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。