第5章

类别:其他 作者:Jerome K.Jerome字数:22216更新时间:19/01/07 08:51:32
Hemightbeginwiththat。Bywavinghisbedoutofwindowhecouldgetintotroublebeforehehadhisbreakfast。Athomehemighthanghimselfoutofwindow,andnobodywouldmindmuch,providedhedidnotobstructanybody’sancientlightsorbreakawayandinjureanypasserunderneath。 InGermanyyoumustnotwearfancydressinthestreets。A HighlanderofmyacquaintancewhocametopassthewinterinDresdenspentthefirstfewdaysofhisresidencethereinarguingthisquestionwiththeSaxonGovernment。Theyaskedhimwhathewasdoinginthoseclothes。Hewasnotanamiableman。Heanswered,hewaswearingthem。Theyaskedhimwhyhewaswearingthem。Hereplied,tokeephimselfwarm。Theytoldhimfranklythattheydidnotbelievehim,andsenthimbacktohislodgingsinaclosedlandau。ThepersonaltestimonyoftheEnglishMinisterwasnecessarytoassuretheauthoritiesthattheHighlandgarbwasthecustomarydressofmanyrespectable,law—abidingBritishsubjects。Theyacceptedthestatement,asdiplomaticallybound,butretaintheirprivateopiniontothisday。TheEnglishtouristtheyhavegrownaccustomedto;butaLeicestershiregentleman,invitedtohuntwithsomeGermanofficers,onappearingoutsidehishotel,waspromptlymarchedoff,horseandall,toexplainhisfrivolityatthepolicecourt。 AnotherthingyoumustnotdointhestreetsofGermantownsistofeedhorses,mules,ordonkeys,whetheryourownorthosebelongingtootherpeople。Ifapassionseizesyoutofeedsomebodyelse’shorse,youmustmakeanappointmentwiththeanimal,andthemealmusttakeplaceinsomeproperlyauthorisedplace。Youmustnotbreakglassorchinainthestreet,nor,infact,inanypublicresortwhatever;andifyoudo,youmustpickupallthepieces。 WhatyouaretodowiththepieceswhenyouhavegatheredthemtogetherIcannotsay。TheonlythingIknowforcertainisthatyouarenotpermittedtothrowthemanywhere,toleavethemanywhere,orapparentlytopartwiththeminanywaywhatever。 Presumably,youareexpectedtocarrythemaboutwithyouuntilyoudie,andthenbeburiedwiththem;or,maybe,youareallowedtoswallowthem。 InGermanstreetsyoumustnotshootwithacrossbow。TheGermanlaw—makerdoesnotcontenthimselfwiththemisdeedsoftheaverageman——thecrimeonefeelsonewantstodo,butmustnot:heworrieshimselfimaginingallthethingsawanderingmaniacmightdo。InGermanythereisnolawagainstamanstandingonhisheadinthemiddleoftheroad;theideahasnotoccurredtothem。OneofthesedaysaGermanstatesman,visitingacircusandseeingacrobats,willreflectuponthisomission。Thenhewillstraightwaysettoworkandframeaclauseforbiddingpeoplefromstandingontheirheadsinthemiddleoftheroad,andfixingafine。ThisisthecharmofGermanlaw:misdemeanourinGermanyhasitsfixedprice。Youarenotkeptawakeallnight,asinEngland,wonderingwhetheryouwillgetoffwithacaution,befinedfortyshillings,or,catchingthemagistrateinanunhappymomentforyourself,getsevendays。Youknowexactlywhatyourfunisgoingtocostyou。Youcanspreadoutyourmoneyonthetable,openyourPoliceGuide,andplanoutyourholidaytoafiftypfennigpiece。Forareallycheapevening,Iwouldrecommendwalkingonthewrongsideofthepavementafterbeingcautionednottodoso。Icalculatethatbychoosingyourdistrictandkeepingtothequietsidestreetsyoucouldwalkforawholeeveningonthewrongsideofthepavementatacostoflittleoverthreemarks。 InGermantownsyoumustnotrambleaboutafterdark\"indroves。\" Iamnotquitesurehowmanyconstitutea\"drove,\"andnoofficialtowhomIhavespokenonthissubjecthasfelthimselfcompetenttofixtheexactnumber。IonceputittoaGermanfriendwhowasstartingforthetheatrewithhiswife,hismother—in—law,fivechildrenofhisown,hissisterandherfiance,andtwonieces,ifhedidnotthinkhewasrunningariskunderthisby—law。Hedidnottakemysuggestionasajoke。Hecastaneyeoverthegroup。 \"Oh,Idon’tthinkso,\"hesaid;\"yousee,weareallonefamily。\" \"Theparagraphsaysnothingaboutitsbeingafamilydroveornot,\" Ireplied;\"itsimplysays’drove。’Idonotmeanitinanyuncomplimentarysense,but,speakingetymologically,Iaminclinedpersonallytoregardyourcollectionasa’drove。’Whetherthepolicewilltakethesameviewornotremainstobeseen。Iammerelywarningyou。\" Myfriendhimselfwasinclinedtopooh—poohmyfears;buthiswifethinkingitbetternottorunanyriskofhavingthepartybrokenupbythepoliceattheverybeginningoftheevening,theydivided,arrangingtocometogetheragaininthetheatrelobby。 AnotherpassionyoumustrestraininGermanyisthatpromptingyoutothrowthingsoutofwindow。Catsarenoexcuse。DuringthefirstweekofmyresidenceinGermanyIwasawakenedincessantlybycats。OnenightIgotmad。Icollectedasmallarsenal——twoorthreepiecesofcoal,afewhardpears,acoupleofcandleends,anoddeggIfoundonthekitchentable,anemptysoda—waterbottle,andafewarticlesofthatsort,——and,openingthewindow,bombardedthespotfromwherethenoiseappearedtocome。IdonotsupposeIhitanything;Ineverknewamanwhodidhitacat,evenwhenhecouldseeit,except,maybe,byaccidentwhenaimingatsomethingelse。Ihaveknowncrackshots,winnersofQueen’sprizes——thosesortofmen,——shootwithshot—gunsatcatsfiftyyardsaway,andneverhitahair。Ihaveoftenthoughtthat,insteadofbull’s—eyes,runningdeer,andthatrubbish,thereallysuperiormarksmanwouldbehewhocouldboastthathehadshotthecat。 But,anyhow,theymovedoff;maybetheeggannoyedthem。IhadnoticedwhenIpickeditupthatitdidnotlookagoodegg;andI wentbacktobedagain,thinkingtheincidentclosed。Tenminutesafterwardstherecameaviolentringingoftheelectricbell。I triedtoignoreit,butitwastoopersistent,and,puttingonmydressinggown,Iwentdowntothegate。Apolicemanwasstandingthere。HehadallthethingsIhadbeenthrowingoutofthewindowinalittleheapinfrontofhim,allexcepttheegg。Hehadevidentlybeencollectingthem。Hesaid: \"Arethesethingsyours?\" Isaid:\"Theyweremine,butpersonallyIhavedonewiththem。 Anybodycanhavethem——youcanhavethem。\" Heignoredmyoffer。Hesaid: \"Youthrewthesethingsoutofwindow。\" \"Youareright,\"Iadmitted;\"Idid。\" \"Whydidyouthrowthemoutofwindow?\"heasked。