第1章
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  PREFACE

  Saidafriendofminetomesomemonthsago:\"Wellnow,whydon’tyouwriteaSENSIBLEbook?Ishouldliketoseeyoumakepeoplethink。\"

  \"Doyoubelieveitcanbedone,then?\"Iasked。

  \"Well,try,\"hereplied。

  Accordingly,Ihavetried。Thisisasensiblebook。Iwantyoutounderstandthat。Thisisabooktoimproveyourmind。InthisbookItellyouallaboutGermany——atallevents,allIknowaboutGermany——andtheOber-AmmergauPassionPlay。Ialsotellyouaboutotherthings。IdonottellyouallIknowaboutalltheseotherthings,becauseIdonotwanttoswampyouwithknowledge。Iwishtoleadyougradually。Whenyouhavelearntthisbook,youcancomeagain,andIwilltellyousomemore。IshouldonlybedefeatingmyownobjectdidI,bymakingyouthinktoomuchatfirst,giveyouaperhaps,lastingdisliketotheexercise。Ihavepurposelyputthematterinalightandattractiveform,sothatImaysecuretheattentionoftheyoungandthefrivolous。Idonotwantthemtonotice,astheygoon,thattheyarebeinginstructed;andIhave,therefore,endeavouredtodisguisefromthem,sofarasispracticable,thatthisiseitheranexceptionallycleveroranexceptionallyusefulwork。Iwanttodothemgoodwithouttheirknowingit。Iwanttodoyouallgood——toimproveyourmindsandtomakeyouthink,ifIcan。

  WHATyouwillthinkafteryouhavereadthebook,Idonotwanttoknow;indeed,Iwouldrathernotknow。ItwillbesufficientrewardformetofeelthatIhavedonemyduty,andtoreceiveapercentageonthegrosssales。

  LONDON,March,1891。

  DIARYOFAPILGRIMAGE

  MONDAY,19TH

  MyFriendB。——InvitationtotheTheatre。——AMostUnpleasantRegulation。——YearningsoftheEmbryoTraveller。——HowtoMaketheMostofOne’sOwnCountry。——Friday,aLuckyDay。——ThePilgrimageDecidedOn。

  MyfriendB。calledonmethismorningandaskedmeifIwouldgotoatheatrewithhimonMondaynext。

  \"Oh,yes!certainly,oldman,\"Ireplied。\"Haveyougotanorder,then?\"

  Hesaid:

  \"No;theydon’tgiveorders。Weshallhavetopay。\"

  \"Pay!Paytogointoatheatre!\"Ianswered,inastonishment。\"Oh,nonsense!Youarejoking。\"

  \"Mydearfellow,\"herejoined,\"doyouthinkIshouldsuggestpayingifitwerepossibletogetinbyanyothermeans?Butthepeoplewhorunthistheatrewouldnotevenunderstandwhatwasmeantbya’freelist,’theuncivilisedbarbarians!ItisofnousepretendingtothemthatyouareonthePress,becausetheydon’twantthePress;theydon’tthinkanythingofthePress。Itisnogoodwritingtotheactingmanager,becausethereisnoactingmanager。

  Itwouldbeawasteoftimeofferingtoexhibitbills,becausetheydon’thaveanybills——notofthatsort。Ifyouwanttogointoseetheshow,you’vegottopay。Ifyoudon’tpay,youstopoutside;

  that’stheirbrutalrule。\"

  \"Dearme,\"Isaid,\"whataveryunpleasantarrangement!Andwhereaboutsisthisextraordinarytheatre?Idon’tthinkIcaneverhavebeeninsideit。\"

  \"Idon’tthinkyouhave,\"hereplied;\"itisatOber-Ammergau——firstturningontheleftafteryouleaveOberrailway-station,fiftymilesfromMunich。\"

  \"Um!ratheroutofthewayforatheatre,\"Isaid。\"Ishouldnothavethoughtanoutlyinghouselikethatcouldhaveaffordedtogiveitselfairs。\"

  \"Thehouseholdsseventhousandpeople,\"answeredmyfriendB。,\"andmoneyisturnedawayateachperformance。ThefirstproductionisonMondaynext。Willyoucome?\"

  Iponderedforamoment,lookedatmydiary,andsawthatAuntEmmawascomingtospendSaturdaytoWednesdaynextwithus,calculatedthatifIwentIshouldmissher,andmightnotseeheragainforyears,anddecidedthatIwouldgo。

  Totellthetruth,itwasthejourneymorethantheplaythattemptedme。Tobeagreattravellerhasalwaysbeenoneofmycherishedambitions。Iyearntobeabletowriteinthissortofstrain:-

  \"IhavesmokedmyfragrantHavanainthesunnystreetsofoldMadrid,andIhavepuffedtherudeandnotsweet-smellingcalumetofpeaceinthedraughtywigwamoftheWildWest;Ihavesippedmyeveningcoffeeinthesilenttent,whilethetetheredcamelbrowsedwithoutuponthedesertgrass,andIhavequaffedthefierybrandyoftheNorthwhilethereindeermunchedhisfodderbesidemeinthehut,andthepalelightofthemidnightsunthrewtheshadowsofthepinesacrossthesnow;Ihavefeltthestaboflustrouseyesthat,ghostlike,lookedatmefromoutveil-coveredfacesinByzantium’snarrowways,andIhavelaughedback(thoughitwaswrongofmetodoso)atthesaucy,wantonglancesoftheblack-eyedgirlsofJedo;

  Ihavewanderedwhere’good’——butnottoogood——HarounAlraschidcreptdisguisedatnightfall,withhisfaithfulMesrourbyhisside;

  IhavestooduponthebridgewhereDantewatchedthesaintedBeatricepassby;IhavefloatedonthewatersthatonceborethebargeofCleopatra;IhavestoodwhereCaesarfell;Ihaveheardthesoftrustleofrich,rarerobesinthedrawing-roomsofMayfair,andIhaveheardtheteeth-necklacesrattlearoundtheebonythroatsofthebellesofTongataboo;Ihavepantedbeneaththesun’sfierceraysinIndia,andfrozenundertheicyblastsofGreenland;IhavemingledwiththeteeminghordesofoldCathay,and,deepinthegreatpineforestsoftheWesternWorld,Ihavelain,wrappedinmyblanket,athousandmilesbeyondtheshoresofhumanlife。\"

