their silver wedding journey v3-第1节

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Their　Silver　Wedding　Journey　V3

by　William　Dean　Howells







PART　III。



XLVIII。

At　the　first　station　where　the　train　stopped；　a　young　German　bowed
himself　into　the　compartment　with　the　Marches；　and　so　visibly　resisted　an
impulse　to　smoke　that　March　begged　him　to　light　his　cigarette。　　In　the
talk　which　this　friendly　overture　led　to　between　them　he　explained　that
he　was　a　railway　architect；　employed　by　the　government　on　that　line　of
road；　and　was　travelling　officially。　　March　spoke　of　Nuremberg；　he　owned
the　sort　of　surfeit　he　had　suffered　from　its　excessive　mediaevalism；　and
the　young　man　said　it　was　part　of　the　new　imperial　patriotism　to　cherish
the　Gothic　throughout　Germany；　no　other　sort　of　architecture　was
permitted　in　Nuremberg。　　But　they　would　find　enough　classicism　at
Ansbach；　he　promised　them；　and　he　entered　with　sympathetic　intelligence
into　their　wish　to　see　this　former　capital　when　March　told　him　they　were
going　to　stop　there；　in　hopes　of　something　typical　of　the　old　disjointed
Germany　of　the　petty　principalities；　the　little　paternal　despotisms　now
extinct。

As　they　talked　on；　partly　in　German　and　partly　in　English；　their　purpose
in　visiting　Ansbach　appeared　to　the　Marches　more　meditated　than　it　was。
In　fact　it　was　somewhat　accidental；　Ansbach　was　near　Nuremberg；　it　was
not　much　out　of　the　way　to　Holland。　　They　took　more　and　more　credit　to
themselves　for　a　reasoned　and　definite　motive；　in　the　light　of　their
companion's　enthusiasm　for　the　place；　and　its　charm　began　for　them　with
the　drive　from　the　station　through　streets　whose　sentiment　was　both
Italian　and　French；　and　where　there　was　a　yellowish　cast　in　the　gray　of
the　architecture　which　was　almost　Mantuan。　　They　rested　their
sensibilities；　so　bruised　and　fretted　by　Gothic　angles　and　points；
against　the　smooth　surfaces　of　the　prevailing　classicistic　facades　of　the
houses　as　they　passed；　and　when　they　arrived　at　their　hotel；　an　old
mansion　of　Versailles　type；　fronting　on　a　long　irregular　square　planted
with　pollard　sycamores；　they　said　that　it　might　as　well　have　been　Lucca。

The　archway　and　stairway　of　the　hotel　were　draped　with　the　Bavarian
colors；　and　they　were　obscurely　flattered　to　learn　that　Prince　Leopold；
the　brother　of　the　Prince…Regent　of　the　kingdom；　had　taken　rooms　there；
on　his　way　to　the　manoeuvres　at　Nuremberg；　and　was　momently　expected　with
his　suite。　　They　realized　that　they　were　not　of　the　princely　party；
however；　when　they　were　told　that　he　had　sole　possession　of　the　dining…
room；　and　they　went　out　to　another　hotel；　and　had　their　supper　in　keeping
delightfully　native。　　People　seemed　to　come　there　to　write　their　letters
and　make　up　their　accounts；　as　well　as　to　eat　their　suppers；　they　called
for　stationery　like　characters　in　old　comedy；　and　the　clatter　of　crockery
and　the　scratching　of　pens　went　on　together；　and　fortune　offered　the
Marches　a　delicate　reparation　for　their　exclusion　from　their　own　hotel　in
the　cold　popular　reception　of　the　prince　which　they　got　back　just　in　time
to　witness。　　A　very　small　group　of　people；　mostly　women　and　boys；　had
gathered　to　see　him　arrive；　but　there　was　no　cheering　or　any　sign　of
public　interest。　　Perhaps　he　personally　merited　none；　he　looked　a　dull；
sad　man；　with　his　plain；　stubbed　features；　and　after　he　had　mounted　to
his　apartment；　the　officers　of　his　staff　stood　quite　across　the　landing；
and　barred　the　passage　of　the　Americans；　ignoring　even　Mrs。　March's
presence；　as　they　talked　together。

〃Well；　my　dear；〃　said　her　husband；　〃here　you　have　it　at　last。　　This　is
what　you've　been　living　for；　ever　since　we　came　to　Germany。　　It's　a　great
moment。〃

〃Yes。　　What　are　you　going　to　do？〃

〃Who？　　I？　　Oh；　nothing！　This　is　your　affair；　it's　for　you　to　act。〃

If　she　had　been　young；　she　might　have　withered　them　with　a　glance；　she
doubted　now　if　her　dim　eyes　would　have　any　such　power；　but　she　advanced
steadily　upon　them；　and　then　the　officers　seemed　aware　of　her；　and　stood
aside。

March　always　insisted　that　they　stood　aside　apologetically；　but　she　held
as　firmly　that　they　stood　aside　impertinently；　or　at　least　indifferently；
and　that　the　insult　to　her　American　womanhood　was　perfectly　ideal。　　It　is
true　that　nothing　of　the　kind　happened　again　during　their　stay　at　the
hotel；　the　prince's　officers　were　afterwards　about　in　the　corridors　and
on　the　stairs；　but　they　offered　no　shadow　of　obstruction　to　her　going　and
coming；　and　the　landlord　himself　was　not　so　preoccupied　with　his
highhotes　but　he　had　time　to　express　his　grief　that　she　had　been　obliged
to　go　out　for　supper。