AGermanpolicemanhashiscodeofquestionsarrangedforhim;henevervariesthem,andheneveromitsone。 \"Ithrewthemoutofthewindowatsomecats,\"Ianswered。 \"Whatcats?\"heasked。 ItwasthesortofquestionaGermanpolicemanwouldask。I repliedwithasmuchsarcasmasIcouldputintomyaccentthatI wasashamedtosayIcouldnottellhimwhatcats。Iexplainedthat,personally,theywerestrangerstome;butIoffered,ifthepolicewouldcallallthecatsinthedistricttogether,tocomeroundandseeifIcouldrecognisethembytheiryaul。 TheGermanpolicemandoesnotunderstandajoke,whichisperhapsonthewholejustaswell,forIbelievethereisaheavyfineforjokingwithanyGermanuniform;theycallit\"treatinganofficialwithcontumely。\"Hemerelyrepliedthatitwasnotthedutyofthepolicetohelpmerecognisethecats;theirdutywasmerelytofinemeforthrowingthingsoutofwindow。 IaskedwhatamanwassupposedtodoinGermanywhenwokeupnightafternightbycats,andheexplainedthatIcouldlodgeaninformationagainsttheownerofthecat,whenthepolicewouldproceedtocautionhim,and,ifnecessary,orderthecattobedestroyed。Whowasgoingtodestroythecat,andwhatthecatwouldbedoingduringtheprocess,hedidnotexplain。 IaskedhimhowheproposedIshoulddiscovertheownerofthecat。 Hethoughtforawhile,andthensuggestedthatImightfollowithome。Ididnotfeelinclinedtoarguewithhimanymoreafterthat;Ishouldonlyhavesaidthingsthatwouldhavemadethematterworse。Asitwas,thatnight’ssportcostmetwelvemarks; andnotasingleoneofthefourGermanofficialswhointerviewedmeonthesubjectcouldseeanythingridiculousintheproceedingsfrombeginningtoend。 ButinGermanymosthumanfaultsandfolliessinkintocomparativeinsignificancebesidetheenormityofwalkingonthegrass。 Nowhere,andundernocircumstances,mayyouatanytimeinGermanywalkonthegrass。GrassinGermanyisquiteafetish。ToputyourfootonGermangrasswouldbeasgreatasacrilegeastodanceahornpipeonaMohammedan’spraying—mat。TheverydogsrespectGermangrass;noGermandogwoulddreamofputtingapawonit。IfyouseeadogscamperingacrossthegrassinGermany,youmayknowforcertainthatitisthedogofsomeunholyforeigner。InEngland,whenwewanttokeepdogsoutofplaces,weputupwirenetting,sixfeethigh,supportedbybuttresses,anddefendedonthetopbyspikes。InGermany,theyputanotice—boardinthemiddleoftheplace,\"Hundenverboten,\"andadogthathasGermanbloodinitsveinslooksatthatnotice—boardandwalksaway。InaGermanparkIhaveseenagardenerstepgingerlywithfeltbootsontograss—plot,andremovingtherefromabeetle,placeitgravelybutfirmlyonthegravel;whichdone,hestoodsternlywatchingthebeetle,toseethatitdidnottrytogetbackonthegrass;andthebeetle,lookingutterlyashamedofitself,walkedhurriedlydownthegutter,andturnedupthepathmarked\"Ausgang。\" InGermanparksseparateroadsaredevotedtothedifferentordersofthecommunity,andnooneperson,atperiloflibertyandfortune,maygouponanotherperson’sroad。Therearespecialpathsfor\"wheel—riders\"andspecialpathsfor\"foot—goers,\" avenuesfor\"horse—riders,\"roadsforpeopleinlightvehicles,androadsforpeopleinheavyvehicles;waysforchildrenandfor\"aloneladies。\"Thatnoparticularroutehasyetbeensetasideforbald—headedmenor\"newwomen\"hasalwaysstruckmeasanomission。 IntheGrosseGarteninDresdenIoncecameacrossanoldlady,standing,helplessandbewildered,inthecentreofseventracks。 Eachwasguardedbyathreateningnotice,warningeverybodyoffitbutthepersonforwhomitwasintended。 \"Iamsorrytotroubleyou,\"saidtheoldlady,onlearningIcouldspeakEnglishandreadGerman,\"butwouldyoumindtellingmewhatIamandwhereIhavetogo?\" Iinspectedhercarefully。Icametotheconclusionthatshewasa\"grown—up\"anda\"foot—goer,\"andpointedoutherpath。Shelookedatit,andseemeddisappointed。 \"ButIdon’twanttogodownthere,\"shesaid;\"mayn’tIgothisway?\" \"Greatheavens,no,madam!\"Ireplied。\"Thatpathisreservedforchildren。\" \"ButIwouldn’tdothemanyharm,\"saidtheoldlady,withasmile。 Shedidnotlookthesortofoldladywhowouldhavedonethemanyharm。 \"Madam,\"Ireplied,\"ifitrestedwithme,Iwouldtrustyoudownthatpath,thoughmyownfirst—bornwereattheotherend;butI canonlyinformyouofthelawsofthiscountry。Foryou,afull— grownwoman,toventuredownthatpathistogotocertainfine,ifnotimprisonment。Thereisyourpath,markedplainly——NurfurFussganger,andifyouwillfollowmyadvice,youwillhastendownit;youarenotallowedtostandhereandhesitate。\" \"Itdoesn’tleadabitinthedirectionIwanttogo,\"saidtheoldlady。 \"ItleadsinthedirectionyouOUGHTtowanttogo,\"Ireplied,andweparted。 IntheGermanparkstherearespecialseatslabelled,\"Onlyforgrown—ups\"(NurfurErwachsene),andtheGermansmallboy,anxioustositdown,andreadingthatnotice,passesby,andhuntsforaseatonwhichchildrenarepermittedtorest;andthereheseatshimself,carefulnottotouchthewoodworkwithhismuddyboots。 ImagineaseatinRegent’sorSt。James’sParklabelled\"Onlyforgrown—ups!\"Everychildforfivemilesroundwouldbetryingtogetonthatseat,andhaulingotherchildrenoffwhowereon。Asforany\"grown—up,\"hewouldneverbeabletogetwithinhalfamileofthatseatforthecrowd。TheGermansmallboy,whohasaccidentallysatdownonsuchwithoutnoticing,riseswithastartwhenhiserrorispointedouttohim,andgoesawaywithdown—casthead,brushingtotherootsofhishairwithshameandregret。 NotthattheGermanchildisneglectedbyapaternalGovernment。 InGermanparksandpublicgardensspecialplaces(Spielplatze)areprovidedforhim,eachonesuppliedwithaheapofsand。Therehecanplaytohisheart’scontentatmakingmudpiesandbuildingsandcastles。TotheGermanchildapiemadeofanyothermudthanthiswouldappearanimmoralpie。Itwouldgivetohimnosatisfaction:hissoulwouldrevoltagainstit。 \"Thatpie,\"hewouldsaytohimself,\"wasnot,asitshouldhavebeen,madeofGovernmentmudspeciallysetapartforthepurpose; itwasnormanufacturedintheplaceplannedandmaintainedbytheGovernmentforthemakingofmudpies。Itcanbringnorealblessingwithit;itisalawlesspie。\"Anduntilhisfatherhadpaidtheproperfine,andhehadreceivedhisproperlicking,hisconsciencewouldcontinuetotroublehim。 