第2章

类别:其他 作者:Jerome K. Jerome字数:23080更新时间:19/01/03 09:43:47
Itwasnogoodthesepeoplepretendingthattheydidnotunderstandtheirownlanguage,andputtingmeoffthatway。Theyhadgottounderstanditthistime。Thiswasnomerequestionofcoffeeandrolls;thiswasaseriousbusiness。IwouldmakethatwaiterunderstandmyScandinavian,ifIhadtohammeritintohisheadwithhisowncoffee-pot! Iseizedhimbythearm,and,inScandinavianthatmusthavebeenquitepatheticinitstragicfervour,Iaskedhimifhehadseenmyfriend——myfriendB。 Themanonlystared。 Igrewdesperate。Ishookhim。Isaid: \"Myfriend——big,great,tall,large——ishewhere?Haveyouhimtoseewhere?Here?\" (IhadtoputitthatwaybecauseScandinaviangrammarisnotastrongpointwithme,andmyknowledgeoftheverbsisasyetlimitedtothepresenttenseoftheinfinitivemood。Besides,thiswasnotimetoworryaboutgraceofstyle。) Acrowdgatheredroundus,attractedbytheman’sterrifiedexpression。Iappealedtothemgenerally。Isaid: \"MyfriendB。——head,red——boots,yellow,brown,gold——coat,littlesquares——nose,much,large!Ishewhere?Himtosee——anybody—— where?\" Notasoulmovedahandtohelpme。Theretheystoodandgaped! Irepeateditalloveragainlouder,incaseanybodyontheoutskirtsofthemobhadnotheardit;andIrepeateditinanentirelynewaccent。IgavethemeverychanceIcould。 Theychattedexcitedlyamongthemselves,and,thenabrightideaseemedtostrikeoneofthem,alittlemoreintelligent-lookingthantherest,andherushedoutsideandbeganrunningupanddown,callingoutsomethingveryloudly,inwhichtheword\"Norwegian\" keptonoccurring。 Hereturnedinafewseconds,evidentlyexceedinglypleasedwithhimself,accompaniedbyakindly-lookingoldgentlemaninawhitehat。 Waywasmadeinthecrowd,andtheoldgentlemanpressedforward。 Whenhegotnear,hesmiledatme,andthenproceededtoaddresstomealengthy,butnodoubtkindlymeant,speechinScandinavian。 Ofcourse,itwasallutterlyunintelligibletomefrombeginningtoend,andmyfaceclearlyshowedthis。IcangraspawordortwoofScandinavianhereandthere,ifpronouncedslowlyanddistinctly; butthatisall。 Theoldgentlemanregardedmewithgreatsurprise。Hesaid(inScandinavian,ofcourse): \"YouspeakNorwegian?\" Ireplied,inthesametongue: \"Alittle,averylittle——VERY。\" Heseemednotonlydisappointed,butindignant。Heexplainedthemattertothecrowd,andtheyallseemedindignant。 WHYeverybodyshouldbeindignantwithmeIcouldnotcomprehend。 ThereareplentyofpeoplewhodonotunderstandScandinavian。ItwasabsurdtobevexedwithmebecauseIdidnot。Idoknowalittle,andthatismorethansomepeopledo。 IinquiredoftheoldgentlemanaboutB。Hedidunderstandme。I mustgivehimcreditforthat。Butbeyondunderstandingme,hewasofnomoreusethantheothers;andwhytheyhadtakensomuchtroubletofetchhim,Icouldnotimagine。 Whatwouldhavehappenedifthedifficultyhadcontinuedmuchlonger(forIwasgettingthoroughlywildwiththelotofthem)Icannotsay。Fortunately,atthismomentIcaughtsightofB。himself,whohadjustenteredtheroom。 IcouldnothavegreetedhimmoreheartilyifIhadwantedtoborrowmoneyofhim。 \"Well,IAMgladtoseeyouagain!\"Icried。\"Well,thisIS pleasant!IthoughtIhadlostyou!\" \"Why,youareEnglish!\"criedouttheoldgentlemaninthewhitehat,inverygoodSaxon,onhearingmespeaktoB。 \"Well,Iknowthat,\"Ireplied,\"andI’mproudofit。HaveyouanyobjectiontomybeingEnglish?\" \"Notintheleast,\"heanswered,\"ifyou’donlytalkEnglishinsteadofNorwegian。I’mEnglishmyself;\"andhewalkedaway,evidentlymuchpuzzled。 B。saidtomeaswesatdown: \"I’lltellyouwhat’sthematterwithyou,J。——youknowtoomanylanguagesforthiscontinent。Yourlinguisticpowerswillbetheruinofusifyoudon’tholdtheminabit。Youdon’tknowanySanscritorChaldean,doyou?\" IrepliedthatIdidnot。 \"AnyHebreworChinese?\" \"Notaword。\" \"Sure?\" \"Notsomuchasafullstopinanyofthem。\" \"That’sablessing,\"saidB。,muchrelieved。\"Youwouldbetryingtopalmoffoneorotherofthemonsomesimple-mindedpeasantforGerman,ifyoudid!\" Itisawearisomejourney,throughthelong,hothoursofthemorning,toCologne。Thecarriageisstifling。Railwaytravellers,Ihavealwaysnoticed,regardfreshairaspoison。Theyliketoliveontherefuseofeachother’sbreath,andcloseupeverywindowandventilatortight。Thesunpoursdownthroughglassandblindandscorchesourlimbs。Ourheadsandourbodiesache。Thedustandsootdriftinandsettleonourclothes,andgrimeourhandsandface。Wealldozeandwakeupwithastart,andfalltosleepagainuponeachother。Iwake,andfindmyneighbourwithhisheaduponmyshoulder。Itseemsashametocasthimoff;helookssotrustful。Butheisheavy。Ipushhimontothemantheotherside。Heisjustashappythere。Werollabout;andwhenthetrainjerks,webutteachotherwithourheads。Thingsfallfromtherackuponus。Welookupsurprised,andgotosleepagain。Mybagtumblesdownupontheheadoftheunjustmaninthecorner。(Isitretribution?)Hestartsup,begsmypardon,andsinksbackintooblivion。Iamtoosleepytopickupthebag。Itliesthereonthefloor。Theunjustmanusesitforafootstool。 Welookout,throughhalf-closedeyes,upontheparched,level,treelessland;uponthelittlepatchworkfarmsofcornandbeetroot,oatsandfruit,growingundivided,sidebyside,eachlookinglikealittlegardendroppeddownintotheplain;uponthelittledullstonehouses。 Asteepleappearsfarawayuponthehorizon。(Thefirstthingthatweaskofmenistheirfaith:\"Whatdoyoubelieve?\"Thefirstthingthattheyshowusistheirchurch:\"THISwebelieve。\")Thenatallchimneyrangesitselfalongside。(Firstfaith,thenworks。) Thenaconfusedjumbleofroofs,outofwhich,atlast,standforthindividualhouses,factories,streets,andwedrawupinasleepingtown。 Peopleopenthecarriagedoor,andlookinuponus。Theydonotappeartothinkmuchofus,andclosethedooragainquickly,withabang,andwesleeponcemore。 Aswerumbleon,thecountryslowlywakes。RudeV-shapedcarts,drawnbyyokedoxen,andevensometimesbycows,waitpatientlywhilewecrossthelong,straightroadsstretchingbareformanyamileacrosstheplain。Peasantstrudgealongthefieldstowork。 Smokerisesfromthevillagesandfarm-houses。Passengersarewaitingatthewaysidestations。 Towardsmid-day,onlookingout,weseetwotinyspiresstandingsidebysideagainstthesky。Theyseemtobetwins,andgrowtallerasweapproach。IdescribethemtoB。