第19章

speakingFrauleininhercompany；shereadilyacceptedthefactofMrs。

March’snationality，butfoundnothingwonderfulinit，apparently；andwhensheleftthetrainsheleftMrs。MarchtorecallwithfondregrettheolddaysinItalywhenshefirstcameabroad，andcouldmakeawholecarriagefullofItaliansbreakintoohsandahsbysayingthatshewasanAmerican，andtellinghowfarshehadcomeacrossthesea。

“Yes。”Marchassented，“butthatwasagreatwhileago，andAmericansweremuchrarerthantheyarenowinEurope。TheItaliansaresomuchmoresympatheticthantheGermansandEnglish，andtheysawthatyouwantedtoimpressthem。Heavenknowshowlittletheycared！Andthen，youwereaveryprettyyounggirlinthosedays；oratleastIthoughtso。”

“Yes。”shesighed，“andnowI’maplainoldwoman。”

“Oh，notquitesobadasthat。”

“Yes，Iam！DoyouthinktheywouldhavecaredmoreifithadbeenMissTriscoe？”

“Notsomuchasifithadbeenthepivotalgirl。TheywouldhavefoundhermuchmoretheiridealoftheAmericanwoman；andevenshewouldhavehadtohavebeenherethirtyyearsago。”

Shelaughedalittleruefully。“Well，atanyrate，IshouldliketoknowhowMissTriscoewouldhaveaffectedthem。”

“IshouldmuchratherknowwhatsortoflifethatEnglishwomanislivingherewithherGermanhusband；Ifanciedshehadmarriedrank。IcouldimaginehowdullitmustbeinherlittleSaxontown，fromthewaysheclungtoherIllustratedNews，andexplainedthepicturesoftheroyaltiestoherfriend。Thereisromanceforyou！”

TheyarrivedatLeipsicfreshandcheerfulaftertheirfivehours’

journey，andasinaspelloftheirtravelledyouththeydroveupthroughtheacademicoldtown，asleepunderitsdimlycloudedsky，andsilentexceptforthetrolley-carsthatprowleditsstreetswiththeirfelinepurr，andbrokeattimesintoalong，shrillcaterwaul。Asenseofthepastimparteditselftothewell-knownencounterwiththeportierandtheheadwaiteratthehoteldoor，tothepaymentofthedriver，totheendeavorofthesecretarytohavethemtakethemostexpensiveroomsinthehouse，andtohiscompromiseuponthenextmost，wheretheyfoundthemselvesingreatcomfort，withelectriclightsandbells，andaquicksuccessionoffee-takingcall-boysindress-coatstoolargeforthem。

Thespellwasdeepenedbythefact，whichMarchkeptatthebottomofhisconsciousnessforthepresent，thatoneoftheirtrunkswasmissing。

Thislinkedhimmorecloselytothetravelofotherdays，andhespentthenextforenooninatelegraphicsearchfortheestray，withemotionstingedbythemelancholyofrecollection，butinthesecuritythatsinceitwassomewhereinthekeepingofthestaterailway，itwouldbefinallyrestoredtohim。

Theirwindows，astheysawinthemorning，lookedintoalargesquareofaristocraticphysiognomy，andofaParisianeffectinarchitecture，whichafterwardsprovedcharacteristicofthetown，ifnotquitesocharacteristicastojustifythepassionofLeipsicforcallingitselfLittleParis。TheprevailingtonewasofagraytendingtothepaleyellowoftheTauchnitzeditionswithwhichtheplaceismorefamiliarlyassociatedinthemindsofEnglish-speakingtravellers。Itwasrathermoresombrethanitmighthavebeeniftheweatherhadbeenfair；butaquietrainwasfallingdreamilythatmorning，andthesquarewasprovidedwithafountainwhichcontinuedtodribbleintheraremomentswhentherainforgotitself。TheplacewasbettershadedthanneedbeinthatsunlesslandbytheGermanelmsthatlooklikeoursanditwassufficientlystockedwithGermanstatues，thatlooklikenoothers。Ithadamonument，too，ofthesortwithwhichGermanarthaseverywheredisfiguredthekindlyfatherlandsincethewarwithFrance。Thesemonuments，thoughtheyaresoveryugly，haveasortofpathosasrecordsoftheonlywarinwhichGermanyunaidedhastriumphedagainstaforeignfoe，buttheyareastiresomeasallsuchmemorialpompsmustbe。Itisnotforthevictoriesofapeoplethatanyotherpeoplecancare。Thewarscomeandgoinbloodandtears；butwhethertheyarebadwars，orwhatarecomicallycalledgoodwars，theyareofoneeffectindeathandsorrow，andtheirfameisanoffencetoallmennotconcernedinthem，tilltimehassoftenedittoamemory“Ofold，unhappy，far-offthings，Andbattleslongago。”