AnotherexcellentpieceofmaterialforobtainingexcitementinGermanyisthesimpledomesticperambulator。Whatyoumaydowitha\"kinder—wagen,\"asitiscalled,andwhatyoumaynot,coverspagesofGermanlaw;afterthereadingofwhich,youconcludethatthemanwhocanpushaperambulatorthroughaGermantownwithoutbreakingthelawwasmeantforadiplomatist。Youmustnotloiterwithaperambulator,andyoumustnotgotoofast。Youmustnotgetinanybody’swaywithaperambulator,andifanybodygetsinyourwayyoumustgetoutoftheirway。Ifyouwanttostopwithaperambulator,youmustgotoaplacespeciallyappointedwhereperambulatorsmaystop;andwhenyougetthereyouMUSTstop。Youmustnotcrosstheroadwithaperambulator;ifyouandthebabyhappentoliveontheotherside,thatisyourfault。Youmustnotleaveyourperambulatoranywhere,andonlyincertainplacescanyoutakeitwithyou。IshouldsaythatinGermanyyoucouldgooutwithaperambulatorandgetintoenoughtroubleinhalfanhourtolastyouforamonth。AnyyoungEnglishmananxiousforarowwiththepolicecouldnotdobetterthancomeovertoGermanyandbringhisperambulatorwithhim。 InGermanyyoumustnotleaveyourfrontdoorunlockedafterteno’clockatnight,andyoumustnotplaythepianoinyourownhouseaftereleven。InEnglandIhaveneverfeltIwantedtoplaythepianomyself,ortohearanyoneelseplayit,aftereleveno’clockatnight;butthatisaverydifferentthingtobeingtoldthatyoumustnotplayit。Here,inGermany,IneverfeelthatIreallycareforthepianountileleveno’clock,thenIcouldsitandlistentothe\"Maiden’sPrayer,\"ortheOvertureto\"Zampa,\"withpleasure。Tothelaw—lovingGerman,ontheotherhand,musicaftereleveno’clockatnightceasestobemusic;itbecomessin,andassuchgiveshimnosatisfaction。 TheonlyindividualthroughoutGermanywhoeverdreamsoftakinglibertieswiththelawistheGermanstudent,andheonlytoacertainwell—definedpoint。Bycustom,certainprivilegesarepermittedtohim,buteventhesearestrictlylimitedandclearlyunderstood。Forinstance,theGermanstudentmaygetdrunkandfallasleepinthegutterwithnootherpenaltythanthatofhavingthenextmorningtotipthepolicemanwhohasfoundhimandbroughthimhome。Butforthispurposehemustchoosetheguttersofside— streets。TheGermanstudent,consciousoftherapidapproachofoblivion,usesallhisremainingenergytogetroundthecorner,wherehemaycollapsewithoutanxiety。Incertaindistrictshemayringbells。Therentofflatsintheselocalitiesislowerthaninotherquartersofthetown;whilethedifficultyisfurthermetbyeachfamilypreparingforitselfasecretcodeofbell—ringingbymeansofwhichitisknownwhetherthesummonsisgenuineornot。 Whenvisitingsuchahouseholdlateatnightitiswelltobeacquaintedwiththiscode,oryoumay,ifpersistent,getabucketofwaterthrownoveryou。 AlsotheGermanstudentisallowedtoputoutlightsatnight,butthereisaprejudiceagainsthisputtingouttoomany。ThelarkyGermanstudentgenerallykeepscount,contentinghimselfwithhalfadozenlightspernight。Likewise,hemayshoutandsingashewalkshome,uptillhalf—pasttwo;andatcertainrestaurantsitispermittedtohimtoputhisarmroundtheFraulein’swaist。Topreventanysuggestionofunseemliness,thewaitressesatrestaurantsfrequentedbystudentsarealwayscarefullyselectedfromamongastaidandelderlyclassyofwomen,byreasonofwhichtheGermanstudentcanenjoythedelightsofflirtationwithoutfearandwithoutreproachtoanyone。 Theyarealaw—abidingpeople,theGermans。 CHAPTERX Badenfromthevisitor’spointofview——Beautyoftheearlymorning,asviewedfromtheprecedingafternoon——Distance,asmeasuredbythecompass——Ditto,asmeasuredbytheleg——Georgeinaccountwithhisconscience——Alazymachine——Bicycling,accordingtotheposter:itsrestfulness——Thepostercyclist:itscostume; itsmethod——Thegriffinasahouseholdpet——Adogwithproperself— respect——Thehorsethatwasabused。 FromBaden,aboutwhichitneedonlybesaidthatitisapleasureresortsingularlylikeotherpleasureresortsofthesamedescription,westartedbicyclinginearnest。Weplannedatendays’tour,which,whilecompletingtheBlackForest,shouldincludeaspindowntheDonau—Thal,whichforthetwentymilesfromTuttlingentoSigmaringenis,perhaps,thefinestvalleyinGermany;theDanubestreamherewindingitsnarrowwaypastold— worldunspoiltvillages;pastancientmonasteries,nestlingingreenpastures,wherestillthebare—footedandbare—headedfriar,hisropegirdletightabouthisloins,shepherds,withcrookinhand,hissheepuponthehillsides;throughrockywoods;betweensheerwallsofcliff,whoseeverytoweringcragstandscrownedwithruinedfortress,church,orcastle;togetherwithablickattheVosgesmountains,wherehalfthepopulationisbitterlypainedifyouspeaktotheminFrench,theotherhalfbeinginsultedwhenyouaddresstheminGerman,andthewholeindignantlycontemptuousatthefirstsoundofEnglish;astateofthingsthatrendersconversationwiththestrangersomewhatnervouswork。 Wedidnotsucceedincarryingoutourprogrammeinitsentirety,forthereasonthathumanperformancelagseverbehindhumanintention。Itiseasytosayandbelieveatthreeo’clockintheafternoonthat:\"Wewillriseatfive,breakfastlightlyathalf— past,andstartawayatsix。\" \"Thenweshallbewellonourwaybeforetheheatofthedaysetsin,\"remarksone。 \"Thistimeoftheyear,theearlymorningisreallythebestpartoftheday。Don’tyouthinkso?\"addsanother。 \"Oh,undoubtedly。\" \"Socoolandfresh。\" \"Andthehalf—lightsaresoexquisite。\" Thefirstmorningonemaintainsone’svows。Thepartyassemblesathalf—pastfive。Itisverysilent;individually,somewhatsnappy; inclinedtogrumblewithitsfood,alsowithmostotherthings;theatmospherechargedwithcompressedirritabilityseekingitsvent。 IntheeveningtheTempter’svoiceisheard: \"Ithinkifwegotoffbyhalf—pastsix,sharp,thatwouldbetimeenough?\" ThevoiceofVirtueprotests,faintly:\"Itwillbebreakingourresolution。\" TheTempterreplies:\"Resolutionsweremadeforman,notmanforresolutions。\"ThedevilcanparaphraseScriptureforhisownpurpose。\"Besides,itisdisturbingthewholehotel;thinkofthepoorservants。