,andhesaystheyarethesteeplesofCologneCathedral;andweallbegintoyawnandstretch,andtocollectourbagsandcoatsandumbrellas。 HALFOFSATURDAY24TH,ANDSOMEOFSUNDAY,25TH DifficultyofKeepingthisDiary。——ABigWash。——TheGermanBed。——ItsGoingsOn。——MannersandCustomsoftheGermanArmy。——B。’sBesettingSin。——CologneCathedral。——ThoughtsWithoutWords。——ACuriousCustom。 Thisdiaryisgettingmixed。Thetruthis,Iamnotlivingasamanwhokeepsadiaryshouldlive。Iought,ofcourse,tositdowninfrontofthisdiaryateleveno’clockatnight,andwritedownallthathasoccurredtomeduringtheday。Butateleveno’clockatnight,Iaminthemiddleofalongrailwayjourney,orhavejustgotup,oramjustgoingtobedforacoupleofhours。Wegotobedatoddmoments,whenwehappentocomeacrossabed,andhaveafewminutestospare。Wehavebeentobedthisafternoon,andarenowhavinganotherbreakfast;andIamnotquitesurewhetheritisyesterdayorto-morrow,orwhatdayitis。 Ishallnotattempttowriteupthisdiaryintheorthodoxmanner,therefore;butshallfixinafewlineswheneverIhavehalf-an-hourwithnothingbettertodo。 WewashedourselvesintheRhineatCologne(wehadnothadawashsincewehadleftourhappyhomeinEngland)。Westartedwiththeideaofwashingourselvesatthehotel;butonseeingthebasinandwaterandtowelprovided,Idecidednottowastemytimeplayingwiththem。AswellmightHerculeshaveattemptedtotidyuptheAugeanstableswithasquirt。 Weappealedtothechambermaid。Weexplainedtoherthatwewantedtowash——tocleanourselves——nottoblowbubbles。Couldwenothavebiggerbasinsandmorewaterandmoreextensivetowels?Thechambermaid(astaidoldladyofaboutfifty)didnotthinkthatanythingbettercouldbedoneforusbythehotelfraternityofCologne,andseemedtothinkthattheriverwasmorewhatwewanted。 Ifanciedthattheoldsoulwasspeakingsarcastically,butB。said\"No;\"shewasthinkingofthebathsalongsidetheriver,andsuggestedthatweshouldgothere。Iagreed。Itseemedtomethattheriver——theRhine——would,ifanythingcould,meetthecase。 Thereoughttobeplentyofwaterinitnow,aftertheheavyspringrains。 WhenIsawit,Ifeltsatisfied。IsaidtoB。: \"That’sallright,oldman;that’sthesortofthingweneed。ThatisjustthesizedriverIfeelIcangetmyselfcleaninthisafternoon。\" IhaveheardagooddealinpraiseoftheRhine,andIamgladtobeabletospeakwellofitmyself。Ifounditmostrefreshing。 Iwas,however,sorrythatwehadwashedinitafterwards。IhaveheardfromfriendswhohavetravelledsinceinGermanythatwecompletelyspoiledthatriverfortherestoftheseason。Notforbusinesspurposes,Idonotmean。Thebargetraffichasbeen,comparativelyspeaking,uninterferedwith。Butthetouristtradehassufferedterribly。PartieswhousuallygouptheRhinebysteamerhave,afterlookingattheriver,gonebytrainthisyear。 TheboatagentshavetriedtopersuadethemthattheRhineisalwaysthatcolour:thatitgetslikethatowingtothedirtandrefusewasheddownintoitduringitscourseamongthemountains。 Butthetouristshaverefusedtoacceptthisexplanation。Theyhavesaid: \"No。Mountainswillaccountforagooddeal,weadmit,butnotforallTHAT。WeareacquaintedwiththeordinaryconditionoftheRhine,andalthoughmuddy,andattimesunpleasant,itispassable。 Asitisthissummer,however,wewouldprefernottotraveluponit。Wewillwaituntilafternextyear’sspring-floods。\" Wewenttobedafterourwash。TotheblaseEnglishbed-goer,accustomedallhislifetothesameoldhackneyedstyleofbednightafternight,thereissomethingverypleasantlypiquantabouttheexperienceoftryingtosleepinaGermanbed。Hedoesnotknowitisabedatfirst。Hethinksthatsomeonehasbeengoingroundtheroom,collectingallthesacksandcushionsandantimacassarsandsucharticlesthathehashappenedtofindabout,andhaspiledthemuponawoodentrayreadyformoving。Heringsforthechambermaid,andexplainstoherthatshehasshownhimintothewrongroom。Hewantedabedroom。 Shesays:\"ThisISabedroom。\" Hesays:\"Where’sthebed?\" \"There!\"shesays,pointingtotheboxonwhichthesacksandantimacassarsandcushionsliepiled。 \"That!\"hecries。\"HowamIgoingtosleepinthat?\" Thechambermaiddoesnotknowhowheisgoingtosleepthere,neverhavingseenagentlemangotosleepanywhere,andnotknowinghowtheysetaboutit;butsuggeststhathemighttrylyingdownflat,andshuttinghiseyes。 \"Butitisnotlongenough,\"hesays。 Thechambermaidthinkshewillbeabletomanage,ifhetuckshislegsup。 Heseesthathewillnotgetanythingbetter,andthathemustputupwithit。 \"Oh,verywell!\"hesays。\"Looksharpandgetitmade,then。\" Shesays:\"Itismade。\" Heturnsandregardsthegirlsternly。Isshetakingadvantageofhisbeingalonelystranger,farfromhomeandfriends,tomockhim? Hegoesovertowhatshecallsthebed,andsnatchingoffthetop- mostsackfromthepileandholdingitup,says: \"Perhapsyou’lltellmewhatthisis,then?\" \"That,\"saysthegirl,\"that’sthebed!\" Heissomewhatnonplussedattheunexpectedreply。 \"Oh!\"hesays。\"Oh!thebed,isit?Ithoughtitwasapincushion! Well,ifitisthebed,thenwhatisitdoingouthere,onthetopofeverythingelse?YouthinkthatbecauseI’monlyaman,Idon’tunderstandabed!\" \"That’stheproperplaceforit,\"respondsthechambermaid。 \"What!ontop?\" \"Yes,sir。\" \"Well,thenwherearetheclothes?\" \"Underneath,sir。\" \"Lookhere,mygoodgirl,\"hesays;\"youdon’tunderstandme,orI don’tunderstandyou,oneortheother。WhenIgotosleep,Ilieonabedandpulltheclothesoverme。Idon’twanttolieontheclothes,andcovermyselfwiththebed。Thisisn’tacomicballet,youknow!\" Thegirlassureshimthatthereisnomistakeaboutthematteratall。Thereisthebed,madeaccordingtoGermannotionsofhowabedshouldbemade。Hecanmakethebestofitandtrytogotosleepuponit,orhecanbesulkyandgotosleeponthefloor。 Heisverymuchsurprised。Itlookstohimthesortofbedthatamanwouldmakeforhimselfoncominghomelatefromaparty。Butitisnousearguingthematterwiththegirl。 \"Allright,\"hesays;\"bringmeapillow,andI’llriskit!\" Thechambermaidexplainsthattherearetwopillowsonthebedalready,indicating,asshedoesso,twoflatcushions,eachoneayardsquare,placedoneontopoftheotheratoneendofthemixture。 \"These!\"exclaimsthewearytraveller,beginningtofeelthathedoesnotwanttogotobedatall。\"Thesearenotpillows!Iwantsomethingtoputmyheadon;notathingthatcomesdowntothemiddleofmyback!Don’ttellmethatI’vegottosleeponthesethings!