Theycouldseenowayoutofthetrouble，andMrs。Marchcouldnotresignherselftoittillherhusbandsuggestedthatsheshouldconsideritprovidential。Thistouchedthelingeringsuperstitioninwhichshehadbeenancestrallytaughttoregardherselfasameans，wheninaverytightplace，andtoleavetheresponsibilitywiththemoralgovernmentoftheuniverse。Asshenowperceived，ithadbeenthesameasorderedthattheyshouldseeBurnamyundersuchconditionsintheafternoonthattheycouldnotspeaktohim，andhearwherehewasstaying；andinaninferiordegreeithadbeenthesameasorderedthatMarchshouldseehimintheeveningandtellhimeverything，sothatsheshouldknowjusthowtoactwhenshesawhiminthemorning。IfhecouldplausiblyaccountfortherenewalofhisflirtationwithMissElkins，orifheseemedgenerallyworthyapartfromthat，shecouldforgivehim。
Itwassopleasantwhenhecameinatbreakfastwithhiswell-rememberedsmile，thatshedidnotrequirefromhimanyexplicitdefence。WhiletheytalkedshewasrightingherselfinanundercurrentofdramawithMissTriscoe，andexplainingtoherthattheycouldnotpossiblywaitoverforherandherfatherinWeimar，butmustbeoffthatdayforBerlin，astheyhadmadealltheirplans。Itwasnoteasy，evenindramawhereonehaseverythingone’sownway，toprovethatshecouldnotwithoutimpietysofarinterferewiththecourseofProvidenceastopreventMissTriscoe’scomingwithherfathertothesamehotelwhereBurnamywasstaying。Shecontrived，indeed，topersuadeherthatshehadnotknownhewasstayingtherewhenshetelegraphedthemwheretocome，andthatintheabsenceofanyopenconfidencefromMissTriscoeshewasnotobligedtosupposethathispresencewouldbeembarrassing。
MarchproposedleavingherwithBurnamywhilehewentupintothetownandinterviewedthehouseofSchiller，whichhehadnotdoneyet；andassoonashegothimselfawayshecametobusiness，breakingaltogetherfromtheinnerdramawithMissTriscoeanddevotingherselftoBurnamy。
TheyhadalreadygotsofarastohavementionedthemeetingwiththeTriscoesinWurzburg，andshesaid：“DidMr。Marchtellyoutheywerecominghere？Or，no！Wehadn’theardthen。Yes，theyarecomingto-
morrow。Theymaybegoingtostaysometime。ShetalkedofWeimarwhenwefirstspokeofGermanyontheship。”Burnamysaidnothing，andshesuddenlyadded，withasharpglance，“Theywantedustogetthemrooms，andweadvisedtheircomingtothishouse。”Hestartedverysatisfactorily，and“Doyouthinktheywouldbecomfortable，here？”shepursued。