\" ThevoiceofVirtuecontinues,butevenfeebler:\"Buteverybodygetsupearlyintheseparts。\" \"Theywouldnotiftheywerenotobligedto,poorthings!Saybreakfastathalf—pastsix,punctual;thatwillbedisturbingnobody。\" ThusSinmasqueradesundertheguiseofGood,andonesleepstillsix,explainingtoone’sconscience,who,however,doesn’tbelieveit,thatonedoesthisbecauseofunselfishconsiderationforothers。Ihaveknownsuchconsiderationextenduntilsevenoftheclock。 Likewise,distancemeasuredwithapairofcompassesisnotpreciselythesameaswhenmeasuredbytheleg。 \"Tenmilesanhourforsevenhours,seventymiles。Aniceeasyday’swork。\" \"Therearesomestiffhillstoclimb?\" \"Theothersidetocomedown。Say,eightmilesanhour,andcallitsixtymiles。GottinHimmel!ifwecan’taverageeightmilesanhour,wehadbettergoinbath—chairs。\"Itdoesseemsomewhatimpossibletodoless,onpaper。 Butatfouro’clockintheafternoonthevoiceofDutyringslesstrumpet—toned: \"Well,Isupposeweoughttobegettingon。\" \"Oh,there’snohurry!don’tfuss。Lovelyviewfromhere,isn’tit?\" \"Very。Don’tforgetwearetwenty—fivemilesfromSt。Blasien。\" \"Howfar?\" \"Twenty—fivemiles,alittleoverifanything。\" \"Doyoumeantosaywehaveonlycomethirty—fivemiles?\" \"That’sall。\" \"Nonsense。Idon’tbelievethatmapofyours。\" \"Itisimpossible,youknow。Wehavebeenridingsteadilyeversincethefirstthingthismorning。\" \"No,wehaven’t。Wedidn’tgetawaytilleight,tobeginwith。\" \"Quartertoeight。\" \"Well,quartertoeight;andeveryhalf—dozenmileswehavestopped。\" \"Wehaveonlystoppedtolookattheview。It’snogoodcomingtoseeacountry,andthennotseeingit。\" \"Andwehavehadtopullupsomestiffhills。\" \"Besides,ithasbeenanexceptionallyhotdayto—day。\" \"Well,don’tforgetSt。Blasienistwenty—fivemilesoff,that’sall。\" \"Anymorehills?\" \"Yes,two;upanddown。\" \"IthoughtyousaiditwasdownhillintoSt。Blasien?\" \"Soitisforthelasttenmiles。Wearetwenty—fivemilesfromSt。Blasienhere。\" \"Isn’tthereanywherebetweenhereandSt。Blasien?What’sthatlittleplacethereonthelake?\" \"Itisn’tSt。Blasien,oranywherenearit。There’sadangerinbeginningthatsortofthing。\" \"There’sadangerinoverworkingoneself。Oneshouldstudymoderationinallthings。Prettylittleplace,thatTitisee,accordingtothemap;looksasiftherewouldbegoodairthere。\" \"Allright,I’magreeable。ItwasyoufellowswhosuggestedourmakingforSt。Blasien。\" \"Oh,I’mnotsokeenonSt。Blasien!pokylittleplace,downinavalley。ThisTitisee,Ishouldsay,waseversomuchnicer。\" \"Quitenear,isn’tit?\" \"Fivemiles。\" Generalchorus:\"We’llstopatTitisee。\" Georgemadediscoveryofthisdifferencebetweentheoryandpracticeontheveryfirstdayofourride。 \"Ithought,\"saidGeorge——hewasridingthesingle,HarrisandI beingalittleaheadonthetandem——\"thattheideawastotrainupthehillsandridedownthem。\" \"Soitis,\"answeredHarris,\"asageneralrule。Butthetrainsdon’tgoupEVERYhillintheBlackForest。\" \"Somehow,Ifeltasuspicionthattheywouldn’t,\"growledGeorge; andforawhilesilencereigned。 \"Besides,\"remarkedHarris,whohadevidentlybeenruminatingthesubject,\"youwouldnotwishtohavenothingbutdownhill,surely。 Itwouldnotbeplayingthegame。Onemusttakealittleroughwithone’ssmooth。\" Againtherereturnedsilence,brokenafterawhilebyGeorge,thistime。 \"Don’tyoutwofellowsover—exertyourselvesmerelyonmyaccount,\" saidGeorge。 \"Howdoyoumean?\"askedHarris。 \"Imean,\"answeredGeorge,\"thatwhereatraindoeshappentobegoingupthesehills,don’tyouputasidetheideaoftakingitforfearofoutragingmyfinerfeelings。Personally,Iampreparedtogoupallthesehillsinarailwaytrain,evenifit’snotplayingthegame。I’llsquarethethingwithmyconscience;I’vebeenupatseveneverydayforaweeknow,andIcalculateitowesmeabit。Don’tyouconsidermeinthematteratall。\" Wepromisedtobearthisinmind,andagaintheridecontinuedindoggeddumbness,untilitwasagainbrokenbyGeorge。 \"Whatbicycledidyousaythiswasofyours?\"askedGeorge。 Harristoldhim。Iforgetofwhatparticularmanufactureithappenedtobe;itisimmaterial。 \"Areyousure?\"persistedGeorge。 \"OfcourseIamsure,\"answeredHarris。\"Why,what’sthematterwithit?\" \"Well,itdoesn’tcomeuptotheposter,\"saidGeorge,\"that’sall。\" \"Whatposter?\"askedHarris。 \"Theposteradvertisingthisparticularbrandofcycle,\"explainedGeorge。\"IwaslookingatoneonahoardinginSloaneStreetonlyadayortwobeforewestarted。Amanwasridingthismakeofmachine,amanwithabannerinhishand:hewasn’tdoinganywork,thatwasclearasdaylight;hewasjustsittingonthethinganddrinkingintheair。Thecyclewasgoingofitsownaccord,andgoingwell。Thisthingofyoursleavesalltheworktome。Itisalazybruteofamachine;ifyoudon’tshove,itsimplydoesnothing:Ishouldcomplainaboutit,ifIwereyou。\" Whenonecomestothinkofit,fewbicyclesdorealisetheposter。 OnonlyoneposterthatIcanrecollecthaveIseentheriderrepresentedasdoinganywork。Butthenthismanwasbeingpursuedbyabull。Inordinarycasestheobjectoftheartististoconvincethehesitatingneophytethatthesportofbicyclingconsistsinsittingonaluxurioussaddle,andbeingmovedrapidlyinthedirectionyouwishtogobyunseenheavenlypowers。 Generallyspeaking,theriderisalady,andthenonefeelsthat,forperfectbodilyrestcombinedwithentirefreedomfrommentalanxiety,slumberuponawater—bedcannotcomparewithbicycle— ridinguponahillyroad。Nofairytravellingonasummercloudcouldtakethingsmoreeasilythandoesthebicyclegirl,accordingtotheposter。Hercostumeforcyclinginhotweatherisideal。 Old—fashionedlandladiesmightrefuseherlunch,itistrue;andanarrowmindedpoliceforcemightdesiretosecureher,andwrapherinarugpreliminarytosummonsingher。Butsuchsheheedsnot。 Uphillanddownhill,throughtrafficthatmighttaxtheingenuityofacat,overroadsurfacescalculatedtobreaktheaveragesteamrollershepasses,avisionofidleloveliness;herfairhairstreamingtothewind,hersylph—likeformpoisedairily,onefootuponthesaddle,theotherrestinglightlyuponthelamp。 