\" Butthegirldoestellhimso,andalsoimpliesthatshehassomethingelsetodothantostandtherealldaytalkingbed-gossipwithhim。 \"Well,justshowmehowtostart,\"hesays,\"whichwayyougetintoit,andthenIwon’tkeepyouanylonger;I’llpuzzleouttherestformyself。\" Sheexplainsthetricktohimandleaves,andheundressesandcrawlsin。 Thepillowsgivehimagooddealofworry。Hedoesnotknowwhetherheismeanttositonthemormerelytoleanupagainstthem。Inexperimentinguponthispoint,hebumpshisheadagainstthetopboardofthebedstead。Atthis,hesays,\"Oh!\"andshootshimselfdowntothebottomofthebed。Hereallhistentoessimultaneouslycomeintosharpcontactwiththeboardatthebottom。 Nothingirritatesamanmorethanbeingrappedoverthetoes,especiallyifhefeelsthathehasdonenothingtodeserveit。Hesays,\"Oh,damn!\"thistime,andspasmodicallydoublesuphislegs,thusgivinghiskneesaviolentblowagainsttheboardatthesideofthebed。(TheGermanbedstead,beitremembered,isbuiltintheformofashallow,openbox,andthevictimisthuscompletelysurroundedbysolidpiecesofwoodwithsharpedges。Idonotknowwhatspeciesofwooditisthatisemployed。Itisextremelyhard,andgivesforthacuriousmusicalsoundwhenstrucksharplywithabone。) Afterthisheliesperfectlystillforawhile,wonderingwhereheisgoingtobehitnext。Findingthatnothinghappens,hebeginstoregainconfidence,andventurestogentlyfeelaroundwithhisleftlegandtakestockofhisposition。 Forclothes,hehasonlyaverythinblanketandsheet,andbeneaththesehefeelsdecidedlychilly。Thebediswarmenough,sofarasitgoes,butthereisnotenoughofit。Hedrawsituproundhischin,andthenhisfeetbegintofreeze。Hepushesitdownoverhisfeet,andthenallthetoppartofhimshivers。 Hetriestorollupintoaball,soastogetthewholeofhimselfunderneathit,butdoesnotsucceed;thereisalwayssomeofhimleftoutsideinthecold。 Hereflectsthata\"bonelesswonder\"ora\"manserpent\"wouldbecomfortableenoughinthisbed,andwishesthathehadbeenbroughtupasacontortionist。Ifhecouldonlytiehislegsroundhisneck,andtuckhisheadinunderhisarm,allwouldyetbewell。 Neverhavingbeentaughttodoanyreallyusefultrickssuchasthese,however,hehastobecontenttoremainspreadout,warmingabitofhimselfatatime。 Itis,perhaps,foolishofhim,amidsomanyrealtroubles,toallowamereaestheticalconsiderationtoworryhim,butasheliesthereonhisback,lookingdownathimself,thesightthathepresentstohimselfconsiderablyannoyshim。Thepuffed-upbed,restingonthemiddleofhim,giveshimtheappearanceofamansufferingfromsomemonstrousswelling,orelseofsomeexceptionallywell-developedfrogthathasbeenturnedupthewrongwayanddoesnotknowhowtogetontoitslegsagain。 Anothervexationthathehastocontendwithis,thateverytimehemovesalimborbreathesextrahard,thebed(whichisonlyofdown) tumblesoffontothefloor。 YoucannotleanoutofaGermanbedtopickupanythingoffthefloor,owingtoitsbox-likeformation;sohehastoscrambleoutafterit,andofcourseeverytimehedoesthishebarksbothhisshinstwiceagainstthesidesofthebed。 Whenhehasperformedthisfeatforaboutthetenthtime,heconcludesthatitwasmadnessforhim,amererawamateuratthebusiness,tothinkthathecouldmanageacomplicated,trickybedofthissort,thatmusttakeevenanexperiencedmanallheknowstosleepinit;andgetsoutandcampsonthefloor。 Atleast,thatiswhatIdid。B。isaccustomedtoGermanbeds,anddoubledhimselfupandwentofftosleepwithouttheslightestdifficulty。 Wesleptfortwohours,andthengotupandwentbacktotherailway-station,wherewedined。Therailwayrefreshment-roominGermantownsappearstobeasmuchpatronisedbytheinhabitantsofthetownasbythetravellerspassingthrough。Itisregardedasanordinaryrestaurant,andusedassuchbythecitizens。Wefoundthedining-roomatColognestationcrowdedwithCologneists。 Allclassesofcitizenswerethere,butespeciallysoldiers。Therewereallsortsofsoldiers——soldiersofrank,andsoldiersofrankandfile;attachedsoldiers(verymuchattached,apparently)andsoldiersunattached;stoutsoldiers,thinsoldiers;oldsoldiers,youngsoldiers。Fourveryyoungsoldierssatoppositeus,drinkingbeer。Ineversawsuchyoungsoldiersoutbythemselvesbefore。 Theyeachlookedabouttwelveyearsold,butmayhavebeenthirteen; andtheyeachlooked,also,readyandwillingtostormabattery,iftheorderweregiventothemtodoit。Theretheysat,raisingandloweringtheirhugemugsofbeer,discussingmilitarymatters,andrisingeverynowandagaintogravelysalutesomeofficerashepassed,andtoreceiveasgravelyhisgravesaluteinreturn。 Thereseemedtobeadealofsalutingtobegonethrough。Officerskeptenteringandpassingthroughtheroominanalmostcontinualstream,andeverytimeonecameinsightallthemilitarydrinkersandeatersroseandsaluted,andremainedatthesaluteuntiltheofficerhadpassed。 Oneyoungsoldier,whowastryingtoeataplateofsoupnearus,I feltquitesorryfor。Everytimehegotthespoonnearhismouthanofficerinvariablyhoveinview,anddownwouldhavetogothespoon,soupandall,anduphewouldhavetorise。Itneverseemedtooccurtothesillyfellowtogetunderthetableandfinishhisdinnerthere。 Wehadhalf-an-hourtosparebetweendinnerandthestartingofourtrain,andB。suggestedthatweshouldgointothecathedral。ThatisB。’soneweakness,churches。Ihavethegreatestdifficultyingettinghimpastachurch-door。Wearewalkingalongastreet,arminarm,talkingasrationallyandevenasvirtuouslyasneedbe,whenallatonceIfindthatB。hasbecomesilentandabstracted。 Iknowwhatitis;hehascaughtsightofachurch。Ipretendnottonoticeanychangeinhim,andendeavourtohurryhimon。Helagsmoreandmorebehind,however,andatlaststopsaltogether。 \"Come,come,\"Isaytohim,encouragingly,\"pullyourselftogether,andbeaman。Don’tthinkaboutit。Putitbehindyou,anddeterminethatyouWON’Tbeconquered。Come,weshallberoundthecornerinanotherminute,whereyouwon’tbeabletoseeit。Takemyhand,andlet’srun!\" Hemakesafewfeeblestepsforwardwithme,andthenstopsagain。 \"It’snogood,oldman,\"hesays,withasicklysmile,sofullofpathosthatitisimpossibletofinditinone’shearttofeelanythingbutpityforhim。\"Ican’thelpit。Ihavegivenwaytothissortofthingtoolong。Itistoolatetoreformnow。Yougoonandgetadrinksomewhere;I’lljoinyouagaininafewminutes。 