  B。,towhomIexplainedmyleaningtowardsthisstyleofdiction,saidthatexactlythesameeffectcouldbeproducedbywritingaboutplacesquitehandy。Hesaid:-

  \"IcouldgoonlikethatwithouthavingbeenoutsideEnglandatall。

  Ishouldsay:

  \"IhavesmokedmyfourpennyshaginthesandedbarsofFleetStreet,andIhavepuffedmytwopennyManillainthegildedballsoftheCriterion;IhavequaffedmyfoamingbeerofBurtonwhereIslington’sfamedAngelgathersthelittlethirstyonesbeneathhershadowingwings,andIhavesippedmytenpennyordinaireinmanyagarlic-scentedsalonofSoho。Onthebackofthestrangely-movingassIhaveurged——or,tospeakmorecorrectly,theproprietoroftheass,orhisagent,frombehindhasurged——mywildcareeracrossthesandyheathsofHampstead,andmycanoehasstartledthescreamingwild-fowlfromtheirlonelyhauntsamidthesub-tropicalregionsofBattersea。Adownthelong,steepslopeofOneTreeHillhaveI

  rolledfromtoptofoot,whilelaughingmaidensoftheEaststoodroundandclappedtheirhandsandyelled;and,intheold-worldgardenofthatpleasantCourt,whereplayedthefair-hairedchildrenoftheill-starredStuarts,haveIwanderedlongthroughmanypaths,myarmentwinedaboutthewaistofoneofEve’ssweetdaughters,whilehermotherragedaroundindignantlyontheothersideofthehedge,andneverseemedtogetanynearertous。Ihavechasedthelodging-houseNorfolkHowardtohiswaterydeathbythepalelamp’slight;Ihave,shivering,followedtheleapingfleao’ermanyamileofpillowandsheet,bythegreatAtlantic’smargin。Roundandround,tilltheheart——andnotonlytheheart——growssick,andthemadbrainwhirlsandreels,haveIriddenthesmall,butextremelyhard,horse,thatmay,forapenny,bemountedamidtheplainsofPeckhamRye;andhighabovetheheadsofthegiddythrongsofBarnet(thoughitisdoubtfulifanyoneamongthemwashalfsogiddyaswasI)haveIswunginhighly-colouredcar,workedbyamanwitharope。

  IhavetrodinstatelymeasurethefloorofKensington’sTownHall(theticketswereaguineaeach,andincludedrefreshments——whenyoucouldgettothemthroughthecrowd),andonthegreenswardoftheforestthatborderseasternAngliabytheoft-sungtownofEppingI

  haveperformedquaintceremoniesinaring;IhavemingledwiththeteeminghordesofDruryLaneonBoxingNight,and,duringtherunofahigh-classpiece,Ihavesatinlonelygrandeurinthefrontrowofthegallery,andwishedthatIhadspentmyshillinginsteadintheOrientalhallsoftheAlhambra。\"

  \"Thereyouare,\"saidB。,\"thatisjustasgoodasyours;andyoucanwritelikethatwithoutgoingmorethanafewhours’journeyfromLondon。\"

  \"Wewilldiscussthematternofurther,\"Ireplied。\"Youcannot,I

  see,enterintomyfeelings。Thewildheartofthetravellerdoesnotthrobwithinyourbreast;youcannotunderstandhislongings。

  Nomatter!SufficeitthatIwillcomethisjourneywithyou。I

  willbuyaGermanconversationbook,andacheck-suit,andablueveil,andawhiteumbrella,andsuchlikenecessitiesoftheEnglishtouristinGermany,thisveryafternoon。Whendoyoustart?\"

  \"Well,\"hesaid,\"itisagoodtwodays’journey。IproposetostartonFriday。\"

  \"IsnotFridayratheranunluckydaytostarton?\"Isuggested。

  \"Oh,goodgracious!\"heretortedquitesharply,\"whatrubbishnext?

  AsiftheaffairsofEuropeweregoingtobearrangedbyProvidenceaccordingtowhetheryouandIstartforanexcursiononaThursdayoraFriday!\"

  Hesaidhewassurprisedthatamanwhocouldbesosensible,occasionally,asmyself,couldhavepatiencetoeventhinkofsuchold-womanishnonsense。Hesaidthatyearsago,whenhewasasillyboy,heusedtopayattentiontothisfoolishsuperstitionhimself,andwouldneveruponanyconsiderationstartforatripuponaFriday。

  But,oneyear,hewascompelledtodoso。ItwasacaseofeitherstartingonaFridayornotgoingatall,andhedeterminedtochanceit。

  Hewent,preparedforandexpectingaseriesofaccidentsandmisfortunes。Toreturnhomealivewastheonlybitofpleasurehehopedforfromthattrip。

  Asitturnedout,however,hehadneverhadamoreenjoyableholidayinhislifebefore。Thewholeeventwasatremendoussuccess。

  Andafterthat,hehadmadeuphismindtoALWAYSstartonaFriday;

  andhealwaysdid,andalwayshadagoodtime。

  Hesaidthathewouldnever,uponanyconsideration,startforatripuponanyotherdaybutaFridaynow。Itwassoabsurd,thissuperstitionaboutFriday。

  SoweagreedtostartontheFriday,andIamtomeethimatVictoriaStationataquartertoeightintheevening。

  THURSDAY,22ND

  TheQuestionofLuggage。——FirstFriend’sSuggestion。——SecondFriend’sSuggestion。——ThirdFriend’sSuggestion。——Mrs。Briggs’

  Advice。——OurVicar’sAdvice。——HisWife’sAdvice。——MedicalAdvice。——

  LiteraryAdvice。——George’sRecommendation。——MySister-in-Law’sHelp。——YoungSmith’sCounsel。——MyOwnIdeas。——B。’sIdea。

  Ihavebeenagooddealworriedto-dayaboutthequestionofwhatluggagetotakewithme。Imetamanthismorning,andhesaid:

  \"Oh,ifyouaregoingtoOber-Ammergau,mindyoutakeplentyofwarmclothingwithyou。You’llneedallyourwinterthingsupthere。\"

  Hesaidthatafriendofhishadgoneuptheresomeyearsago,andhadnottakenenoughwarmthingswithhim,andhadcaughtachillthere,andhadcomehomeanddied。Hesaid:

  \"Youbeguidedbyme,andtakeplentyofwarmthingswithyou。\"

  Imetanothermanlateron,andhesaid:

  \"Ihearyouaregoingabroad。Now,tellme,whatpartofEuropeareyougoingto?\"

  IrepliedthatIthoughtitwassomewhereaboutthemiddle。Hesaid:

  \"Well,now,youtakemyadvice,andgetacalicosuitandasunshade。Nevermindthelookofthething。Youbecomfortable。

  You’venoideaoftheheatontheContinentatthistimeoftheyear。EnglishpeoplewillpersistintravellingabouttheContinentinthesamestuffyclothesthattheywearathome。That’showsomanyofthemgetsunstrokes,andareruinedforlife。\"

  Iwentintotheclub,andthereImetafriendofmine——anewspapercorrespondent——whohastravelledagooddeal,andknowsEuropeprettywell。Itoldhimwhatmytwootherfriendshadsaid,andaskedhimwhichIwastobelieve。Hesaid:

  \"Well,asamatteroffact,theyarebothright。Yousee,upinthosehillydistricts,theweatherchangesveryquickly。Inthemorningitmaybeblazinghot,andyouwillbemelting,andintheeveningyoumaybeverygladofaflannelshirtandafurcoat。\"

  \"Why,thatisexactlythesortofweatherwehaveinEngland!\"I

  exclaimed。\"Ifthat’salltheseforeignerscanmanageintheirowncountry,whatrighthavetheytocomeoverhere,astheydo,andgrumbleaboutourweather?\"

  \"Well,asamatteroffact,\"hereplied,\"theyhaven’tanyright;

  butyoucan’tstopthem——theywilldoit。No,youtakemyadvice,andbepreparedforeverything。Takeacoolsuitandsomethinthings,forifit’shot,andplentyofwarmthingsincaseitiscold。\"

  WhenIgothomeIfoundMrs。Briggsthere,shehavinglookedintoseehowthebabywas。Shesaid:-

  \"Oh!ifyou’regoinganywherenearGermany,youtakeabitofsoapwithyou。\"

  ShesaidthatMr。BriggshadbeencalledovertoGermanyonceinahurry,onbusiness,andhadforgottentotakeapieceofsoapwithhim,anddidn’tknowenoughGermantoaskforanywhenhegotoverthere,anddidn’tseeanytoaskforevenifhehadknown,andwasawayforthreeweeks,andwasn’tabletowashhimselfallthetime,andcamehomesodirtythattheydidn’tknowhim,andmistookhimforthemanthatwastocometoseewhatwasthematterwiththekitchenboiler。

  Mrs。Briggsalsoadvisedmetotakesometowelswithme,astheygiveyousuchsmalltowelstowipeon。

  Iwentoutafterlunch,andmetourVicar。Hesaid:

  \"Takeablanketwithyou。\"

  HesaidthatnotonlydidtheGermanhotel-keepersnevergiveyousufficientbedclothestokeepyouwarmofanight,buttheyneverproperlyairedtheirsheets。HesaidthatayoungfriendofhishadgoneforatourthroughGermanyonce,andhadsleptinadampbed,andhadcaughtrheumaticfever,andhadcomehomeanddied。

  Hiswifejoinedusatthispoint。(Hewaswaitingforheroutsideadraper’sshopwhenImethim。)HeexplainedtoherthatIwasgoingtoGermany,andshesaid:

  \"Oh!takeapillowwithyou。Theydon’tgiveyouanypillows——notlikeourpillows——andit’sSOwretched,you’llnevergetadecentnight’srestifyoudon’ttakeapillow。\"Shesaid:\"Youcanhavealittlebagmadeforit,anditdoesn’tlookanything。\"

  Imetourdoctorafewyardsfurtheron。Hesaid:

  \"Don’tforgettotakeabottleofbrandywithyou。Itdoesn’ttakeupmuchroom,and,ifyou’renotusedtoGermancooking,you’llfindithandyinthenight。\"

  Headdedthatthebrandyyougetatforeignhotelswasmerepoison,andthatitwasreallyunsafetotravelabroadwithoutabottleofbrandy。Hesaidthatasimplethinglikeabottleofbrandyinyourbagmightoftensaveyourlife。

  Cominghome,Iranagainstaliteraryfriendofmine。Hesaid:

  \"You’llhaveagoodishtimeinthetrainoldfellow。Areyouusedtolongrailwayjourneys?\"

  Isaid:

  \"Well,I’vetravelleddownfromLondonintotheveryheartofSurreybyaSouthEasternexpress。\"

  \"Oh!that’samerenothing,comparedwithwhatyou’vegotbeforeyounow,\"heanswered。\"Lookhere,I’lltellyouaverygoodideaofhowtopassthetime。Youtakeachessboardwithyouandasetofmen。You’llthankmefortellingyouthat!\"

  Georgedroppedinduringtheevening。Hesaid:

  \"I’lltellyouonethingyou’llhavetotakewithyou,oldman,andthat’saboxofcigarsandsometobacco。\"

  HesaidthattheGermancigar——thebetterclassofGermancigar——wasofthebrandthatistechnicallyknownoverhereasthe\"PennyPickwick——SpringCrop;\"andhethoughtthatIshouldnothavetime,duringtheshortstayIcontemplatedmakinginthecountry,toacquireatasteforitsflavour。

  Mysister-in-lawcameinlateronintheevening(sheisathoughtfulgirl),andbroughtaboxwithheraboutthesizeofatea-chest。Shesaid:

  \"Now,youslipthatinyourbag;you’llbegladofthat。There’severythingthereformakingyourselfacupoftea。\"

  ShesaidthattheydidnotunderstandteainGermany,butthatwiththatIshouldbeindependentofthem。

  Sheopenedthecase,andexplaineditscontentstome。Itcertainlywasawonderfullycompletearrangement。Itcontainedalittlecaddyfulloftea,alittlebottleofmilk,aboxofsugar,abottleofmethylatedspirit,aboxofbutter,andatinofbiscuits:also,astove,akettle,ateapot,twocups,twosaucers,twoplates,twoknives,andtwospoons。Iftherehadonlybeenabedinit,oneneednothavebotheredabouthotelsatall。

  YoungSmith,theSecretaryofourPhotographicClub,calledatninetoaskmetotakehimanegativeofthestatueofthedyingGladiatorintheMunichSculptureGallery。ItoldhimthatIshouldbedelightedtoobligehim,butthatIdidnotintendtotakemycamerawithme。

