mid rococo sculptures and frescoes, and the glazed veranda opening by
vast windows on a spread of tables without, which were already filling
up for the evening concert. Around them at the different tables there
were groups of faces and figures fascinating in their strangeness, with
that distinction which abashes our American level in the presence of
European inequality.

"How simple and unimpressive we are, Basil," she said, "beside all
these people! I used to feel it in Europe when I was young, and now I'm
certain that we must seem like two faded-in old village photographs. We
don't even look intellectual! I hope we look good."

"I know I do," said March. The waiter went for their supper, and they
joined in guessing the different nationalities in the room. A French
party was easy enough; a Spanish mother and daughter were not difficult,
though whether they were not South-American remained uncertain; two
elderly maiden ladies were unmistakably of central Massachusetts, and
were obviously of a book-club culture that had left no leaf unturned;
some Triestines gave themselves away by their Venetian accent; but a
large group at a farther table were unassignable in the strange language
which they clattered loudly together, with bursts of laughter. They were
a family party of old and young, they were having a good time, with a
freedom which she called baronial; the ladies wore white satin, or black
lace, but the men were in sack-coats; she chose to attribute them, for
no reason but their outlandishness, to Transylvania. March pretended to
prefer a table full of Germans, who were unmistakably bourgeois, and yet
of intellectual effect. He chose as his favorite a middle-aged man
of learned aspect, and they both decided to think of him as the Herr
Professor, but they did not imagine how perfectly the title fitted him
till he drew a long comb from his waistcoat pocket and combed his hair
and beard with it above the table.

The wine wrought with the Transylvanians, and they all jargoned together
at once, and laughed at the jokes passing among them. One old gentleman
had a peculiar fascination from the infantile innocence of his gums
when he threw his head back to laugh, and showed an upper jaw toothless
except for two incisors, standing guard over the chasm between. Suddenly
he choked, coughed to relieve himself, hawked, held his napkin up before
him, and--

"Noblesse oblige," said March, with the tone of irony which he reserved