Sometimesshecondescendstositdownonthesaddle;thensheputsherfeetontherests,lightsacigarette,andwavesaboveherheadaChineselantern。 Lessoften,itisameremalethingthatridesthemachine。Heisnotsoaccomplishedanacrobatasisthelady;butsimpletricks,suchasstandingonthesaddleandwavingflags,drinkingbeerorbeef—teawhileriding,hecananddoesperform。Something,onesupposes,hemustdotooccupyhismind:sittingstillhourafterhouronthismachine,havingnoworktodo,nothingtothinkabout,mustpalluponanymanofactivetemperament。Thusitisthatweseehimrisingonhispedalsashenearsthetopofsomehighhilltoapostrophisethesun,oraddresspoetrytothesurroundingscenery。 Occasionallytheposterpicturesapairofcyclists;andthenonegraspsthefacthowmuchsuperiorforpurposesofflirtationisthemodernbicycletotheold—fashionedparlourortheplayed—outgardengate。Heandshemounttheirbicycles,beingcareful,ofcourse,thatsuchareoftherightmake。Afterthattheyhavenothingtothinkaboutbuttheoldsweettale。Downshadylanes,throughbusytownsonmarketdays,merrilyrollthewheelsofthe\"BermondseyCompany’sBottomBracketBritain’sBest,\"orofthe\"CamberwellCompany’sJointlessEureka。\"Theyneednopedalling; theyrequirenoguiding。Givethemtheirheads,andtellthemwhattimeyouwanttogethome,andthatisalltheyask。WhileEdwinleansfromhissaddletowhisperthedearoldnothingsinAngelina’sear,whileAngelina’sface,tohideitsblushes,isturnedtowardsthehorizonattheback,themagicbicyclespursuetheirevencourse。 Andthesunisalwaysshiningandtheroadsarealwaysdry。Nosternparentridesbehind,nointerferingauntbeside,nodemonsmallboybrotherispeepingroundthecorner,therenevercomesaskid。Ahme!Whywerethereno\"Britain’sBest\"nor\"CamberwellEurekas\"tobehiredwhenWEwereyoung? Ormaybethe\"Britain’sBest\"orthe\"CamberwellEureka\"standsleaningagainstagate;maybeitistired。Ithasworkedhardalltheafternoon,carryingtheseyoungpeople。Mercifullyminded,theyhavedismounted,togivethemachinearest。Theysituponthegrassbeneaththeshadeofgracefulboughs;itislonganddrygrass。Astreamflowsbytheirfeet。Allisrestandpeace。 Thatisevertheideathecycleposterartistsetshimselftoconvey——restandpeace。 ButIamwronginsayingthatnocyclist,accordingtotheposter,everworks。NowIcometoreflect,Ihaveseenpostersrepresentinggentlemenoncyclesworkingveryhard——over—workingthemselves,onemightalmostsay。Theyarethinandhaggardwiththetoil,theperspirationstandsupontheirbrowinbeads;youfeelthatifthereisanotherhillbeyondthepostertheymusteithergetoffordie。Butthisistheresultoftheirownfolly。 Thishappensbecausetheywillpersistinridingamachineofaninferiormake。Weretheyridinga\"PutneyPopular\"or\"BatterseaBounder,\"suchasthesensibleyoungmaninthecentreoftheposterrides,thenallthisunnecessarylabourwouldbesavedtothem。Thenallrequiredofthemwouldbe,asingratitudebound,tolookhappy;perhaps,occasionallytoback—pedalalittlewhenthemachineinitsyouthfulbuoyancylosesitsheadforamomentanddashesontooswiftly。 Youtiredyoungmen,sittingdejectedlyonmilestones,toospenttoheedthesteadyrainthatsoaksyouthrough;youwearymaidens,withthestraight,damphair,anxiousaboutthetime,longingtoswear,notknowinghow;youstoutbaldmen,vanishingvisiblyasyoupantandgruntalongtheendlessroad;youpurple,dejectedmatrons,plyingwithpaintheslowunwillingwheel;whydidyounotseetoitthatyouboughta\"Britain’sBest\"ora\"CamberwellEureka\"?WhyarethesebicyclesofinferiormakesoprevalentthroughoutthelandOrisitwithbicyclingaswithallotherthings:doesLifeatnopointrealisethePoster? TheonethinginGermanythatneverfailstocharmandfascinatemeistheGermandog。InEnglandonegrowstiredoftheoldbreeds,oneknowsthemallsowell:themastiff,theplum—puddingdog,theterrier(black,whiteorrough—haired,asthecasemaybe,butalwaysquarrelsome),thecollie,thebulldog;neveranythingnew。 NowinGermanyyougetvariety。Youcomeacrossdogsthelikeofwhichyouhaveneverseenbefore:thatuntilyouhearthembarkyoudonotknowaredogs。Itisallsofresh,sointeresting。 GeorgestoppedadoginSigmaringenanddrewourattentiontoit。 Itsuggestedacrossbetweenacodfishandapoodle。IwouldnotliketobepositiveitwasNOTacrossbetweenacodfishandapoodle。Harristriedtophotographit,butitranupafenceanddisappearedthroughsomebushes。 IdonotknowwhattheGermanbreeder’sideais;atpresentheretainshissecret。Georgesuggestsheisaimingatagriffin。 Thereismuchtobearoutthistheory,andindeedinoneortwocasesIhavecomeacrosssuccessontheselineswouldseemtohavebeenalmostachieved。YetIcannotbringmyselftobelievethatsuchareanythingmorethanmereaccidents。TheGermanispractical,andIfailtoseetheobjectofagriffin。Ifmerequaintnessofdesignbedesired,istherenotalreadytheDachshund!Whatmoreisneeded?Besides,aboutahouse,agriffinwouldbesoinconvenient:peoplewouldbecontinuallytreadingonitstail。MyownideaisthatwhattheGermansaretryingforisamermaid,whichtheywillthentraintocatchfish。 ForyourGermandoesnotencouragelazinessinanylivingthing。 Helikestoseehisdogswork,andtheGermandogloveswork;ofthattherecanbenodoubt。ThelifeoftheEnglishdogmustbeamiserytohim。Imagineastrong,active,andintelligentbeing,ofexceptionallyenergetictemperament,condemnedtospendtwenty—fourhoursadayinabsoluteidleness!Howwouldyoulikeityourself? Nowonderhefeelsmisunderstood,yearnsfortheunattainable,andgetshimselfintotroublegenerally。 NowtheGermandog,ontheotherhand,hasplentytooccupyhismind。Heisbusyandimportant。Watchhimashewalksalongharnessedtohismilkcart。Nochurchwardenatcollectiontimecouldfeelorlookmorepleasedwithhimself。Hedoesnotdoanyrealwork;thehumanbeingdoesthepushing,hedoesthebarking; thatishisideaofdivisionoflabour。Whathesaystohimselfis: \"Theoldmancan’tbark,buthecanshove。Verywell。\" Theinterestandthepridehetakesinthebusinessisquitebeautifultosee。Anotherdogpassingbymakes,maybe,somejeeringremark,castingdiscredituponthecreaminessofthemilk。 