  \"Nottakeyourcamera!\"hesaid。\"YouaregoingtoGermany——toRhineland!Youaregoingtopassthroughsomeofthemostpicturesquescenery,andstayatsomeofthemostancientandfamoustownsofEurope,andaregoingtoleaveyourphotographicapparatusbehindyou,andyoucallyourselfanartist!\"

  HesaidIshouldneverregretathingmoreinmylifethangoingwithoutthatcamera。

  Ithinkitisalwaysrighttotakeotherpeople’sadviceinmatterswheretheyknowmorethanyoudo。Itistheexperienceofthosewhohavegonebeforethatmakesthewaysmoothforthosewhofollow。

  So,aftersupper,IgottogetherthethingsIhadbeenadvisedtotakewithme,andarrangedthemonthebed,addingafewarticlesI

  hadthoughtofallbymyself。

  Iputupplentyofwritingpaperandabottleofink,alongwithadictionaryandafewotherbooksofreference,incaseIshouldfeelinclinedtodoanyworkwhileIwasaway。Ialwaysliketobepreparedforwork;oneneverknowswhenonemayfeelinclinedforit。Sometimes,whenIhavebeenaway,andhaveforgottentobringanypaperandpensandinkwithme,Ihavefeltsoinclinedforwriting;andithasquiteupsetmethat,inconsequenceofnothavingbroughtanypaperandpensandinkwithme,Ihavebeenunabletositdownanddoalotofwork,buthavebeencompelled,instead,toloungeaboutalldaywithmyhandsinmypockets。

  Accordingly,Ialwaystakeplentyofpaperandpensandinkwithmenow,whereverIgo,sothatwhenthedesireforworkcomestomeI

  neednotcheckit。

  Thatthiscravingforworkshouldhavetroubledmesooften,whenI

  hadnopaper,pens,andinkbyme,andthatitnever,byanychance,visitsmenow,whenIamcarefultobeinapositiontogratifyit,isamatteroverwhichIhaveoftenpuzzled。

  ButwhenitdoescomeIshallbereadyforit。

  IalsoputonthebedafewvolumesofGoethe,becauseIthoughtitwouldbesopleasanttoreadhiminhisowncountry。AndIdecidedtotakeasponge,togetherwithasmallportablebath,becauseacoldbathissorefreshingthefirstthinginthemorning。

  B。cameinjustasIhadgoteverythingintoapile。Hestaredatthebed,andaskedmewhatIwasdoing。ItoldhimIwaspacking。

  \"GreatHeavens!\"heexclaimed。\"Ithoughtyouweremoving!Whatdoyouthinkwearegoingtodo——campout?\"

  \"No!\"Ireplied。\"ButthesearethethingsIhavebeenadvisedtotakewithme。Whatistheuseofpeoplegivingyouadviceifyoudon’ttakeit?\"

  Hesaid:

  \"Oh!takeasmuchadviceasyoulike;thatalwayscomesinusefultogiveaway。But,forgoodnesssake,don’tgetcarryingallthatstuffaboutwithyou。PeoplewilltakeusforGipsies。\"

  Isaid:

  \"Now,it’snouseyourtalkingnonsense。Halfthethingsonthisbedarelife-preservingthings。IfpeoplegointoGermanywithoutthesethings,theycomehomeanddie。\"

  AndIrelatedtohimwhatthedoctorandthevicarandtheotherpeoplehadtoldme,andexplainedtohimhowmylifedependeduponmytakingbrandyandblanketsandsunshadesandplentyofwarmclothingwithme。

  Heisamanutterlyindifferenttodangerandrisk——incurredbyotherpeople——isB。Hesaid:

  \"Oh,rubbish!You’renotthesortthatcatchesacoldanddiesyoung。Youleavethatco-operativestoresofyoursathome,andpackupatooth-brush,acomb,apairofsocks,andashirt。That’sallyou’llwant。\"

  Ihavepackedmorethanthat,butnotmuch。Atallevents,Ihavegoteverythingintoonesmallbag。Ishouldliketohavetakenthatteaarrangement——itwouldhavedonesonicelytoplayatshopwithinthetrain!——butB。wouldnothearofit。

  Ihopetheweatherdoesnotchange。

  FRIDAY,23RD

  EarlyRising。——BallastshouldbeStowedAwayintheHoldbeforePuttingtoSea。——AnnoyingInterferenceofProvidenceinMattersthatitDoesNotUnderstand。——ASocialisticSociety。——B。MisjudgesMe。——

  AnUninterestingAnecdote。——WeLayinBallast。——AModerateSailor。——

  APlayfulBoat。

  Igotupveryearlythismorning。IdonotknowwhyIgotupearly。

  Wedonotstarttilleighto’clockthisevening。ButIdon’tregretit——thegettingupearlyImean。Itisachange。Igoteverybodyelseuptoo,andweallhadbreakfastatseven。

  Imadeaverygoodlunch。Oneofthoseseafaringmensaidtomeonce:

  \"Now,ifeveryouaregoingashortpassage,andareatallnervous,youlayinagoodload。It’sagoodloadintheholdwhatsteadiestheship。It’sthemhalf-emptycruisersasgoesa-rollin’anda-

  pitchin’anda-heavin’allovertheplace,withtheirsternup’ardshalfthetime。Youlayinballast。\"

  Itseemedveryreasonableadvice。

  AuntEmmacameintheafternoon。Shesaidshewassogladshehadcaughtme。SomethingtoldhertochangehermindandcomeonFridayinsteadofSaturday。ItwasProvidence,shesaid。

  IwishProvidencewouldminditsownbusiness,andnotinterfereinmyaffairs:itdoesnotunderstandthem。

  ShesayssheshallstoptillIcomeback,asshewantstoseemeagainbeforeshegoes。ItoldherImightnotbebackforamonth。

  Shesaiditdidn’tmatter;shehadplentyoftime,andwouldwaitforme。

  Thefamilyentreatmetohurryhome。

  Iateaveryfairdinner——\"laidinagoodstockofballast,\"asmyseafaringfriendwouldhavesaid;wished\"Good-bye!\"toeverybody,andkissedAuntEmma;promisedtotakecareofmyself——apromisewhich,pleaseHeaven,Iwillfaithfullykeep,costmewhatitmay——

  hailedacabandstarted。

  IreachedVictoriasometimebeforeB。Isecuredtwocornerseatsinasmoking-carriage,andthenpacedupanddowntheplatformwaitingforhim。