ItwasforsomesuchreasonthatwhiletheMarchesturnedwithinstantsatietyfromtheswellingandstruttingsculpturewhichcelebratedtheLeipsicheroesofthewarof1870，theyhadheartforthoseofthewarof1813；andaftertheirnoondaydinnertheydrovewillingly，inapauseoftherain，outbetweenyellowingharvestsofwheatandoatstothefieldwhereNapoleonwasbeatenbytheRussians，AustriansandPrussians(italwaystookatleastthreenationstobeatthelittlewretch)fourscoreyearsbefore。YeteventhereMrs。Marchwasreallymoreconcernedforthesparsityofcorn-flowersinthegrain，whichintheirmoderncharacterofKaiserblumenshefoundstrangelyabsentfromtheirloyalfunction；andMarchwasmoretakenwiththenotionofthelittlegardenswhichhisguidetoldhimthecitizenscouldhaveinthesuburbsofLeipsicandenjoyatanytrolley-cardistancefromtheirhomes。Hesawcertainofthesegardensingroups，dividedbylow，unenviousfences，andsometimesfurnishedwithsummer-houses，wherethetenantcouldtakehispleasureintheeveningair，withhisfamily。Theguidesaidhehadsuchagardenhimself，atarentofsevendollarsayear，whereheraisedvegetablesandflowers，andspenthispeacefulleisure；andMarchfanciedthatonthesimpledomesticsideoftheirlife，whichthisfactgavehimaglimpseof，theGermansweremuchmoreengagingthanintheircharacterofvictorsovereithertheFirstortheThirdNapoleon。Butprobablytheywouldnothaveagreedwithhim，andprobablynationswillgoonmakingthemselvescruelandtiresometillhumanityatlastprevailsovernationality。

Hecouldhaveputthecasetotheguidehimself；butthoughtheguidewasimaginablyliberatedtoacosmopolitanconceptionofthingsbythreeyears’serviceaswaiterinEnglishhotels，wherehelearnedthelanguage，hemightnothaverisentothis。Hewouldhavetried，forhewasawillingandkindlysoul，thoughhewasnota’valetdeplace’byprofession。Thereseemedinfactbutoneofthatuselessandamusingrace(whichiseverywherefallingintodecaythroughtherivalryoftheperfectedBaedeker，)leftinLeipsic，andthisonewasengaged，sothattheMarcheshadtodevolveupontheirex-waiter，whowasnowthekeeperofasmallrestaurant。Hegladlyabandonedhisbusinesstothecareofhiswife，inordertodrivehandsomelyaboutinhisbestclothes，withstrangerswhodidnotexacttoomuchknowledgefromhim。InhiszealtodosomethinghepossessedhimselfofMarch’sovercoatwhentheydismountedattheirfirstgallery，andletfallfromitspockethisprophylacticflaskofbrandy，whichbrokewithaloudcrashonthemarblefloorinthepresenceofseveralmasterpieces，andperfumedthewholeplace。ThemasterpiecesweresomeexcellentworksofLukeKranach，whoseemedtheonlyGermanpainterworthlookingatwhentherewereanyDutchorItalianpicturesnear，butthetravellersforgotthenameandnatureoftheKranachs，andrememberedafterwardsonlytheshatteredfragmentsofthebrandy-flask，justhowtheylookedonthefloor，andthefumes，howtheysmelt，thatrosefromtheruin。

Itmighthavebeenawarningprotestoftheveracitiesagainstwhattheyweredoing；butthemadnessofsight-seeing，whichspoilstravel，wasonthem，andtheydeliveredthemselvesuptoitastheyusedintheirignorantyouth，thoughnowtheyknewitsfutilitysowell。Theysparedthemselvesnothingthattheyhadtimefor，thatday，andtheyfeltfalselyguiltyfortheiromissions，asiftheyreallyhadbeendutiestoartandhistorywhichmustbedischarged，likeobligationstoone’smakerandone’sneighbor。