Don’tworryaboutme;it’snogood。\" Andbackhegoeswithtotteringsteps,whileIsadlypassonintothenearestcafe,and,overaglassofabsintheorcognac,thankProvidencethatIlearnttocontrolmycravingforchurchesinearlyyouth,andsoamnotnowlikethispoorB。 Inalittlewhilehecomesin,andsitsdownbesideme。Thereisawild,unhealthyexcitementinhiseye,and,underadefiantairofunnaturalgaiety,heattemptstohidehisconsciousnessofguilt。 \"Itwasalovelyaltar-cloth,\"hewhisperstome,withanenthusiasmthatonlymakesonesorrowforhimthemore,soutterlyimpossibledoesitcauseallhopeofcuretoseem。\"Andthey’vegotacoffininthenorthcryptthatissimplyapoem。Ineverenjoyedasarcophagusmoreinallmylife。\" Idonotsaymuchatthetime;itwouldbeuseless。Butafterthedayisdone,andwearestandingbesideourlittlebeds,andallaroundisassilentasonecanexpectittobeinanhotelwherepeopleseemtobearrivingallnightlongwithheavyluggage,andtobeall,moreorless,introuble,Iarguewithhim,andgentlyreprovehim。Toavoidtheappearanceofsermonisingasmuchaspossible,Iputitonmeregroundsofexpediency。 \"Howarewetofindtime,\"Isay,\"togotoalltheplacesthatwereallyoughttogoto——toallthecafesandtheatresandmusic-hallsandbeer-gardensanddancing-saloonsthatwewanttovisit——ifyouwastehalfthepreciousdayloafingaboutchurchesandcathedrals?\" Heisdeeplymoved,andpromisestoswearoff。Hevows,withtearsinhisvoice,thathewillneverenterachurch-dooragain。Butnextmorning,whenthetemptationcomes,allhisgoodresolutionsaresweptaway,andagainheyields。Itisnogoodbeingangrywithhim,becauseheevidentlydoesreallytry;butthereissomethingaboutthemereodourofachurchthathesimplycannotwithstand。 Notknowing,then,thatthisweaknessofhisforchurcheswassostrong,ImadenoobjectiontotheproposedvisittoCologneCathedral,and,accordingly,towardsitwewendedourway。B。hasseenitbefore,andknowsallaboutit。Hetellsmeitwasbegunaboutthemiddleofthethirteenthcentury,andwasonlycompletedtenyearsago。Itseemstomethattheremusthavebeengrossdelayonthepartofthebuilder。Why,aplumberwouldbeashamedtotakeaslongasthatoverajob! B。alsoassertsthatthetwotowersarethehighestchurchtowersintheworld。Idisputethis,anddeprecatethetowersgenerally。B。 warmlydefendsthem。HesaystheyarehigherthananybuildinginEurope,excepttheEiffelTower。 \"Oh,dearno!\"Isay,\"therearemanybuildingshigherthantheyinEurope——tosaynothingofAsiaandAmerica。\" Ihavenoauthorityformakingthisassertion。Asamatteroffact,Iknownothingwhateveraboutthematter。ImerelysayittoirritateB。Heappearstotakeasortofpersonalinterestinthebuilding,andenlargesuponitsbeautiesandadvantageswithasmuchfervourasifhewereanauctioneertryingtoselltheplace。 Heretortsthatthetowersare512feethigh。 Isay: \"Nonsense!Somebodyhasimposeduponyou,becausetheyseeyouareaforeigner。\" Hebecomesquiteangryatthis,andsayshecanshowmethefiguresintheguide-book。 \"Theguide-book!\"Ireply,scornfully。\"You’llbelieveanewspapernext!\" B。asksme,indignantly,whatheightIshouldsaytheyare,then。I examinethemcriticallyforafewminutes,andthengiveitasmyopinionthattheydonotexceed510feetattheveryoutside。B。 seemsannoyedwithme,andweenterthechurchinsilence。 Thereislittletobesaidaboutacathedral。Excepttotheprofessionalsightseer,oneisverymuchlikeanother。Theirbeautytomelies,notinthepaintingsandsculpturetheygivehouseroomto,norinthebonesandbric-a-bracpiledupintheircellars,butinthemselves——theirechoingvastness,theirdeepsilence。 Abovethelittlehomesofmen,abovethenoisyteemingstreets,theyriselikesomesoftstrainofperfectmusic,cleavingitswayamidthejangleofdiscordantnotes。Here,wherethevoicesoftheworldsoundfaint;here,wherethecity’sglamourcomesnotin,itisgoodtorestforawhile——ifonlythepesteringguideswouldleaveonealone——andthink。 ThereismuchhelpinSilence。Fromitstouchwegainrenewedlife。 SilenceistotheSoulwhathisMotherEarthwastoBriareus。Fromcontactwithitwerisehealedofourhurtsandstrengthenedforthefight。 Amidthebabeloftheschoolswestandbewilderedandaffrighted。 Silencegivesuspeaceandhope。Silenceteachesusnocreed,onlythatGod’sarmsarearoundtheuniverse。 HowsmallandunimportantseemallourfretfultroublesandambitionswhenwestandwiththeminourhandbeforethegreatcalmfaceofSilence!Wesmileatthemourselves,andareashamed。 Silenceteachesushowlittleweare——howgreatweare。Intheworld’smarket-placeswearetinkers,tailors,apothecaries,thieves——respectableorotherwise,asthecasemaybe——mereatomsofamightymachine——mereinsectsinavasthive。 ItisonlyinSilencethatitcomeshometousthatwearesomethingmuchgreaterthanthis——thatweareMEN,withalltheuniverseandalleternitybeforeus。 ItisinSilencewehearthevoiceofTruth。Thetemplesandthemartsofmenechoallnightanddaytotheclamourofliesandshamsandquackeries。ButinSilencefalsehoodcannotlive。YoucannotfloatalieonSilence。Aliehastobepuffedaloft,andkeptfromfallingbymen’sbreath。LeavealieonthebosomofSilence,anditsinks。Atruthfloatstherefairandstately,likesomestoutshipuponadeepocean。Silencebuoysheruplovinglyforallmentosee。Notuntilshehasgrownworn-outandrotten,andisnolongeratruth,willthewatersofSilencecloseoverher。 Silenceistheonlyrealthingwecanlayholdofinthisworldofpassingdreams。Timeisashadowthatwillvanishwiththetwilightofhumanity;butSilenceisapartoftheeternal。Allthingsthataretrueandlastinghavebeentaughttomen’sheartsbySilence。 Amongallnations,thereshouldbevasttemplesraisedwherethepeoplemightworshipSilenceandlistentoit,foritisthevoiceofGod。 Thesefairchurchesandcathedralsthatmenhaverearedaroundthemthroughouttheworld,havebeenbuiltashomesformerecreeds——thisoneforProtestantism,thatoneforRomanism,anotherforMahomedanism。ButGod’sSilencedwellsinallalike,onlydrivenforthattimesbythetinklingofbellsandthemumblingofprayers; and,inthem,itisgoodtositawhileandhavecommunionwithher。 Westrolledround,beforewecameout。Justbytheentrancetothechoiranofficialstoppedme,andaskedmeifIwantedtogoandseealotoffal-lalthingshehadgotonshow——relicsandbones,andoldmasters,andsuch-likeWardour-streetrubbish。 