  Whenmenhavenothingelsetooccupytheirminds,theytaketothinking。HavingnothingbettertodountilB。arrived,Ifelltomusing。

  WhatawonderfulpieceofSocialismmoderncivilisationhasbecome!——

  nottheSocialismoftheso-calledSocialists——asystemmodelledapparentlyuponthemethodsoftheconvictprison——asystemunderwhicheachmiserablesinneristobecompelledtolabour,likeabeastofburden,fornopersonalbenefittohimself,butonlyforthegoodofthecommunity——aworldwheretherearetobenomen,butonlynumbers——wherethereistobenoambitionandnohopeandnofear,——buttheSocialismoffreemen,workingsidebysideinthecommonworkshop,eachoneforthewagetowhichhisskillandenergyentitlehim;theSocialismofresponsible,thinkingindividuals,notofState-directedautomata。

  HerewasI,inexchangefortheresultofsomeofmylabour,goingtobetakenbySocietyforatreat,tothemiddleofEuropeandback。Railwaylineshadbeenlaidoverthewhole700or800milestofacilitatemyprogress;bridgeshadbeenbuilt,andtunnelsmade;

  anarmyofengineers,andguards,andsignal-men,andporters,andclerkswerewaitingtotakechargeofme,andtoseetomycomfortandsafety。AllIhadtodowastotellSociety(hererepresentedbyarailwaybooking-clerk)whereIwantedtogo,andtostepintoacarriage;alltherestwouldbedoneforme。Booksandpapershadbeenwrittenandprinted;sothatifIwishedtobeguilethejourneybyreading,Icoulddoso。Atvariousplacesontheroute,thoughtfulSocietyhadtakencaretobereadyformewithallkindsofrefreshment(hersandwichesmightbealittlefresher,butmaybeshethinksnewbreadinjuriousforme)。WhenIamtiredoftravellingandwanttorest,IfindSocietywaitingformewithdinnerandacomfortablebed,withhotandcoldwatertowashinandtowelstowipeupon。WhereverIgo,whateverIneed,Society,liketheenslavedgeniiofsomeEasterntale,isreadyandanxioustohelpme,toserveme,todomybidding,togivemeenjoymentandpleasure。SocietywilltakemetoOber-Ammergau,willprovideforallmywantsontheway,and,whenIamthere,willshowmethePassionPlay,whichshehasarrangedandrehearsedandwillplayformyinstruction;willbringmebackanywayIliketocome,explaining,bymeansofherguide-booksandhistories,everythinguponthewaythatshethinkscaninterestme;will,whileIamabsent,carrymymessagestothoseIhaveleftbehindmeinEngland,andwillbringmetheirsinreturn;willlookaftermeandtakecareofmeandprotectmelikeamother——asnomotherevercould。

  Allthatsheasksinreturnis,thatIshalldotheworkshehasgivenmetodo。Asamanworks,soSocietydealsbyhim。

  TomeSocietysays:\"Yousitatyourdeskandwrite,thatisallI

  wantyoutodo。Youarenotgoodformuch,butyoucanspinoutyardsofwhatyouandyourfriends,Isuppose,callliterature;andsomepeopleseemtoenjoyreadingit。Verywell:yousitthereandwritethisliterature,orwhateveritis,andkeepyourmindfixedonthat。Iwillseetoeverythingelseforyou。Iwillprovideyouwithwritingmaterials,andbooksofwitandhumour,andpasteandscissors,andeverythingelsethatmaybenecessarytoyouinyourtrade;andIwillfeedyouandclotheyouandlodgeyou,andIwilltakeyouabouttoplacesthatyouwishtogoto;andIwillseethatyouhaveplentyoftobaccoandallotherthingspracticablethatyoumaydesire——providedthatyouworkwell。Themoreworkyoudo,andthebetterworkyoudo,thebetterIshalllookafteryou。Youwrite——thatisallIwantyoutodo。\"

  \"But,\"IsaytoSociety,\"Idon’tlikework;Idon’twanttowork。

  WhyshouldIbeaslaveandwork?\"

  \"Allright,\"answersSociety,\"don’twork。I’mnotforcingyou。

  AllIsayis,thatifyoudon’tworkforme,Ishallnotworkforyou。Noworkfromyou,nodinnerfromme——noholidays,notobacco。\"

  AndIdecidetobeaslave,andwork。

  Societyhasnonotionofpayingallmenequally。Hergreatobjectistoencouragebrain。Themanwhomerelyworksbyhismusclessheregardsasverylittlesuperiortothehorseortheox,andprovidesforhimjustalittlebetter。Butthemomenthebeginstousehishead,andfromthelabourerrisestotheartisan,shebeginstoraisehiswages。

  Ofcoursehersisaveryimperfectmethodofencouragingthought。

  Sheisoftheworld,andtakesaworldlystandardofcleverness。Totheshallow,showywriter,Ifear,shegenerallypaysfarmorethantothedeepandbrilliantthinker;andcleverrogueryseemsoftenmoretoherlikingthanhonestworth。Butherschemeisarightandsoundone;heraimsandintentionsareclear;hermethods,onthewhole,workfairlywell;andeveryyearshegrowsinjudgment。

  Onedayshewillarriveatperfectwisdom,andwillpayeachmanaccordingtohisdeserts。

  Butdonotbealarmed。Thiswillnothappeninourtime。

  Turninground,whilestillmusingaboutSociety,IranagainstB。

  (literally)。HethoughtIwasaclumsyassatfirst,andsaidso;

  but,onrecognisingme,apologisedforhismistake。Hehadbeenthereforsometimealso,waitingforme。ItoldhimthatIhadsecuredtwocornerseatsinasmoking-carriage,andherepliedthathehaddonesotoo。Byacuriouscoincidence,wehadbothfixeduponthesamecarriage。Ihadtakenthecornerseatsneartheplatform,andhehadbookedthetwooppositecorners。Fourotherpassengerssathuddledupinthemiddle。Wekepttheseatsnearthedoor,andgavetheothertwoaway。Oneshouldalwayspractisegenerosity。

  Therewasaverytalkativemaninourcarriage。Inevercameacrossamanwithsuchafundofutterlyuninterestinganecdotes。Hehadafriendwithhim——atallevents,themanwashisfriendwhentheystarted——andhetalkedtothisfriendincessantly,fromthemomentthetrainleftVictoriauntilitarrivedatDover。Firstofallhetoldhimalongstoryaboutadog。Therewasnopointinthestorywhatever。Itwassimplyabaldnarrativeofthedog’sdailydoings。

