelongpulltoCarlsbad)，alltheanxietiesofEuropeantravel，dimlyrememberedfromformerEuropeandays，offeredthemselvesforrecognition。Aportervanishedwiththeirhand-baggagebeforetheycouldnoteanytraitinhimforidentification；otherportersmadeawaywiththeirtrunks；andtheinterpreterwhohelpedMarchbuyhistickets，withavocabularyofstrictlyrailroadEnglish，hadtohelphimfindthepiecesinthebaggage-room，curiouslyestrangedinamountainofalienboxes。Oneofficialweighedthem；anotherobligedhimtopayasmuchinfreightasforathirdpassenger，andgavehimanillegiblescrapofpaperwhichrecordedtheirnumberanddestination。Theinterpreterandtheporterstooktheirfeeswithaprofessionaleffectofdissatisfaction，andhewenttowaitwithhiswifeamidstthesmokingandeatinganddrinkingintherestaurant。Theyburstthroughwiththerestwhenthedoorswereopenedtothetrain，andfollowedaglimpseoftheporterwiththeirhand-bags，asherandowntheplatform，stillbentuponescapingthem，andbroughthimtobayatlastinacarwherehehadgotverygoodseatsforthem，andsankintotheirplaces，hotandhumiliatedbytheirneedlesstumult。

Astheycooled，theyrecoveredtheirself-respect，andrenewedayouthfuljoyinsomeofthelong-estrangedfacts。Theroadwasrougherthantheroadsathome；butformuchlessmoneytheyhadthecomfort，withouttheunavailingsplendor，ofaPullmanintheirsecond-classcarriage。Mrs。

MarchhadexpectedtobeusedwiththeseverityontheimperialrailroadswhichshehadfailedtoexperiencefromthemilitaryontheHamburgsidewalks，butnothingcouldbekindlierthanthewholemanagementtowardher。Herfellow-travellerswerenotlavishoftheirrights，asAmericansare；whattheygot，thattheykept；andintherunfromHamburgtoLeipsicshehadseveraloccasionstoobservethatnoGerman，howeveryoungorrobust，dreamsofofferingabetterplace，ifhehasone，toaladyingracetohersexorage；iftheygotintoacarriagetoolatetosecureaforward-lookingseat，sherodebackwardtotheendofthatstage。Butiftheyappealedtotheirfellow-travellersforinformationaboutchanges，orstops，oranyofthelittlefactsthattheywishedtomakesureof，theywereenlightenedpastpossibilityoferror。Atthepointwheretheymighthavegonewrongtheexplanationswererenewedwithathoughtfulnesswhichshowedthattheiranxietieshadnotbeenforgotten。Shesaidshecouldnotseehowanypeoplecouldbebothsoselfishandsosweet，andherhusbandseizedtheadvantageofsayingsomethingoffensive：

“YouwomenaresopamperedinAmericathatyouareastonishedwhenyouaretreatedinEuropelikethemerehumanbeingsyouare。”

Sheansweredwithunexpectedreasonableness：

“Yes，there’ssomethinginthat；butwhentheGermanshavetaughtushowdespicableweareaswomen，whydotheytreatussowellashumanbeings？”

Thiswasatteno’clock，aftershehadriddenbackwardalongway，andatlast，withinanhourofLeipsic，hadgotaseatconfrontinghim。Thedarknesshadnowhiddenthelandscape，buttheimpressionofitsfewsimpleelementslingeredpleasantlyintheirsense：longlevels，denselywoodedwiththeprecise，severelydisciplinedGermanforests，andcheckeredwithfieldsofgrainandgrass，soakingunderthethinrainthatfromtimetotimevariedthethinsunshine。

Thevillagesandpeasants’cottageswerenotablyfew；buttherewashereandthereaclassicoragothicvilla，which，atonepoint，anEnglish-

speakingyoungladyturnedfromherTauchnitznoveltoexplainastheseatofsomecountrygentleman；thelandwasinlargeholdings，andthisaccountedforthesparsityofvillagesandcottages。

ShethensaidthatshewasaGermanteacherofEnglish，inHamburg，andwasgoinghometoPotsdamforavisit。SheseemedlikeaGermangirloutof’TheInitials’，andinreturnforthisfavorMrs。MarchtriedtoinvestherselfwithsomeromanticinterestasanAmerican。Shefailedtomovethegirl’sfancy，evenaftershehadbestowedonheranimmensebunchofroseswhichtheyoungGermanfriendinHamburghadsenttothemjustbeforetheylefttheirhotel。Shefailed，later，onthesamegroundwiththepleasant-lookingEnglishwomanwhogotintotheircarriageatMagdeburg，andtalkedoverthe’LondonIllustratedNews’withanEnglish-