Hestopssuddenly,quiteregardlessofthetraffic。 \"Ibegyourpardon,whatwasthatyousaidaboutourmilk?\" \"Isaidnothingaboutyourmilk,\"retortstheotherdog,inatoneofgentleinnocence。\"Imerelysaiditwasafineday,andaskedthepriceofchalk。\" \"Oh,youaskedthepriceofchalk,didyou?Wouldyouliketoknow?\" \"Yes,thanks;somehowIthoughtyouwouldbeabletotellme。\" \"Youarequiteright,Ican。It’sworth——\" \"Oh,docomealong!\"saystheoldlady,whoistiredandhot,andanxioustofinishherround。 \"Yes,buthangitall;didyouhearwhathehintedaboutourmilk?\" \"Oh,nevermindhim!There’satramcomingroundthecorner:weshallallgetrunover。\" \"Yes,butIdomindhim;onehasone’sproperpride。Heaskedthepriceofchalk,andhe’sgoingtoknowit!It’sworthjusttwentytimesasmuch——\" \"You’llhavethewholethingover,Iknowyouwill,\"criestheoldlady,pathetically,strugglingwithallherfeeblestrengthtohaulhimback。\"Ohdear,ohdear!IdowishIhadleftyouathome。\" Thetramisbearingdownuponthem;acab—driverisshoutingatthem;anotherhugebrute,hopingtobeintimetotakeahand,isdraggingabreadcart,followedbyascreamingchild,acrosstheroadfromtheoppositeside;asmallcrowdiscollecting;andapolicemanishasteningtothescene。 \"It’sworth,\"saysthemilkdog,\"justtwenty—timesasmuchasyou’llbeworthbeforeI’vedonewithyou。\" \"Oh,youthinkso,doyou?\" \"Yes,Ido,yougrandsonofaFrenchpoodle,youcabbage—eating——\" \"There!Iknewyou’dhaveitover,\"saysthepoormilk—woman。\"I toldhimhe’dhaveitover。\" Butheisbusy,andheedshernot。Fiveminuteslater,whenthetrafficisrenewed,whenthebreadgirlhascollectedhermuddyrolls,andthepolicemanhasgoneoffwiththenameandaddressofeverybodyinthestreet,heconsentstolookbehindhim。 \"ItISabitofanupset,\"headmits。Thenshakinghimselffreeofcare,headds,cheerfully,\"ButIguessItaughthimthepriceofchalk。Hewon’tinterferewithusagain,I’mthinking。\" \"I’msureIhopenot,\"saystheoldlady,regardingdejectedlythemilkyroad。 Buthisfavouritesportistowaitatthetopofthehillforanotherdog,andthenracedown。Ontheseoccasionsthechiefoccupationoftheotherfellowistorunaboutbehind,pickingupthescatteredarticles,loaves,cabbages,orshirts,astheyarejerkedout。Atthebottomofthehill,hestopsandwaitsforhisfriend。 \"Goodrace,wasn’tit?\"heremarks,panting,astheHumancomesup,ladentothechin。\"IbelieveI’dhavewonit,too,ifithadn’tbeenforthatfoolofasmallboy。HewasrightinmywayjustasIturnedthecorner。YOUNOTICEDHIM?WishIhad,beastlybrat! What’sheyellinglikethatfor?BECAUSEIKNOCKEDHIMDOWNAND RANOVERHIM?Well,whydidn’thegetoutoftheway?It’sdisgraceful,thewaypeopleleavetheirchildrenaboutforotherpeopletotumbleover。Halloa!didallthosethingscomeout?Youcouldn’thavepackedthemverycarefully;youshouldseetoathinglikethat。YOUDIDNOTDREAMOFMYTEARINGDOWNTHEHILLTWENTY MILESANHOUR?Surely,youknewmebetterthantoexpectI’dletthatoldSchneider’sdogpassmewithoutaneffort。Butthere,youneverthink。You’resureyou’vegotthemall?YOUBELIEVESO?I shouldn’t’believe’ifIwereyou;Ishouldrunbackupthehillagainandmakesure。YOUFEELTOOTIRED?Oh,allright!don’tblamemeifanythingismissing,that’sall。\" Heissoself—willed。Heiscock—surethatthecorrectturningisthesecondontheright,andnothingwillpersuadehimthatitisthethird。Heispositivehecangetacrosstheroadintime,andwillnotbeconvinceduntilheseesthecartsmashedup。Thenheisveryapologetic,itistrue。Butofwhatuseisthat?Asheisusuallyofthesizeandstrengthofayoungbull,andhishumancompanionisgenerallyaweak—kneedoldmanorwoman,orasmallchild,hehashisway。Thegreatestpunishmenthisproprietorcaninflictuponhimistoleavehimathome,andtakethecartoutalone。ButyourGermanistookind—heartedtodothisoften。 Thatheisharnessedtothecartforanybody’spleasurebuthisownitisimpossibletobelieve;andIamconfidentthattheGermanpeasantplansthetinyharnessandfashionsthelittlecartpurelywiththehopeofgratifyinghisdog。Inothercountries——inBelgium,HollandandFrance——Ihaveseenthesedraughtdogsill— treatedandover—worked;butinGermany,never。Germansabuseanimalsshockingly。IhaveseenaGermanstandinfrontofhishorseandcalliteverynamehecouldlayhistongueto。Butthehorsedidnotmindit。IhaveseenaGerman,wearywithabusinghishorse,calltohiswifetocomeoutandassisthim。Whenshecame,hetoldherwhatthehorsehaddone。Therecitalrousedthewoman’stempertoalmostequalheatwithhisown;andstandingoneeachsideofthepoorbeast,theybothabusedit。Theyabuseditsdeadmother,theyinsulteditsfather;theymadecuttingremarksaboutitspersonalappearance,itsintelligence,itsmoralsense,itsgeneralabilityasahorse。Theanimalborethetorrentwithexemplarypatienceforawhile;thenitdidthebestthingpossibletodounderthecircumstances。Withoutlosingitsowntemper,itmovedquietlyaway。Theladyreturnedtoherwashing,andthemanfolloweditupthestreet,stillabusingit。 Akinder—heartedpeoplethantheGermansthereisnoneedfor。 Crueltytoanimalorchildisathingalmostunknownintheland。 Thewhipwiththemisamusicalinstrument;itscrackisheardfrommorningtonight,butanItaliancoachmanthatinthestreetsofDresdenIoncesawuseitwasverynearlylynchedbytheindignantcrowd。GermanyistheonlycountryinEuropewherethetravellercansettlehimselfcomfortablyinhishiredcarriage,confidentthathisgentle,willingfriendbetweentheshaftswillbeneitherover—workednorcruellytreated。 CHAPTERXI BlackForestHouse:andthesociabilitytherein——Itsperfume—— Georgepositivelydeclinestoremaininbedafterfouro’clockinthemorning——Theroadonecannotmiss——Mypeculiarextrainstinct—— Anungratefulparty——Harrisasascientist——Hischeeryconfidence—— Thevillage:whereitwas,andwhereitoughttohavebeen—— George:hisplan——WepromenadealaFrancais——TheGermancoachmanasleepandawake——ThemanwhospreadstheEnglishlanguageabroad。 Therewasonenightwhen,tiredoutandfarfromtownorvillage,wesleptinaBlackForestfarmhouse。ThegreatcharmabouttheBlackForesthouseisitssociability。