  Thedoggotupinthemorningandbarkedatthedoor,andwhentheycamedownandopenedthedoortherehewas,andhestoppedalldayinthegarden;andwhenhiswife(notthedog’swife,thewifeofthemanwhowastellingthestory)wentoutintheafternoon,hewasasleeponthegrass,andtheybroughthimintothehouse,andheplayedwiththechildren,andintheeveninghesleptinthecoal-

  shed,andnextmorningtherehewasagain。Andsoon,foraboutfortyminutes。

  Averydearchumornearrelativeofthedog’smightdoubtlesshavefoundtheaccountenthralling;butwhatpossibleinterestastranger——amanwhoevidentlydidn’tevenknowthedog——couldbeexpectedtotakeinthereport,itwasdifficulttoconceive。

  Thefriendatfirsttriedtofeelexcited,andmurmured:

  \"Wonderful!\"\"Verystrange,indeed!\"\"Howcurious!\"andhelpedthetalealongbysuchejaculationsas,\"No,didhethough?\"\"Andwhatdidyoudothen?\"or,\"WasthatontheMondayortheTuesday,then?\"

  Butasthestoryprogressed,heappearedtotakeapositivedisliketothedog,andonlyyawnedeachtimethatitwasmentioned。

  Indeed,towardstheend,Ithink,thoughItrustIammistaken,I

  heardhimmutter,\"Oh,damnthedog!\"

  Afterthedogstory,wethoughtweweregoingtohavealittlequiet。Butweweremistaken;for,withthesamebreathwithwhichhefinishedthedogrigmarole,ourtalkativecompanionadded:

  \"ButIcantellyouafunnierthingthanthat——\"

  Weallfeltwecouldbelievethatassertion。Ifhehadboastedthathecouldtelladuller,moreuninterestingstory,weshouldhavedoubtedhim;butthepossibilityofhisbeingabletorelatesomethingfunnier,wecouldreadilygrasp。

  Butitwasnotabitfunnier,afterall。Itwasonlylongerandmoreinvolved。Itwasthehistoryofamanwhogrewhisowncelery;

  andthen,lateron,itturnedoutthathiswifewastheniece,bythemother’sside,ofamanwhohadmadeanottomanoutofanoldpacking-case。

  Thefriendglancedroundthecarriageapologeticallyaboutthemiddleofthisstory,withanexpressionthatsaid:

  \"I’mawfullysorry,gentlemen;butitreallyisnotmyfault。YouseethepositionI’min。Don’tblameme。Don’tmakeitworseformetobearthanitis。\"

  Andweeachrepliedwithpitying,sympatheticlooksthatimplied:

  \"That’sallright,mydearsir;don’tyoufretaboutthat。Weseehowitis。Weonlywishwecoulddosomethingtohelpyou。\"

  Thepoorfellowseemedhappierandmoreresignedafterthat。

  B。andIhurriedonboardatDover,andwerejustintimetosecurethelasttwoberthsintheboat;andweweregladthatwehadmanagedtodothisbecauseourideawasthatweshould,afteragoodsupper,turninandgocomfortablytosleep。

  B。said:

  \"WhatIliketodo,duringaseapassage,istogotosleep,andthenwakeupandfindthatIamthere。\"

  Wemadeaverycreditablesupper。IexplainedtoB。theballastprincipleheldbymyseafaringfriend,andheagreedwithmethattheideaseemedreasonable;and,astherewasafixedpriceforsupper,andyouhadasmuchasyouliked,wedeterminedtogivetheplanafairtrial。

  B。leftmeaftersuppersomewhatabruptly,asitappearedtome,andItookastrollondeckbymyself。Ididnotfeelverycomfortable。

  IamwhatIcallamoderatesailor。Idonotgotoexcessineitherdirection。Onordinaryoccasions,Icanswaggeraboutandsmokemypipe,andlieaboutmyChannelexperienceswiththebestofthem。

  Butwhenthereiswhatthecaptaincalls\"abitofaseaon,\"Ifeelsad,andtrytogetawayfromthesmelloftheenginesandtheproximityofpeoplewhosmokegreencigars。

  TherewasamansmokingapeculiarlymellowandunctuouscigarondeckwhenIgotthere。Idon’tbelievehesmokeditbecauseheenjoyedit。Hedidnotlookasifheenjoyedit。Ibelievehesmokeditmerelytoshowhowwellhewasfeeling,andtoirritatepeoplewhowerenotfeelingverywell。

  Thereissomethingveryblatantlyoffensiveaboutthemanwhofeelswellonboardaboat。

  Iamveryobjectionablemyself,Iknow,whenIamfeelingallright。

  ItisnotenoughformethatIamnotill。IwanteverybodytoseethatIamnotill。ItseemstomethatIamwastingmyselfifI

  don’tleteveryhumanbeinginthevesselknowthatIamnotill。I

  cannotsitstillandbethankful,likeyou’dimagineasensiblemanwould。Iwalkabouttheship——smoking,ofcourse——andlookatpeoplewhoarenotwellwithmildbutpityingsurprise,asifI

  wonderedwhatitwaslikeandhowtheydidit。Itisveryfoolishofme,Iknow,butIcannothelpit。Isupposeitisthehumannaturethatexistsineventhebestofusthatmakesusactlikethis。

  Icouldnotgetawayfromthisman’scigar;orwhenIdid,Icamewithinrangeoftheperfumefromtheengine-room,andfeltIwantedtogobacktothecigar。Thereseemedtobenoneutralgroundbetweenthetwo。

  IfithadnotbeenthatIhadpaidforsaloon,Ishouldhavegonefore。Itwasmuchfresherthere,andIshouldhavebeenmuchhappiertherealtogether。ButIwasnotgoingtopayforfirst-

  classandthenridethird——thatwasnotbusiness。No,Iwouldsticktotheswaggerpartoftheship,andfeelaristocraticandsick。

  Amate,oraboatswain,oranadmiral,oroneofthosesortofpeople——Icouldnotbesure,inthedarkness,whichitwas——cameuptomeasIwasleaningwithmyheadagainstthepaddle-box,andaskedmewhatIthoughtoftheship。Hesaidshewasanewboat,andthatthiswasherfirstvoyage。