Itoldhim,\"No\";andattemptedtopasson,buthesaid: \"No,no!Youdon’tpay,youdon’tgointhere,\"andshutthegate。 HesaidthissentenceinEnglish;andtheprecisionandfluencywithwhichhedelivereditrathersuggestedtheideathatitwasaphrasemuchinrequest,andonethathehadhadagooddealofpracticein。 ItisveryprevalentthroughoutGermany,thiscustomofnotallowingyoutogointoseeathingunlessyoupay。 ENDOFSATURDAY,24TH,ANDBEGINNINGOFSUNDAY,25TH——CONTINUED TheRhine!——HowHistoryisWritten。——ComplicatedVillages。——HowaPeacefulCommunityWasVeryMuchUpset。——TheGermanRailwayGuard。—— HisPassionforTickets。——WeDiffuseComfortandJoyWhereverWeGo,GladdeningtheWeary,andBringingSmilestoThemthatWeep。—— \"Tickets,Please。\"——HuntingExperiences。——ANaturalMistake。——FreeAcrobaticPerformancebytheGuard。——TheRailwayAuthorities’LittleJoke。——WhyWeShouldThinkoftheSorrowsofOthers。 Wereturnedtothestationjustintimetosecurecomfortableseats,andat5。10steamedoutuponourfifteenhours’runtoMunich。FromBonntoMayencethelinekeepsbythesideoftheRhinenearlythewholeoftheway,andwehadasplendidviewoftheriver,withtheold-worldtownsandvillagesthatclusterrounditsbank,themistymountainsthatmakeearlytwilightuponitsswiftlyrollingwaves,thecastledcragsandprecipicesthatriseupsheerandmajesticfromitsmargin,thewoodedrocksthathangwiththreateningfrownaboveitssombredepths,theruinedtowersandturretsthatcapeachpointalongitsshores,thepleasantislesthatstudlikegemsitsbroadexpanseofwaters。 Fewthingsinthisworldcomeuptoexpectation,especiallythosethingsofwhichonehasbeenledtoexpectmuch,andaboutwhichonehasheardagooddeal。Withthisphilosophyrunninginmyhead,I waspreparedtofindtheRhineamuchover-ratedriver。 Iwaspleasantlydisappointed。Thepanoramawhichunfoldeditselfbeforeoureyes,aswespedalongthroughthequiettwilightthatwasdeepeningintostarrynight,waswonderfullybeautiful,entrancingandexpressive。 Idonotintendtodescribeittoyou。Todojusticetothetheme,IshouldhavetobeevenamorebrilliantandpowerfulwriterthanI am。Toattemptthesubject,withoutdoingitjustice,wouldbeawasteofyourtime,sweetreader,andofmine——astillmoreimportantmatter。 Iconfessitwasnotmyoriginalintentiontoletyouoffsoeasily。 Istartedwiththeideaofgivingyouarapidbutglowingandeloquentword-pictureofthevalleyoftheRhinefromColognetoMayence。Forbackground,IthoughtIwouldsketchinthehistoricalandlegendaryeventsconnectedwiththedistrict,andagainstthis,foraforeground,Iwoulddraw,invividcolours,themodernaspectofthescene,withremarksandobservationsthereon。 Herearemyroughnotes,madeforthepurpose:- Mems。forChapteronRhine:\"ConstantinetheGreatusedtocomehere——sodidAgrippa。(N。B。——TryandfindoutsomethingaboutAgrippa。)CaesarhadagooddealtodowiththeRhine——alsoNero’smother。\" (Tothereader。——Thebrevityofthesememorandarenderstheirimport,attimes,confusing。Forinstance,thismeansthatCaesarandNero’smotherbothhadagooddealtodowiththeRhine;notthatCaesarhadagooddealtodowithNero’smother。IexplainthisbecauseIshouldbesorrytoconveyanyfalseimpressionconcerningeithertheladyorCaesar。Scandalisathingabhorrenttomynature。) Notescontinued:\"TheUbiididsomethingontherightbankoftheRhineatanearlyperiod,andafterwardswerefoundontheotherside。(ExpecttheUbiiwereatribe;butmakesureofthis,astheymightbesomethinginthefossilline。)ColognewasthecradleofGermanart。Talkaboutartandtheoldmasters。Treattheminakindlyandgentlespirit。Theyaredeadnow。SaintUrsulawasmurderedatCologne,witheleventhousandvirginattendants。Theremusthavebeenquiteapartyofthem。Drawpowerfulandpatheticimaginarypictureoftheslaughter。(N。B。——Findoutwhomurderedthemall。)SaysomethingabouttheEmperorMaximilian。Callhim’themightyMaximilian。’MentionCharlemagne(agooddealshouldbemadeoutofCharlemagne)andtheFranks。(FindoutallabouttheFranks,andwheretheylived,andwhathasbecomeofthem。)SketchthevariouscontestsbetweentheRomansandtheGoths。(Readup’Gibbon’forthis,unlessyoucangetenoughoutofMangnall’sQuestions。)Givepicturesqueaccount——withcomments——ofthebattlesbetweenthecitizensofCologneandtheirhaughtyarchbishops。 (N。B。——LetthemfightonabridgeovertheRhine,unlessitisdistinctlystatedsomewherethattheydidn’t。)BringintheMinne- singers,especiallyWaltervonVogelweid;makehimsingunderacastle-wallsomewhere,andletthegirldie。TalkaboutAlbertDurer。Criticisehisstyle。Sayit’sflat。(Ifpossible,findoutifitISflat。)\"TherattowerontheRhine,\"nearBingen。 Describetheplaceandtellthewholestory。Don’tspinitouttoolong,becauseeverybodyknowsit。\"TheBrothersofBornhofen,\" storyconnectedwiththetwincastlesofSterrenbergandLiebenstein,ConradandHeinrich——brothers——bothloveHildegarde。 Shewasverybeautiful。HeinrichgenerouslyrefusestomarrythebeautifulHildegarde,andgoesawaytotheCrusades,leavinghertohisbrotherConrad。Conradconsidersoverthematterforayearortwo,andthenHEdecidesthathewon’tmarryhereither,butwillleaveherforhisbrotherHeinrich,andHEgoesofftotheCrusades,fromwhencehereturns,afewyearslateron,withaGrecianbride。 ThebeautifulH。,muddledupbetweenthepairofthem,andthevictimoftoomuchgenerosity,getssulky(don’tblameher),andshutsherselfupinalonelypartofthecastle,andwon’tseeanybodyforyears。ChivalrousHeinrichreturns,andiswildthathisbrotherC。hasnotmarriedthebeautifulH。Itdoesnotoccurtohimtomarrythegirleventhen。Thefeverishyearningdisplayedbyeachofthesetwobrothers,thattheotheroneshouldmarrythebelovedHildegarde,isverytouching。Heinrichdrawshissword,andthrowshimselfuponhisbrotherC。tokillhim。ThebeautifulHildegarde,however,throwsherselfbetweenthemandreconciliatesthem,andthen,convincedthatneitherofthemmeansbusiness,andnaturallydisgustedwiththewholeaffair,retiresintoanunnery。 Conrad’sGrecianbridesubsequentlythrowsherselfawayonanotherman,uponwhichConradthrowshimselfonhisbrotherH。’sbreast,andtheysweareternalfriendship。(Makeitpathetic。Pretendyouhavesatamidtheruinsinthemoonlight,andgivethescene——withghosts。)\"Rolandseck,\"nearBonn。TellthestoryofRolandandHildegunde(seeBaedeker,p。66)。