Thecowsareinthenextroom,thehorsesareupstairs,thegeeseandducksareinthekitchen,whilethepigs,thechildren,andthechickensliveallovertheplace。 Youaredressing,whenyouhearagruntbehindyou。 \"Good—morning!Don’thappentohaveanypotatopeelingsinhere? No,Iseeyouhaven’t;good—bye。\" Nextthereisacackle,andyouseetheneckofanoldhenstretchedroundthecorner。 \"Finemorning,isn’tit?Youdon’tmindmybringingthiswormofmineinhere,doyou?Itissodifficultinthishousetofindaroomwhereonecanenjoyone’sfoodwithanyquietness。FromachickenIhavealwaysbeenasloweater,andwhenadozen——there,I thoughttheywouldn’tleavemealone。Nowthey’llallwantabit。 Youdon’tmindmygettingonthebed,doyou?Perhapsheretheywon’tnoticeme。\" Whileyouaredressingvariousshockheadspeerinatthedoor; theyevidentlyregardtheroomasatemporarymenagerie。Youcannottellwhethertheheadsbelongtoboysorgirls;youcanonlyhopetheyareallmale。Itisofnouseshuttingthedoor,becausethereisnothingtofastenitby,andthemomentyouaregonetheypushitopenagain。YoubreakfastastheProdigalSonisgenerallyrepresentedfeeding:apigortwodropintokeepyoucompany;apartyofelderlygeesecriticiseyoufromthedoor;yougatherfromtheirwhispers,addedtotheirshockedexpression,thattheyaretalkingscandalaboutyou。Maybeacowwillcondescendtogiveaglancein。 ThisNoah’sArkarrangementitis,Isuppose,thatgivestotheBlackForesthomeitsdistinctivescent。Itisnotascentyoucanlikentoanyonething。ItisasifyoutookrosesandLimburgercheeseandhairoil,someheatherandonions,peachesandsoapsuds,togetherwithadashofseaairandacorpse,andmixedthemuptogether。Youcannotdefineanyparticularodour,butyoufeeltheyareallthere——alltheodoursthattheworldhasyetdiscovered。Peoplewholiveinthesehousesarefondofthismixture。Theydonotopenthewindowandloseanyofit;theykeepitcarefullybottledup。Ifyouwantanyotherscent,youcangooutsideandsmellthewoodvioletsandthepines;insidethereisthehouse;andafterawhile,Iamtold,yougetusedtoit,sothatyoumissit,andareunabletogotosleepinanyotheratmosphere。 Wehadalongwalkbeforeusthenextday,anditwasourdesire,therefore,togetupearly,evensoearlyassixo’clock,ifthatcouldbemanagedwithoutdisturbingthewholehousehold。Weputittoourhostesswhethershethoughtthiscouldbedone。Shesaidshethoughtitcould。Shemightnotbeaboutherselfatthattime; itwashermorningforgoingintothetown,someeightmilesoff,andsherarelygotbackmuchbeforeseven;but,possibly,herhusbandoroneoftheboyswouldbereturninghometolunchaboutthathour。Anyhow,somebodyshouldbesentbacktowakeusandgetourbreakfast。 Asitturnedout,wedidnotneedanywaking。Wegotupatfour,allbyourselves。Wegotupatfourinordertogetawayfromthenoiseandthedinthatwasmakingourheadsache。WhattimetheBlackForestpeasantrisesinthesummertimeIamunabletosay; toustheyappearedtobegettingupallnight。AndthefirstthingtheBlackForesterdoeswhenhegetsupistoputonapairofstoutbootswithwoodensoles,andtakeaconstitutionalroundthehouse。Untilhehasbeenthreetimesupanddownthestairs,hedoesnotfeelheisup。Oncefullyawakehimself,thenextthinghedoesistogoupstairstothestables,andwakeupahorse。(TheBlackForesthousebeingbuiltgenerallyonthesideofasteephill,thegroundfloorisatthetop,andthehay—loftatthebottom。)Thenthehorse,itwouldseem,mustalsohaveitsconstitutionalroundthehouse;andthisseento,themangoesdownstairsintothekitchenandbeginstochopwood,andwhenhehaschoppedsufficientwoodhefeelspleasedwithhimselfandbeginstosing。Allthingsconsidered,wecametotheconclusionwecouldnotdobetterthanfollowtheexcellentexamplesetus。 EvenGeorgewasquiteeagertogetupthatmorning。 Wehadafrugalbreakfastathalf—pastfour,andstartedawayatfive。Ourroadlayoveramountain,andfromenquiriesmadeinthevillageitappearedtobeoneofthoseroadsyoucannotpossiblymiss。Isupposeeverybodyknowsthissortofroad。Generally,itleadsyoubacktowhereyoustartedfrom;andwhenitdoesn’t,youwishitdid,sothatatalleventsyoumightknowwhereyouwere。 Iforesawevilfromtheveryfirst,andbeforewehadaccomplishedacoupleofmileswecameupwithit。Theroaddividedintothree。 Aworm—eatensign—postindicatedthatthepathtotheleftledtoaplacethatwehadneverheardof——thatwasonnomap。Itsotherarm,pointingoutthedirectionofthemiddleroad,haddisappeared。Theroadtotheright,soweallagreed,clearlyledbackagaintothevillage。 \"Theoldmansaiddistinctly,\"soHarrisremindedus,\"keepstraightonroundthehill。\" \"Whichhill?\"Georgeasked,pertinently。 Wewereconfrontedbyhalfadozen,someofthembig,someofthemlittle。 \"Hetoldus,\"continuedHarris,\"thatweshouldcometoawood。\" \"Iseenoreasontodoubthim,\"commentedGeorge,\"whicheverroadwetake。\" Asamatteroffact,adensewoodcoveredeveryhill。 \"Andhesaid,\"murmuredHarris,\"thatweshouldreachthetopinaboutanhourandahalf。\" \"Thereitis,\"saidGeorge,\"thatIbegintodisbelievehim。\" \"Well,whatshallwedo?\"saidHarris。 NowIhappentopossessthebumpoflocality。Itisnotavirtue; Imakenoboastofit。ItismerelyananimalinstinctthatI cannothelp。Thatthingsoccasionallygetinmyway——mountains,precipices,rivers,andsuchlikeobstructions——isnofaultofmine。Myinstinctiscorrectenough;itistheearththatiswrong。Iledthembythemiddleroad。Thatthemiddleroadhadnotcharacterenoughtocontinueforanyquarterofamileinthesamedirection;thatafterthreemilesupanddownhillitendedabruptlyinawasps’nest,wasnotathingthatshouldhavebeenlaidtomydoor。Ifthemiddleroadhadgoneinthedirectionitoughttohavedone,itwouldhavetakenustowherewewantedtogo,ofthatIamconvinced。 Evenasitwas,Iwouldhavecontinuedtousethisgiftofminetodiscoverafreshwayhadaproperspiritbeendisplayedtowardsme。 ButIamnotanangel——Iadmitthisfrankly,——andIdeclinetoexertmyselffortheungratefulandtheribald。Besides,IdoubtifGeorgeandHarriswouldhavefollowedmefurtherinanyevent。 ThereforeitwasthatIwashedmyhandsofthewholeaffair,andthatHarrisentereduponthevacancy。 \"Well,\"saidHarris。\"Isupposeyouaresatisfiedwithwhatyouhavedone?