  IsaidIhopedshewouldgetabitsteadierasshegrewolder。

  Hereplied:\"Yes,sheisabitskittishto-night。\"

  Whatitseemedtomewas,thattheshipwouldtrytoliedownandgotosleeponherrightside;andthen,beforeshehadgiventhatpositionafairtrial,wouldsuddenlychangehermind,andthinkshecoulddoitbetteronherleft。Atthemomentthemancameuptomeshewastryingtostandonherhead;andbeforehehadfinishedspeakingshehadgivenupthisattempt,inwhich,however,shehadverynearlysucceeded,andhad,apparently,decidedtonowplayatgettingoutofthewateraltogether。

  Andthisiswhathecalledbeinga\"bitskittish!\"

  Seafaringpeopletalklikethis,becausetheyaresilly,anddonotknowanybetter。Itisnousebeingangrywiththem。

  Igotalittlesleepatlast。NotinthebunkIhadbeenatsuchpainstosecure:Iwouldnothavestoppeddowninthatstuffysaloon,ifanybodyhadofferedmeahundredpoundsfordoingso。

  Notthatanybodydid;northatanybodyseemedtowantmethereatall。Igatheredthisfromthefactthatthefirstthingthatmetmyeye,afterIhadsucceededinclawingmywaydown,wasaboot。Theairwasfullofboots。Thereweresixtymensleepingthere——or,asregardsthemajority,IshouldsayTRYINGtosleepthere——someinbunks,someontables,andsomeundertables。OnemanWASasleep,andwassnoringlikeahippopotamus——likeahippopotamusthathadcaughtacold,andwashoarse;andtheotherfifty-nineweresittingup,throwingtheirbootsathim。Itwasasnore,verydifficulttolocate。Fromwhichparticularberth,inthatdimly-lighted,evil-

  smellingplace,itproceedednobodywasquitesure。Atonemoment,itappearedtocome,wailingandsobbing,fromthelarboard,andthenextinstantitthunderedforth,seeminglyfromthestarboard。Soeverymanwhocouldreachabootpickeditup,andthrewitpromiscuously,silentlyprayingtoProvidence,ashedidso,toguideitarightandbringitsafetoitsdesiredhaven。

  Iwatchedtheweirdsceneforaminuteortwo,andthenIhauledmyselfondeckagain,andsatdown——andwenttosleeponacoilofrope;andwasawakened,inthecourseoftime,byasailorwhowantedthatcoilofropetothrowattheheadofamanwhowasstanding,doingnoharmtoanybody,onthequayatOstend。

  SATURDAY,24TH

  ArrivalatOstend。——CoffeeandRolls。——DifficultyofMakingFrenchWaitersunderstandGerman。——AdvantagesofPossessingaConscienceThatDoesNotGetUpTooEarly。——VillainyTriumphant。——VirtueOrderedOutside。——AHomelyEnglishRow。

  WhenIsayIwas\"awakened\"atOstend,Idonotspeakthestricttruth。Iwasnotawakened——notproperly。Iwasonlyhalf-awakened。

  Ineverdidgetfairlyawakeuntiltheafternoon。DuringthejourneyfromOstendtoCologneIwasthree-partsasleepandone-partpartiallyawake。

  AtOstend,however,Iwassufficientlyarousedtograsptheideathatwehadgotsomewhere,andthatImustfindmyluggageandB。,anddosomethingorother;inadditiontowhich,astrange,vagueinstinct,butonewhichIhaveneveryetknowndeceiveme,hoveringaboutmymind,andtellingmethatIwasintheneighbourhoodofsomethingtoeatanddrink,spurredmetovigourandaction。

  IhurrieddownintothesaloonandtherefoundB。Heexcusedhimselfforhavingleftmealoneallnight——heneednothavetroubledhimself。Ihadnotpinedforhimintheleast。IftheonlywomanIhadeverlovedhadbeenonboard,Ishouldhavesatsilent,andletanyotherfellowtalktoherthatwantedto,andthatfeltequaltoit——byexplainingthathehadmetafriendandthattheyhadbeentalking。Itappearedtohavebeenatryingconversation。

  Ialsoranagainstthetalkativemanandhiscompanion。SuchacompletewreckofaoncestrongmanasthelatterlookedIhaveneverbeforeseen。Meresea-sickness,howeversevere,couldneverhaveaccountedforthechangeinhisappearancesince,happyandhopeful,heenteredtherailway-carriageatVictoriasixshorthoursago。Hisfriend,ontheotherhand,appearedfreshandcheerful,andwasrelatingananecdoteaboutacow。

  WetookourbagsintotheCustomHouseandopenedthem,andIsatdownonmine,andimmediatelywenttosleep。

  WhenIawoke,somebodywhomImistookatfirstforaField-Marshal,andfromforceofhabit——Iwasonceavolunteer——saluted,wasstandingoverme,pointingmelodramaticallyatmybag。IassuredhiminpicturesqueGermanthatIhadnothingtodeclare。Hedidnotappeartocomprehendme,whichstruckmeascurious,andtookthebagawayfromme,whichleftmenothingtosituponbutthefloor。

  ButIfelttoosleepytobeindignant。

  Afterourluggagehadbeenexamined,wewentintothebuffet。Myinstincthadnotmisledme:thereIfoundhotcoffee,androllsandbutter。Iorderedtwocoffeeswithmilk,somebread,andsomebutter。IorderedtheminthebestGermanIknew。Asnobodyunderstoodme,Iwentandgotthethingsformyself。Itsavesadealofargument,thatmethod。Peopleseemtoknowwhatyoumeaninamomentthen。

  B。suggestedthatwhilewewereinBelgium,whereeverybodyspokeFrench,whileveryfewindeedknewGerman,IshouldstandabetterchanceofbeingunderstoodifItalkedlessGermanandmoreFrench。

  Hesaid:

  \"Itwillbeeasierforyou,andlessofastrainuponthenatives。

  YousticktoFrench,\"hecontinued,\"aslongaseveryoucan。YouwillgetalongmuchbetterwithFrench。Youwillcomeacrosspeoplenowandthen——smart,intelligentpeople——whowillpartiallyunderstandyourFrench,butnohumanbeing,exceptathought-reader,willeverobtainanyglimmeringofwhatyoumeanfromyourGerman。\"

  \"Oh,areweinBelgium,\"Irepliedsleepily;\"IthoughtwewereinGermany。Ididn’tknow。\"Andthen,inaburstofconfidence,I

  added,feelingthatfurtherdeceitwasuseless,\"Idon’tknowwhereIam,youknow。\"

  \"No,Ithoughtyoudidn’t,\"hereplied。\"Thatisexactlytheideayougiveanybody。Iwishyou’dwakeupabit。\"

  WewaitedaboutanhouratOstend,whileourtrainwasmadeup。

  TherewasonlyonecarriagelabelledforCologne,andfourmorepassengerswantedtogotherethanthecompartmentwouldhold。

  Notbeingawareofthis,B。andImadenohastetosecureplaces,and,inconsequence,when,havingfinishedourcoffee,weleisurelystrolledupandopenedthecarriagedoorwesawthateveryseatwasalreadybooked。Abagwasinonespaceandaruginanother,anumbrellabookedathird,andsoon。Nobodywasthere,buttheseatsweregone!

