derogatory to his
dignity; but he passed on, and then the sparrow suddenly flew off.

Rose Adding had lingered for the incident with March, but they now
pushed on, and came up with the others at the end of the bridge, where
they found them in question whether they had not better take a carriage
and drive to the foot of the hill before they began their climb. March
thanked them, but said he was keeping up the terms of his cure, and
was getting in all the walking he could. Rose begged his mother not to
include him in the driving party; he protested that he was feeling so
well, and the walk was doing him good. His mother consented, if he would
promise not to get tired, and then she mounted into the two-spanner
which had driven instinctively up to their party when their parley
began, and General Triscoe took the place beside her, while Kenby, with
smiling patience, seated himself in front.

Rose kept on talking with March about Wurzburg and its history, which it
seemed he had been reading the night before when he could not sleep. He
explained, "We get little histories of the places wherever we go. That's
what Mr. Kenby does, you know."

"Oh, yes," said March.

"I don't suppose I shall get a chance to read much here," Rose
continued, "with General Triscoe in the room. He doesn't like the
light."

"Well, well. He's rather old, you know. And you musn't read too much,
Rose. It isn't good for you."

"I know, but if I don't read, I think, and that keeps me awake worse.
Of course, I respect General Triscoe for being in the war, and getting
wounded," the boy suggested.

"A good many did it," March was tempted to say.

The boy did not notice his insinuation. "I suppose there were some
things they did in the army, and then they couldn't get over the habit.
But General Grant says in his 'Life' that he never used a profane
expletive."

"Does General Triscoe?"

Rose answered reluctantly, "If anything wakes him in the night, or if he
can't make these German beds over to suit him--"

"I see." March turned his face to hide the smile which he would not
have let the boy detect. He thought best not to let Rose resume his
impressions of the general; and in talk of weightier matters they found
themselves at that point of the climb where the carriage was waiting
for them. From this point they followed an alley through ivied, garden
walls, till they reached the first of the balustraded terraces which
ascend to the crest of the hill