\" \"Iamquitesatisfied,\"IrepliedfromtheheapofstoneswhereI wassitting。\"Sofar,Ihavebroughtyouwithsafety。Iwouldcontinuetoleadyoufurther,butnoartistcanworkwithoutencouragement。Youappeardissatisfiedwithmebecauseyoudonotknowwhereyouare。Forallyouknow,youmaybejustwhereyouwanttobe。ButIsaynothingastothat;Iexpectnothanks。Goyourownway;Ihavedonewithyouboth。\" Ispoke,perhaps,withbitterness,butIcouldnothelpit。NotawordofkindnesshadIhadallthewearyway。 \"Donotmisunderstandus,\"saidHarris;\"bothGeorgeandmyselffeelthatwithoutyourassistanceweshouldneverbewherewenoware。Forthatwegiveyoueverycredit。Butinstinctisliabletoerror。WhatIproposetodoistosubstituteforitScience,whichisexact。Now,where’sthesun?\" \"Don’tyouthink,\"saidGeorge,\"thatifwemadeourwaybacktothevillage,andhiredaboyforamarktoguideus,itwouldsavetimeintheend?\" \"Itwouldbewastinghours,\"saidHarris,withdecision。\"Youleavethistome。Ihavebeenreadingaboutthisthing,andithasinterestedme。\"Hetookouthiswatch,andbeganturninghimselfroundandround。 \"It’sassimpleasABC,\"hecontinued。\"Youpointtheshorthandatthesun,thenyoubisectthesegmentbetweentheshorthandandthetwelve,andthusyougetthenorth。\" Heworriedupanddownforawhile,thenhefixedit。 \"NowI’vegotit,\"hesaid;\"that’sthenorth,wherethatwasps’ nestis。Nowgivemethemap。\" Wehandedittohim,andseatinghimselffacingthewasps,heexaminedit。 \"Todtmoosfromhere,\"hesaid,\"issouthbysouth—west。\" \"Howdoyoumean,fromhere?\"askedGeorge。 \"Why,fromhere,whereweare,\"returnedHarris。 \"Butwherearewe?\"saidGeorge。 ThisworriedHarrisforatime,butatlengthhecheeredup。 \"Itdoesn’tmatterwhereweare,\"hesaid。\"Whereverweare,Todtmoosissouthbysouth—west。Comeon,weareonlywastingtime。\" \"Idon’tquiteseehowyoumakeitout,\"saidGeorge,asheroseandshoulderedhisknapsack;\"butIsupposeitdoesn’tmatter。Weareoutforourhealth,andit’sallpretty!\" \"Weshallbeallright,\"saidHarris,withcheeryconfidence。\"WeshallbeinatTodtmoosbeforeten,don’tyouworry。AndatTodtmooswewillhavesomethingtoeat。\" Hesaidthathe,himself,fanciedabeefsteak,followedbyanomelette。Georgesaidthat,personally,heintendedtokeephismindoffthesubjectuntilhesawTodtmoos。 Wewalkedforhalfanhour,thenemerginguponanopening,wesawbelowus,abouttwomilesaway,thevillagethroughwhichwehadpassedthatmorning。Ithadaquaintchurchwithanoutsidestaircase,asomewhatunusualarrangement。 Thesightofitmademesad。Wehadbeenwalkinghardforthreehoursandahalf,andhadaccomplished,apparently,aboutfourmiles。ButHarriswasdelighted。 \"Now,atlast,\"saidHarris,\"weknowwhereweare。\" \"Ithoughtyousaiditdidn’tmatter,\"Georgeremindedhim。 \"Nomoreitdoes,practically,\"repliedHarris,\"butitisjustaswelltobecertain。NowIfeelmoreconfidenceinmyself。\" \"I’mnotsosureaboutthatbeinganadvantage,\"mutteredGeorge。 ButIdonotthinkHarrisheardhim。 \"Wearenow,\"continuedHarris,\"eastofthesun,andTodtmoosissouth—westofwhereweare。Sothatif——\" Hebrokeoff。\"By—the—by,\"hesaid,\"doyourememberwhetherI saidthebisectinglineofthatsegmentpointedtothenorthortothesouth?\" \"Yousaiditpointedtothenorth,\"repliedGeorge。 \"Areyoupositive?\"persistedHarris。 \"Positive,\"answeredGeorge\"butdon’tletthatinfluenceyourcalculations。Inallprobabilityyouwerewrong。\" Harristhoughtforawhile;thenhisbrowcleared。 \"That’sallright,\"hesaid;\"ofcourse,it’sthenorth。Itmustbethenorth。Howcoulditbethesouth?Nowwemustmakeforthewest。Comeon。\" \"Iamquitewillingtomakeforthewest,\"saidGeorge;\"anypointofthecompassisthesametome。Ionlywishtoremarkthat,atthepresentmoment,wearegoingdeadeast。\" \"Nowearenot,\"returnedHarris;\"wearegoingwest。\" \"Wearegoingeast,Itellyou,\"saidGeorge。 \"Iwishyouwouldn’tkeepsayingthat,\"saidHarris,\"youconfuseme。\" \"Idon’tmindifIdo,\"returnedGeorge;\"Iwouldratherdothatthangowrong。Itellyouwearegoingdeadeast。\" \"Whatnonsense!\"retortedHarris;\"there’sthesun。\" \"Icanseethesun,\"answeredGeorge,\"quitedistinctly。Itmaybewhereitoughttobe,accordingtoyouandScience,oritmaynot。 AllIknowis,thatwhenweweredowninthevillage,thatparticularhillwiththatparticularlumpofrockuponitwasduenorthofus。Atthepresentmomentwearefacingdueeast。\" \"Youarequiteright,\"saidHarris;\"Iforgotforthemomentthatwehadturnedround。\" \"Ishouldgetintothehabitofmakinganoteofit,ifIwereyou,\"grumbledGeorge;\"it’samanoeuvrethatwillprobablyoccuragainmorethanonce。\" Wefacedabout,andwalkedintheotherdirection。Attheendoffortyminutes’climbingweagainemergeduponanopening,andagainthevillagelayjustunderourfeet。Onthisoccasionitwassouthofus。 \"Thisisveryextraordinary,\"saidHarris。 \"Iseenothingremarkableaboutit,\"saidGeorge。\"Ifyouwalksteadilyroundavillageitisonlynaturalthatnowandthenyougetaglimpseofit。Myself,Iamgladtoseeit。Itprovestomethatwearenotutterlylost。\" \"Itoughttobetheothersideofus,\"saidHarris。 \"Itwillbeinanotherhourorso,\"saidGeorge,\"ifwekeepon。\" Isaidlittlemyself;Iwasvexedwithbothofthem;butIwasgladtonoticeGeorgeevidentlygrowingcrosswithHarris。ItwasabsurdofHarristofancyhecouldfindthewaybythesun。 \"IwishIknew,\"saidHarris,thoughtfully,\"forcertainwhetherthatbisectinglinepointstothenorthortothesouth。\" \"Ishouldmakeupmymindaboutit,\"saidGeorge;\"it’sanimportantpoint。\" \"It’simpossibleitcanbethenorth,\"saidHarris,\"andI’lltellyouwhy。\" \"Youneedn’ttrouble,\"saidGeorge;\"Iamquitepreparedtobelieveitisn’t。\" \"Yousaidjustnowitwas,\"saidHarris,reproachfully。 \"Isaidnothingofthesort,\"retortedGeorge。\"Isaidyousaiditwas——averydifferentthing。Ifyouthinkitisn’t,let’sgotheotherway。It’llbeachange,atallevents。\" SoHarrisworkedthingsoutaccordingtothecontrarycalculation,andagainweplungedintothewood;andagainafterhalfanhour’sstiffclimbingwecameinviewofthatsamevillage。True,wewerealittlehigher,andthistimeitlaybetweenusandthesun。