Don’tmakeittoolong,becauseitissomuchliketheother。Describethefuneral?The\"WatchTowerontheRhine\"belowAudernach。Query,isn’tthereasongaboutthis?Ifso,putitin。CoblentzandEhrenbreitstein。Greatfortresses。Callthem\"theFrowningSentinelsoftheState。\"MakereflectionsontheGermanarmy,alsoonwargenerally。ChataboutFredericktheGreat。(ReadCarlyle’shistoryofhim,andpickouttheinterestingbits。)TheDrachenfels。QuoteByron。Moraliseaboutruinedcastlesgenerally,anddescribethemiddleages,withyourviewsandopinionsonsame。\" Thereismuchmoreofit,butthatissufficienttoletyouseetheschemeIhadinmyhead。Ihavenotcarriedoutmyscheme,because,whenIcametoreflectuponthematter,itseemedtomethattheideawoulddevelopintosomethingthatwouldbemoreinthenatureofahistoryofEuropethanachapterinatourist’sdiary,andI determinednottowastemytimeuponit,untiltherearoseagreaterpublicdemandforanewHistoryofEuropethanthereappearstoexistatpresent。 \"Besides,\"Iarguedtomyself,\"suchaworkwouldbejusttheverythingwithwhichtobeguilethetediumofalongimprisonment。AtsomefuturetimeImaybegladofalabourofthismagnitudetooccupyaperiodofinvoluntaryinaction。\" \"Thisisthesortofthing,\"Isaidtomyself,\"tosaveupforHollowayorPentonville。\" Itwouldhavebeenaveryenjoyableridealtogether,thatevening’sspinalongthebanksoftheRhine,ifIhadnotbeenhauntedatthetimebytheideathatIshouldhavetowriteanaccountofitnextdayinmydiary。Asitwas,Ienjoyeditasamanenjoysadinnerwhenhehasgottomakeaspeechafterit,orasacriticenjoysaplay。 Wepassedsuchoddlittlevillageseveryhereandthere。Littleplacessocrowdedupbetweentherailwayandtheriverthattherewasnoroominthemforanystreets。Allthehouseswerejumbleduptogetherjustanyhow,andhowanymanwholivedinthemiddlecouldgethomewithoutclimbingoverhalftheotherhousesintheplaceI couldnotmakeout。Theywerethesortofvillageswhereaman’smother-in-law,comingtopayhimavisit,mightwanderaroundallday,hearinghim,andevennowandthenseeinghim,yetneverbeingabletogetathiminconsequenceofnotknowingthewayin。 Adrunkenman,livinginoneofthesevillages,couldneverhopetogethome。Hewouldhavetositdownoutside,andwaittillhisheadwasclear。 Wewitnessedtheopeningscenesofaveryamusinglittlecomedyatoneofthetownswherethetraindrewup。Thechiefcharacterswereplayedbyanactiveyounggoat,asmallboy,anelderlymanandawoman,parentsofthesmallboyandownersofthegoat,andadog。 Firstweheardayell,andthen,fromoutacottageoppositethestation,boundedaninnocentandhappygoat,andgambolledaround。 Alongrope,oneendofwhichwasfastenedtohisneck,trailedbehindhim。Afterthegoat(inthedoublesenseofthephrase)cameachild。Thechildtriedtocatchthegoatbymeansoftherope,caughtitselfintheropeinstead,andwentdownwithabumpandascreech。Whereuponastoutwoman,theboy’smotherapparently,ranoutfromthecottage,andalsomadeforthegoat。Thegoatflewdowntheroad,andthewomanflewafterit。Atthefirstcorner,thewomantrodontherope,andthenSHEwentdownwithabumpandascreech。Thenthegoatturnedandranupthestreet,and,asitpassedthecottage,thefatherranoutandtriedtostopit。Hewasanoldman,butstillseemedtohaveplentyofvigourinhim。Heevidentlyguessedhowhiswifeandchildhadgonedown,andheendeavouredtoavoidtheropeandtoskipoveritwhenitcamenearhim。Butthegoat’smovementsweretooerraticforhim。Histurncame,andhetrodontherope,andwentdowninthemiddleoftheroad,oppositehisowndoor,withathudthatshookusallupagainsteachotheraswestoodlookingoutofthecarriage-window,andsatthereandcursedthegoat。Thenoutranadog,barkingfuriously,andhewentforthegoat,andgottheendoftheropeinhisteethandheldontoitlikegrimdeath。Awaywentthegoat,athisendoftherope,and,withhim,thedogattheotherend。 Betweenthem,theykepttheropeaboutsixinchesabovetheground,andwithittheyremorselesslymoweddowneverylivingthingtheycameacrossinthatoncepeacefulvillage。Inthecourseoflessthanhalfaminutewecountedfourteenpersonssittingdowninthemiddleoftheroad。Eightofthemwerecursingthegoat,fourwerecursingthedog,andtwoofthemwerecursingtheoldmanforkeepingthegoat,oneofthesetwo,andthemoreviolentone,beingtheman’sownwife。 Thetrainleftatthisjuncture。Weentreatedtherailwayofficialstoletusstopandseetheshowout。Theplaywasbecomingquiteinteresting。Itwassofullofmovement。Buttheysaidthatwewerehalf-an-hourlateasitwas,andthattheydarednot。 Weleanedoutofthewindow,andwatchedforaslongaswecould; andafterthevillagewaslosttoviewinthedistance,wecouldstill,bylisteningcarefully,hearthethuds,asoneafteranotheroftheinhabitantssatdownandbegantoswear。 Atabouteleveno’clockwehadsomebeer——youcangenerallyobtainsuchlightrefreshmentasbottledbeerandcoffeeandrollsfromtheguardonathroughlong-distancetraininGermany——tookoffourboots,andsaying\"Good-night\"toeachother,madeagreatshowofgoingtosleep。Butweneversucceededingettingthere。Theywantedtoseeone’stickettoooftenforonetogetfairlyoff。 Everyfewminutes,soitseemedtome,thoughinrealitytheintervalsmayperhapshavebeenlonger,aghostlyfacewouldappearatthecarriage-window,andasktoseeourtickets。 WheneveraGermanrailway-guardfeelslonesome,anddoesnotknowwhatelsetodowithhimself,hetakesawalkroundthetrain,andgetsthepassengerstoshowhimtheirtickets,afterwhichhereturnstohisboxcheeredandrefreshed。Somepeopleraveaboutsunsetsandmountainsandoldmasters;buttotheGermanrailway- guardtheworldcanshownothingmoresatisfying,moreinspiring,thanthesightofarailway-ticket。 NearlyalltheGermanrailwayofficialshavethissamecravingfortickets。Ifonlytheygetsomebodytoshowthemarailway-ticket,theyarehappy。Itseemedaharmlessweaknessoftheirs,andB。andIdecidedthatitwouldbeonlykindtohumourtheminitduringourstay。 Accordingly,wheneverwesawaGermanrailwayofficialstandingabout,lookingsadandweary,wewentuptohimandshowedhimourtickets。Thesightwaslikearayofsunshinetohim;andallhiscarewasimmediatelyforgotten。Ifwehadnotaticketwithusatthetime,wewentandboughtone。Ameresinglethirdtothenextstationwouldgladdenhimsufficientlyinmostcases;butifthepoorfellowappearedverywoe-begone,andasifhewantedmorethanordinarycheeringup,wegothimasecond-classreturn。 