TheyhadatouchofgenuinejoyinthepresenceofthebeautifuloldRathhaus，andtheyweresensibleofsomethinglikeagenuineemotioninpassingthefamousandvenerableuniversity；theveryairofLeipsicisredolentofprintingandpublication，whichappealedtoMarchinhisqualityofeditor，andtheycouldnotfailofanimpressionofthequietbeautyofthetown，withitsregularstreetsofhousesbreakingintosuburbanvillasofanAmericansort，andintersectedwithmanycanals，whichintheintervalsoftherainwereeagerlynavigatedbypleasureboats，andcontributedtothegeneralpicturesquenessbytheirfrequentbridges，evenduringthedrizzle。Thereseemedtobenochurchestodo，andasitwasaSunday，thegalleriesweresoearlyclosedagainstthemthattheyweremakingavirtueaswellasapleasureofthefamoussceneofNapoleon’sfirstgreatdefeat。

Byaconcertbetweentheirguideanddrivertheircarriagedrewupatthelittleinnbytheroad-side，whichisalsoamuseumstockedwithrelicsfromthebattle-field，andwithobjectsofinterestrelatingtoit。Oldmuskets，oldswords，oldshoesandoldcoats，trumpets，drums，gun-

carriages，wheels，helmets，cannonballs，grape-shot，andallthemurderousrubbishwhichbattlescometoatlast，withproclamations，autographs，caricaturesandlikenessesofNapoleon，andeffigiesofalltheothergeneralsengaged，andminiaturesandjewelsoftheirwomenkind，filledroomafterroom，throughwhichtheirownervauntedhisway，withaloudpoundingvoiceandabadbreath。WhenhewishedthemtoenjoysomegrossBritishsatireorclumsyGermangibeatBonaparte’sexpense，andputhisfaceclosetobeginthelaugh，hewassomethingsoterriblethatMarchlefttheplacewithaprofoundifnotareasonedregretthattheFrenchhadnotwonthebattleofLeipsic。Hewalkedawaymusingpensivelyuponthetraveller’sinadequacytotheethicsofhistorywhenabreathcouldsoswayhimagainsthisconvictions；butevenafterhehadcleansedhislungswithsomedeeprespirationshefoundhimselfstillaBonapartistinthepresenceofthatstoneontherisinggroundwhereNapoleonsattowatchthestruggleonthevastplain，andseehisempireslippingthroughhisblood-stainedfingers。Itwaswithdifficultythathecouldkeepfromreveringthehatandcoatwhicharesculpturedonthestone，butitwaswellthathesucceeded，forhecouldnotmakeoutthenorafterwardswhetherthehabilimentsrepresentedwerereallyNapoleon’sornot，andtheymighthaveturnedouttobeBarclaydeTolly’s。

Whilehestoodtryingtosolvethisquestionofclotheshewasstartledbytheapparitionofamanclimbingthelittleslopefromtheoppositequarter，andadvancingtowardthem。Heworetheimperialcrossedbythepointedmustacheoncesofamiliartoaworldmuchtheworseforthem，andMarchhadtheshiverofafinemomentinwhichhefanciedtheThirdNapoleonrisingtoviewthescenewheretheFirsthadlookedhiscomingruinintheface。

“Why，it’sMissTriscoe！”criedhiswife，andbeforeMarchhadnoticedtheapproachofanotherfigure，theelderandtheyoungerladyhadrusheduponeachother，andencounteredwithakiss。AtthesametimethevisageofthelastEmperorresolveditselfintothefaceofGeneralTriscoe，whogaveMarchhishandinamoretemperedgreeting。

Theladiesbeganaskingeachotheroftheirlivessincetheirpartingtwodaysbefore，andthemenstrolledafewpacesawaytowardthedistantprospectofLeipsic，whichatthatpointsilhouettesitselfinanoblestretchofroofsandspiresandtowersagainstthehorizon。

GeneralTriscoeseemednobettersatisfiedwithGermanythanhehadbeenonfirststeppingashoreatCuxhaven。Hemightstillhavebeeninapoutwithhisowncountry，butasyethehadnotmadeupwithanyother；andhesaid，“WhatapityNapoleondidn’tthrashthewholedunderheadedlot！