Therehavebeen，infact，noAmericansherebutourselves，andwehavedonewhatwecouldwiththeGermanswhospokeEnglish.ThenicestofthesewereacharmingfamilyfromF，fatherandmother，andsonanddaughter，withwhomwehadapleasantweekofdinners.AttheveryfirstwedisagreedwiththeparentssoamicablyaboutIbsenandSudermannthatIwasalmostsorrytohavethesontakeourmodernsideofthecontroversyanddeclarehimselfanadmirerofthoseauthorswithus.
OurfrankliterarydifferenceestablishedakindnessbetweenusthatwasstrengthenedbyourcommunityofEnglish，andwhentheywenttheyleftustothesympathyofanotherGermanfamilywithwhomwehadmainlyourhumanityincommon.TheyspokenoEnglish，andIonlyaGermanwhichtheymusthaveunderstoodwiththeirheartsratherthantheirheads，sinceitconsistedchieflyofgood—will.Butintheairoftheirsweetnaturesitflourishedsurprisingly，andsufficedeachdayforpraiseoftheweatherafteritbegantobefine，andatpartingforsomefondregrets，notunmixedwithphilosophicalreflections，sadlyperplexedinthegendersandtheorderoftheverbs：withmetheverbwillseldomwait，asitshouldinGerman，totheend.Bothofthesefamilies，verydifferentinsocialtradition，Ifancied，wereoneintheamiabilitywhichmakesthealienforgivesomuchmilitarismtotheGermannation，andhopeforitsfinalescapefromthedrill—sergeant.Whentheywent，wewereleftforsomemealstoourownAmericantongue，withabriefintervalofthatEnglishpainterandhiswifewithwhomwespoke，ourlanguageasnearlylikeEnglishaswecould.ThenfollowedadesperatelunchanddinnerwhereanunbrokenforestofGerman，andastillmoreimpenetrablemorassofDutch，hemmedusin.ButlastnightitwasourjoytobeaddressedinourownspeechbyaladywhospokeitasadmirablyasourdearfriendsfromF.ShewasDutch，andwhenshefoundwewereAmericansshepraisedourhistorianMotley，andtoldushowhisportraitisgratefullyhonoredwithaplaceintheQueen\'spalace，TheHouseintheWoods，nearScheveningen.
V.
Shehadcomeupfromherplaceinthecountry，fourhoursaway，forthelastoftheconcertshere，whichhavebeengiventhroughoutthesummerbythebestorchestrainEurope，andwhichhavebeenthrongedeveryafternoonandeveningbypeoplefromTheHague.
OnehonoreddaythisweekeventheQueenandtheQueenMothercamedowntotheconcert，andgaveusincomparablythegreatesteventofourwaningseason.Ihadnoticedallthemorningafloralperturbationaboutthemainentranceofthehotel，whichsettledintotheformofbanksofautumnalbloomoneithersideofthespeciallycarpetedstairs，andputforthontheroofofthearcadeinacrown，muchbiggerroundthanabarrel，oforange—coloredasters，inhonoroftheQueen\'sancestralhouseofOrange.Flagsofblue，white，andredflutterednervouslyaboutinthebreezefromthesea，andimpartedtousanagreeableanxietynottomissseeingtheQueens，astheDutchsuccinctlycalltheirsovereignandherparent;andatthreeo\'clockwesawthemdriveuptothehotel.