ForthepurposeofourjourneytoOber-Ammergauandback,weeachcarriedwithusafoliocontainingsometenortwelvefirst-classticketsbetweendifferenttowns,coveringinalladistanceofsomethousandmiles;andoneafternoon,atMunich,seeingarailwayofficial,acloak-roomkeeper,whotheytoldushadlatelylosthisaunt,andwholookedexceptionallydejected,IproposedtoB。thatweshouldtakethismanintoaquietcorner,andbothofusshowhimallourticketsatonce——thewholetwentyortwenty-fourofthem—— andlethimtaketheminhishandandlookatthemforaslongasheliked。Iwantedtocomforthim。 B。,however,advisedagainstthesuggestion。Hesaidthatevenifitdidnotturntheman’shead(anditwasmorethanprobablethatitwould),somuchjealousywouldbecreatedagainsthimamongtheotherrailwaypeoplethroughoutGermany,thathislifewouldbemadeamiserytohim。 Soweboughtandshowedhimafirst-classreturntothenextstationbutone;anditwasquitepathetictowatchthepoorfellow’sfacebrightenupatthesight,andtoseethefaintsmilecreepbacktothelipsfromwhichithadsolongbeenabsent。 Butattimes,onewishesthattheGermanrailwayofficialwouldcontrolhispassionfortickets——or,atleast,keepitwithinduebounds。 Eventhemostkindly-heartedmangrowstiredofshowinghisticketalldayandnightlong,andthemiddleofawearisomejourneyisnotthepropertimeforamantocometothecarriage-windowandclamourtoseeyour\"billet。\" Youarewearyandsleepy。Youdonotknowwhereyourticketis。 Youarenotquitesurethatyouhavegotaticket;orifyoueverhadone,somebodyhastakenitawayfromyou。Youhaveputitbyverycarefully,thinkingthatitwouldnotbewantedforhours,andhaveforgottenwhere。 Thereareelevenpocketsinthesuityouhaveon,andfivemoreintheovercoatontherack。Maybe,itisinoneofthosepockets。Ifnot,itispossiblyinoneofthebags——somewhere,orinyourpocket-book,ifyouonlyknewwherethatwas,oryourpurse。 Youbeginasearch。Youstandupandshakeyourself。Thenyouhaveanotherfeelallover。Youlookroundinthecourseoftheproceedings;andthesightofthecrowdofcuriousfaceswatchingyou,andofthemaninuniformwaitingwithhiseyefixedseverelyuponyou,conveytoyou,inyourthenstateofconfusion,themomentaryideathatthisisapolice-courtscene,andthatiftheticketisfounduponyou,youwillprobablygetfiveyears。 Uponthisyouvehementlyprotestyourinnocence。 \"ItellyouIhaven’tgotit!\"youexclaim;——\"neverseenthegentleman’sticket。Youletmego!I——\" Herethesurpriseofyourfellow-passengersrecallsyoutoyourself,andyouproceedonyourexploration。Youoverhaulthebags,turningeverythingoutontothefloor,mutteringcursesonthewholerailwaysystemofGermanyasyoudoso。Thenyoufeelinyourboots。Youmakeeverybodynearyoustanduptoseeiftheyaresittinguponit,andyougodownonyourkneesandgrovelforitundertheseat。 \"Youdidn’tthrowitoutofthewindowwithyoursandwiches,didyou?\"asksyourfriend。 \"No!DoyouthinkI’mafool?\"youanswer,irritably。\"WhatshouldIwanttodothatfor?\" Ongoingsystematicallyoveryourselfforaboutthetwentiethtime,youdiscoveritinyourwaistcoatpocket,andforthenexthalf-houryousitandwonderhowyoucametomissitonthepreviousnineteenoccasions。 Meanwhile,duringthistryingscene,theconductoftheguardhascertainlynottendedtoallayyouranxietyandnervousness。Allthetimethatyouhavebeenlookingforyourticket,hehasbeendoingsillytricksonthestepoutside,imperillinghislifebyeverymeansthatexperienceandingenuitycansuggest。 Thetrainisgoingattherateofthirtymilesanhour,theexpressspeedinGermany,andabridgecomesinsightcrossingovertheline。Onseeingthisbridge,theguard,holdingonbythewindow,leanshisbodyasfarbackaseveritwillgo。Youlookathim,andthenattherapidly-nearingbridge,andcalculatethatthearchwilljusttakehisheadoffwithoutinjuringanyotherpartofhimwhatever,andyouwonderwhethertheheadwillbejerkedintothecarriageorwillfalloutside。 Whenheisthreeinchesoffthebridge,hepullshimselfupstraight,andthebrickwork,asthetraindashesthrough,killsaflythatwastrespassingontheupperpartofhisrightear。 Then,whenthebridgeispassed,andthetrainisskirtingtheveryedgeofaprecipice,sothatastonedroppedjustoutsidethewindowwouldtumblestraightdown300feet,hesuddenlyletsgo,and,balancinghimselfonthefoot-boardwithoutholdingontoanything,commencestodanceasortofTeutoniccellar-flap,andtowarmhisbodybyflinginghisarmsaboutinthemannerofcabmenonacoldday。 ThefirstessentialtocomfortablerailwaytravellinginGermanyistomakeupyourmindnottocarearapwhethertheguardgetskilledinthecourseofthejourneyornot。AnytenderfeelingtowardstheguardmakesrailwaytravellingintheFatherlandasimpletorture。 Atfivea。m。(howfairandsweetandfreshtheearthlooksintheearlymorning!Thoselazypeoplewholieinbedtilleightorninemisshalfthebeautyoftheday,iftheybutknewit。ItisonlywewhoriseearlythatreallyenjoyNatureproperly)Igaveuptryingtogettosleep,andmademywaytothedressing-roomattheendofthecar,andhadawash。 Itisdifficulttowashintheselittleplaces,becausethecarsshakeso;andwhenyouhavegotbothyourhandsandhalfyourheadinthebasin,andareunabletoprotectyourself,thesidesoftheroom,andthewater-tapandthesoap-dish,andothercowardlythings,takeameanadvantageofyourhelplessnesstopunchyouashardasevertheycan;andwhenyoubackawayfromthese,thedoorswingsopenandslapsyoufrombehind。 Isucceeded,however,ingettingmyselffairlywetallover,evenifIdidnothingelse,andthenIlookedaboutforatowel。Ofcourse,therewasnotowel。Thatisthetrick。Theideaoftherailwayauthoritiesistolurethepassenger,byprovidinghimwithsoapandwaterandabasin,intogettinghimselfthoroughlysoaked,andthentoletitdawnuponhimthatthereisnotowel。Thatistheirnotionoffun! Ithoughtofthehandkerchiefsinmybag,buttogettothemI shouldhavetopasscompartmentscontainingladies,andIwasonlyinearlymorningdress。 SoIhadtowipemyselfwithanewspaperwhichIhappenedtohaveinmypocket,andamoreunsatisfactorythingtodryoneselfuponI cannotconceive。 IwokeupB。whenIgotbacktothecarriage,andpersuadedhimtogoandhaveawash;andinlisteningtothedistantsoundofhisremarkswhenhelikewisediscoveredthattherewasnotowel,therecollectionofmyowndiscomfiturepassedgentlyaway。 