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.
Certainofficialsincivildressstoodatthedooroftheconcert—roomtoushertheQueensin，andabareheaded，bald—headeddignityofmilitaryfigurebackedupthestairsbeforethem.Iwouldnotrashlycommitmyselftoparticularsconcerningtheirdress，butIamsurethattheelderQueenworeblack，andtheyoungerwhite.ThemotherhasoneofthebestandwisestfacesIhaveseenanywomanwear（andmostofthegood，wisefacesinthisimperfectlybalancedworldarewomen\'s）andthedaughteroneofthesweetestandprettiest.Prettyisthewordforherface，anditshowedpinkthroughherblondveil，asshesmiledandbowedrightandleft;herfeaturesaresmallandfine，andsheisnotabovethemiddleheight.
Assoonasshehadpassedintotheconcert—room，wewhohadwaitedtoseehergoinranroundtoanotherdoorandjoinedthetwoorthreethousandpeoplewhowerestandingtoreceivetheQueens.Thesehadalreadymountedtotheroyalbox，andtheystoodtherewhiletheorchestraplayedoneoftheDutchnationalairs.（OneairisnotenoughfortheDutch;
theymusthavetwo.）Thenthemotherfadedsomewhereintothebackground，andthedaughtersataloneinthefront，onagiltthrone，withagiltcrownattop，andaveryuncomfortablecarvedGothicback.
Shelookedsoyoung，sogentle，andsogoodthattherudestRepublicancouldnothavehelpedwishingherwelloutofapositionsoessentiallyandirreparablyfalseasahereditarysovereign\'s.Oneforgotinthepresenceofherinnocentseventeenyearsthatmostoftherulingprincesoftheworldhadleftittheworsefortheirhavingbeeninit;atmomentsoneforgotheraltogetherasaprincess，andsawheronlyasacharmingyounggirl，whohadtositupratherstiffly.
AttheendoftheprogrammetheQueensroseandwalkedslowlyout，whiletheorchestraplayedtheothernationalair.
VI.
IcallthemtheQueens，becausetheDutchdo;andIlikeHollandsomuchthatIshouldhatetodifferwiththeDutchinanything.But，asamatteroffact，theyareneitherofthemquiteQueens;themotheristheregentandthedaughterwillnotbecrownedtillnextyear.
But，suchastheyare，theyimpartedasupremeemotiontoourdyingseason，andthrilledthehotelwithafulnessofsummerlife.Sincetheywent，theseasonfaintlypulsesandrespires，sothatonecanjustsaythatitisstillalive.LastSundaywasfine，andgreatcrowdscamedownfromTheHaguetotheconcert，andspreadoutontheseawardterraceofthehotel，aroundthelittletableswhichIfanciedthatthewaitershadeachmorningwipeddryofthedew，fromamereDutchdesireofcleaningsomething.Thehoodedchairscoveredthebeach;thechildrenplayedintheedgesofthesurfanddelvedinthesand;theloverswanderedupintothehollowsofthedunes.
Therewasonlythehumanlife，however.Ihavelookedinvainforthecrabs，bigandlittle，thatswarmontheLongIslandshore，andtherearehardlyanygulls，even;perhapsbecausetherearenocrabsforthemtoeat，iftheyeatcrabs;Ineversawgullsdoingit，buttheymusteatsomething.Dogsthereare，ofcourse，wherevertherearepeople;buttheyarepartofthehumanlife.Dutchdogsareinfactveryhuman;andoneIsawyesterdaybehavedquiteasbadlyasabadboy，withrespecttohismuzzle.Hedidnotlikehismuzzle，andbydintofturningsomersaultsinthesandhegotitoff，andwentfrolickingtohismasterintriumphtoshowhimwhathehaddone.
VII.
Itisnowthelastday，andthedesolationisthickeninguponourhotel.
Thismorningthedoor—postsupanddownmycorridorshowednotasinglepairoftrousers;notapairofbootsflatteredthelonelydoormats.InthelowerhallIfoundthetablesofthegreatdining—roomassembled，andthechairsinvertedonthemwiththeirlegsintheair;butdecently，decorously，notwiththerecklessabandondisplayedbythechairsinourLongIslandhotelforweeksbeforeitclosed.Inthesmallerdining—roomthetablewassetforlunchasifweweretogoondiningthereforever;
inthebreakfast—roomtheserviceandtheprovisionwereasperfectasever.Thecoffeewasgood，thebreaddelicious，thebutterofanunfalteringsweetness;andtheglazeofwearonthepolisheddress—coatsofthewaitersasrespectableasitcouldhavebeenonthefirstdayoftheseason.Allwascorrect，andifofafunerealcorrectnesstome，I
amsurethiseffectwaspurelysubjective.
Thelittlebell—boysinsailorsuits（perhapstheyoughttobespelledbell—buoys）clusteredabouttheelevator—boylikesomanyRomansentinelsattheirposts;theelevator—boyandhiselevatorwerereadytotakeusupordownatanymoment.
TheportierandIignoredtogetherthehourofparting，whichwehaddefinitelyascertainedandagreedupon，andweexchangedsomecomplimentstotheweather，whichisnowsettled，asifweexpectedtoenjoyitlongtogether.Iratherdreadgoingintolunch，however，forIfeartheemptyplaces.
VIII.
Allisover;weareoff.Thelunchwasanheroiceffortofthehoteltohidethefactofourseparation.Itwasperfect，unlesstheboiledbeefwasaconfessionofhumanweakness;buteventhisboiledbeefwasexquisite，andthehorseradishthatwentwithitwassomellowedbyartthatitcheckedratherthanprovokedthepartingtear.Thetabled\'hotehadreservedafinalsurpriseforus;andwhenwesatdownwiththefearofnothingbutGermanaroundus，weheardthesoundofourownspeechfromthepleasantestEnglishpairwehadyetencountered;andthetravellingEnglisharepleasant;Iwillsayit，whoamsaidbySirWalterBesanttobetheonlyAmericanwhohatestheirnation.Itwasreallyanaddedpangtogo，ontheiraccount，butthecarriagewaswaitingatthedoor;the\'domestique\'hadalreadycarriedourbaggagetothesteam—tramstation;thekindlymenialtrainformedaroundusforanultimate\'douceur\'，andwewereoff，afterthe\'portier\'hadshutusintoourvehicleandtouchedhisoft—touchedcapforthelasttime，whilethehotelfacadedissembleditsgriefbyarchitecturallysmilinginthesoftDutchsun.
Ilikedthismannerofleavingbetterthancarryingpartofmyownbaggagetothetrain，asIhadtodoonLongIsland，thoughthat，too，haditscharm;thecharmofthewholefresh，pungentAmericanlife，whichatthisdistanceissodear.