They　satisfied　the　passion　for　the　little　obsolete　capital　which　had　been
growing　upon　them　by　strolling　past　the　old　Resident　at　an　hour　so
favorable　for　a　first　impression。　　It　loomed　in　the　gathering　dusk　even
vaster　than　it　was；　and　it　was　really　vast　enough　for　the　pride　of　a　King
of　France；　much　more　a　Margrave　of　Ansbach。　　Time　had　blackened　and
blotched　its　coarse　limestone　walls　to　one　complexion　with　the　statues
swelling　and　strutting　in　the　figure　of　Roman　legionaries　before　it；　and
standing　out　against　the　evening　sky　along　its　balustraded　roof；　and　had
softened　to　the　right　tint　the　stretch　of　half　a　dozen　houses　with
mansard　roofs　and　renaissance　facades　obsequiously　in　keeping　with　the
Versailles　ideal　of　a　Resident。　　In　the　rear；　and　elsewhere　at　fit
distance　from　its　courts；　a　native　architecture　prevailed；　and　at　no
great　remove　the　Marches　found　themselves　in　a　simple　German　town　again。
There　they　stumbled　upon　a　little　bookseller's　shop　blinking　in　a　quiet
corner；　and　bought　three　or　four　guides　and　small　histories　of　Ansbach；
which　they　carried　home；　and　studied　between　drowsing　and　waking。　　The
wonderful　German　syntax　seems　at　its　most　enigmatical　in　this　sort　of
literature；　and　sometimes　they　lost　themselves　in　its　labyrinths
completely；　and　only　made　their　way　perilously　out　with　the　help　of
cumulative　declensions；　past　articles　and　adjectives　blindly　seeking
their　nouns；　to　long…procrastinated　verbs　dancing　like　swamp…fires　in　the
distance。　　They　emerged　a　little　less　ignorant　than　they　went　in；　and
better　qualified　than　they　would　otherwise　have　been　for　their　second
visit　to　the　Schloss；　which　they　paid　early　the　next　morning。

They　were　so　early；　indeed；　that　when　they　mounted　from　the　great　inner
court；　much　too　big　for　Ansbach；　if　not　for　the　building；　and　rung　the
custodian's　bell；　a　smiling　maid　who　let　them　into　an　ante…room；　where
she　kept　on　picking　over　vegetables　for　her　dinner；　said　the　custodian
was　busy；　and　could　not　be　seen　till　ten　o'clock。　　She　seemed；　in　her
nook　of　the　pretentious　pile；　as　innocently　unconscious　of　its　history
as　any　hen…sparrow　who　had　built　her　nest　in　some　coign　of　its
architecture；　and　her　friendly；　peaceful　domesticity　remained　a　wholesome
human　background　to　the　tragedies　and　comedies　of　the　past；　and　held　them
in　a　picturesque　relief　in　which　they　were　alike　tolerable　and　even
charming。

The　history　of　Ansbach　strikes　its　roots　in　the　soil　of　fable；　and　above
ground　is　a　gnarled　and　twisted　growth　of　good　and　bad　from　the　time　of
the　Great　Charles　to　the　time　of　the　Great　Frederick。　　Between　these
times　she　had　her　various　rulers；　ecclesiastical　and　secular；　in　various
forms　of　vassalage　to　the　empire；　but　for　nearly　four　centuries　her
sovereignty　was　in　the　hands　of　the　margraves；　who　reigned　in　a
constantly　increasing　splendor　till　the　last　sold　her　outright　to　the
King　of　Prussia　in　1791；　and　went　to　live　in　England　on　the　proceeds。
She　had　taken　her　part　in　the　miseries　and　glories　of　the　wars　that
desolated　Germany；　but　after　the　Reformation；　when　she　turned　from　the
ancient　faith　to　which　she　owed　her　cloistered　origin　under　St。
Gumpertus；　her　people　had　peace　except　when　their　last　prince　sold　them
to　fight　the　battles　of　others。　　It　is　in　this　last　transaction　that　her
history；　almost　in　the　moment　when　she　ceased　to　have　a　history　of　her
own；　links　to　that　of　the　modern　world；　and　that　it　came　home　to　the
Marches　in　their　national　character；　for　two　thousand　of　those　poor
Ansbach　mercenaries　were　bought　up　by　England　and　sent　to　put　down　a
rebellion　in　her　American　colonies。

Humanly；　they　were　more　concerned　for　the　Last　Margrave；　because　of
certain　qualities　which　made　him　the　Best　Margrave；　in　spite　of　the
defects　of　his　qualities。　　He　was　the　son　of　the　Wild　Margrave；　equally
known　in　the　Ansbach　annals；　who　may　not　have　been　the　Worst　Margrave；
but　who　had　certainly　a　bad　trick　of　putting　his　subjects　to　death
without　trial；　and　in　cases　where　there　was　special　haste；　with　his　own
hand。　　He　sent　his　son　to　the　university　at　Utrecht　because　he　believed
that　the　republican　influences　in　Holland　would　be　wholesome　for　him；　and
then　he　sent　him　to　travel　in　Italy；　but　when　the　boy　came　home　looking
frail　and　sick；　the　Wild　Margrave　charged　his　official　travelling
companion　with　neglect；　and　had　the　unhappy　Hofrath　Meyer　hanged　without
process　for　this　crime。　　One　of　the　gentlemen　of　his　realm；　for　a
pasquinade　on　the　Margrave；　was　brought　to　the　scaffold；　he　had；　at
various　times；　twenty…two　of　his　soldiers　shot　with　arrows　and　bull