Ah!howtrueitis,asgoodpeopletellus,thatinthinkingofthesorrowsofothers,welearntoforgetourown! ForfiftymilesbeforeonereachesMunich,thelandisflat,stale,andapparentlyveryunprofitable,andthereislittletointerestthelooker-out。Hesitsstraininghiseyestowardsthehorizon,eagerlylongingforsomesignofthecitytocomeinsight。 Itliesverylow,however,anddoesallitcantoescapeobservation;anditisnotuntilheisalmostwithinitsstreetsthathediscoversit。 THERESTOFSUNDAY,THE25TH WeSeekBreakfast。——IAirMyGerman。——TheArtofGesture。——TheIntelligenceofthePremiereDanseuse。——PerformanceofEnglishPantomimeinthePyrenees。——SadResultTherefrom。——The\"GermanConversation\"Book。——ItsNarrow-mindedViewofHumanWantsandAspirations。——SundayinMunich。——HansandGretchen。——HighLifev。 LowLife。——\"ABeer-Cellar。\" AtMunichweleftourluggageatthestation,andwentinsearchofbreakfast。Ofcourse,ateighto’clockinthemorningnoneofthebigcafeswereopen;butatlength,besidesomegardens,wefoundanold-fashionedlookingrestaurant,fromwhichcameapleasantodourofcoffeeandhotonions;andwalkingthroughandseatingourselvesatoneofthelittletables,placedoutunderthetrees,wetookthebilloffareinourhands,andsummonedthewaitertoourside。 Iorderedthebreakfast。IthoughtitwouldbeagoodopportunityformetotrymyGerman。Iorderedcoffeeandrollsasagroundwork。Igotoverthatpartofmytaskveryeasily。WiththepracticeIhadhadduringthelasttwodays,Icouldhaveorderedcoffeeandrollsforforty。ThenIforagedroundforluxuries,andorderedagreensalad。IhadsomedifficultyatfirstinconvincingthemanthatitwasnotaboiledcabbagethatIwanted,butsucceededeventuallyingettingthatsillynotionoutofhishead。 IstillhadalittleGermanleft,evenafterthat。SoIorderedanomelettealso。 \"Tellhimasavouryone,\"saidB。,\"orhewillbebringingussomethingfullofhotjamandchocolate-creams。Youknowtheirstyle。\" \"Oh,yes,\"Ianswered。\"Ofcourse。Yes。Letmesee。WhatistheGermanforsavoury?\" \"Savoury?\"musedB。\"Oh!ah!hum!BotheredifIknow!Confoundthething——Ican’tthinkofit!\" Icouldnotthinkofiteither。Asamatteroffact,Ineverknewit。WetriedthemanwithFrench。Wesaid: \"Uneomeletteauxfinesherbes。\" Ashedidnotappeartounderstandthat,wegaveithiminbadEnglish。Wetwistedandturnedtheunfortunateword\"savoury\"intosoundssoquaint,sosad,sounearthly,thatyouwouldhavethoughttheymighthavetouchedtheheartofasavage。ThisstoicalTeuton,however,remainedunmoved。Thenwetriedpantomime。 Pantomimeistolanguagewhatmarmalade,accordingtothelabelonthepot,istobutter,\"anexcellent(occasional)substitute。\"Butitspowersasaninterpreterofthoughtarelimited。Atleast,inreallifetheyareso。Asregardsaballet,itisdifficulttosaywhatisnotexplainablebypantomime。Ihaveseenthebadmaninaballetconveytothepremieredanseusebyasubtlemovementoftheleftleg,togetherwithsomeslightassistancefromthedrum,theheartrendingintelligencethattheladyshehadbeenbroughtuptobelievewashermotherwasinrealityonlyherauntbymarriage。 Butthenitmustbeborneinmindthatthepremieredanseuseisaladywhosequicknessofperceptionisaltogetherunique。Thepremieredanseuseknowspreciselywhatagentlemanmeanswhenhetwirlsroundforty-seventimesononeleg,andthenstandsonhishead。Theaverageforeignerwould,inallprobability,completelymisunderstandtheman。 Afriendofmineonce,duringatourinthePyrenees,triedtoexpressgratitudebymeansofpantomime。Hearrivedlateoneeveningatalittlemountaininn,wherethepeoplemadehimverywelcome,andsetbeforehimtheirbest;andhe,beinghungry,appreciatedtheirkindness,andateamostexcellentsupper。 Indeed,soexcellentamealdidhemake,andsokindandattentivewerehishoststohim,that,aftersupper,hefelthewantedtothankthem,andtoconveytothemsomeideaofhowpleasedandsatisfiedhewas。 Hecouldnotexplainhimselfinlanguage。HeonlyknewenoughSpanishtojustaskforwhathewanted——andeventodothathehadtobecarefulnottowantmuch。Hehadnotgotasfarassentimentandemotionatthattime。Accordinglyhestartedtoexpresshimselfinaction。Hestoodupandpointedtotheemptytablewherethesupperhadbeen,thenopenedhismouthandpointeddownhisthroat。 Thenhepattedthatregionofhisanatomywhere,soscientificpeopletellus,suppergoesto,andsmiled。 Hehasarathercurioussmile,hasmyfriend。Hehimselfisundertheimpressionthatthereissomethingverywinninginit,though,also,asheadmits,atouchofsadness。Theyuseitinhisfamilyforkeepingthechildreninorder。 Thepeopleoftheinnseemedratherastonishedathisbehaviour。 Theyregardedhim,withtroubledlooks,andthengatheredtogetheramongthemselvesandconsultedinwhispers。 \"Ievidentlyhavenotmademyselfsufficientlycleartothesesimplepeasants,\"saidmyfriendtohimself。\"Imustputmorevigourintothisshow。\" AccordinglyherubbedandpattedthatpartofhimselftowhichI havepreviouslyalluded——andwhich,beingamodestandproperlybrought-upyoungman,nothingonearthshallinducemetomentionmoreexplicitly——withgreaterenergythanever,andaddedanotherinchortwoofsmile;andhealsomadevariousgracefulmovementsindicative,ashethought,offriendlyfeelingandcontentment。 Atlengtharayofintelligenceburstuponthefacesofhishosts,andtheyrushedtoacupboardandbroughtoutasmallblackbottle。 \"Ah!that’sdoneit,\"thoughtmyfriend。\"Nowtheyhavegraspedmymeaning。AndtheyarepleasedthatIampleased,andaregoingtoinsistonmydrinkingafinalfriendlybumperofwinewiththem,thegoodoldsouls!\" Theybroughtthebottleover,andpouredoutawineglassful,andhandedittohim,makingsignsthatheshoulddrinkitoffquickly。 \"Ah!\"saidmyfriendtohimself,ashetooktheglassandraisedittothelight,andwinkedatitwickedly,\"thisissomerareoldspiritpeculiartothedistrict——someoldheirloomkeptspeciallyforthefavouredguest。\" Andheheldtheglassaloftandmadeaspeech,inwhichhewishedlonglifeandmanygrand-childrentotheoldcouple,andahandsomehusbandtothedaughter,andprosperitytothewholevillage。Theycouldnotunderstandhim,heknew;buthethoughttheremightbethatinhistonesandgesturesfromwhichtheywouldgatherthesenseofwhathewassaying,andunderstandhowkindlyhefelttowardsthemall。Whenhehadfinished,heputhishanduponhisheartandsmiledsomemore,andthentossedtheliquoroffatagulp。