  Itistheunwrittenlawamongtravellersthataman’sluggagedepositeduponaseat,shallsecurethatseattohimuntilhecomestosituponithimself。Thisisagoodlawandajustlaw,andonethat,inmynormalstate,Imyselfwoulddietoupholdandmaintain。

  Butatthreeo’clockonachillymorningone’smoralsensibilitiesarenotproperlydeveloped。Theaverageman’sconsciencedoesnotbeginworktilleightornineo’clock——nottillafterbreakfast,infact。Atthreea。m。hewilldothingsthatatthreeintheafternoonhissoulwouldrevoltat。

  UnderordinarycircumstancesIshouldassoonhavethoughtofshiftingaman’sbagandappropriatinghisseatasanancientHebrewsquatterwouldhavethoughtofremovinghisneighbour’slandmark;

  butatthistimeinthemorningmybetternaturewasasleep。

  Ihaveoftenreadofaman’sbetternaturebeingsuddenlyawakened。

  Thebusinessisgenerallyaccomplishedbyanorgan-grinderoralittlechild(Iwouldbackthelatter,atallevents——giveitafairchance——toawakenanythinginthisworldthatwasnotstonedeaf,orthathadnotbeendeadformorethantwenty-fourhours);andifanorgan-grinderoralittlechildhadbeenaroundOstendstationthatmorning,thingsmighthavebeendifferent。

  B。andImighthavebeensavedfromcrime。Justaswewereinthemiddleofourvillainy,theorgan-grinderorthechildwouldhavestruckup,andweshouldhaveburstintotears,andhaverushedfromthecarriage,andhavefallenuponeachother’snecksoutsideontheplatform,andhavewept,andwaitedforthenexttrain。

  Asitwas,afterlookingcarefullyroundtoseethatnobodywaswatchingus,weslippedquicklyintothecarriage,and,makingroomforourselvesamongtheluggagethere,satdownandtriedtolookinnocentandeasy。

  B。saidthatthebestthingwecoulddo,whentheotherpeoplecame,wouldbetopretendtobedeadasleep,andtoostupidtounderstandanything。

  IrepliedthatasfarasIwasconcerned,IthoughtIcouldconveythedesiredimpressionwithoutstoopingtodeceitatall,andpreparedtomakemyselfcomfortable。

  Afewsecondslateranothermangotintothecarriage。Healsomaderoomforhimselfamongtheluggageandsatdown。

  \"Iamafraidthatseat’staken,sir,\"saidB。whenhehadrecoveredhissurpriseattheman’scoolness。\"Infact,alltheseatsinthiscarriagearetaken。\"

  \"Ican’thelpthat,\"repliedtheruffian,cynically。\"I’vegottogettoColognesometimeto-day,andthereseemsnootherwayofdoingitthatIcansee。\"

  \"Yes,butsohasthegentlemanwhoseseatyouhavetakengottogetthere,\"Iremonstrated;\"whatabouthim?Youarethinkingonlyofyourself!\"

  Mysenseofrightandjusticewasbeginningtoassertitself,andI

  feltquiteindignantwiththefellow。Twominutesago,asIhaveexplained,Icouldcontemplatethetakingofanotherman’sseatwithequanimity。Now,suchanactseemedtomeshameful。Thetruthisthatmybetternatureneversleepsforlong。Leaveitaloneanditwakensofitsownaccord。Heavenhelpme!Iamasinful,worldlyman,Iknow;butthereisgoodatthebottomofme。Itwantshaulingup,butit’sthere。

  Thismanhadarousedit。Inowsawthesinfulnessoftakinganotherpassenger’splaceinarailway-carriage。

  ButIcouldnotmaketheothermanseeit。IfeltthatsomeservicewasduefrommetoJustice,incompensationofthewrongIhaddoneherafewmomentsago,andIarguedmosteloquently。

  Myrhetoricwas,however,quitethrownaway。\"Oh!it’sonlyavice-

  consul,\"hesaid;\"here’shisnameonthebag。There’splentyofroomforhiminwiththeguard。\"

  ItwasnousemydefendingthesacredcauseofRightbeforeamanwhoheldsentimentslikethat;so,havinglodgedaprotestagainsthisbehaviour,andthuseasedmyconscience,Ileantbackanddozedthedozeofthejust。

  Fiveminutesbeforethetrainstarted,therightfulownersofthecarriagecameupandcrowdedin。Theyseemedsurprisedatfindingonlyfivevacantseatsavailablebetweensevenofthem,andcommencedtoquarrelvigorouslyamongthemselves。

  B。andIandtheunjustmaninthecornertriedtocalmthem,butpassionrantoohighatfirstforthevoiceofReasontobeheard。

  Eachcombinationoffive,possibleamongthem,accusedeachremainingtwoofendeavouringtoobtainseatsbyfraud,andeachonemorethanhintedthattheothersixwereliars。

  WhatannoyedmewasthattheyquarrelledinEnglish。Theyallhadlanguagesoftheirown,——therewerefourBelgians,twoFrenchmen,andaGerman,——butnolanguagewasgoodenoughforthemtoinsulteachotherinbutEnglish。

  Findingthatthereseemedtobenochanceoftheireveragreeingamongthemselves,theyappealedtous。Weunhesitatinglydecidedinfavourofthefivethinnest,who,thereupon,evidentlyregardingthematterasfinallysettled,satdown,andtoldtheothertwotogetout。

  Thesetwostoutones,however——theGermanandoneoftheBelgians——

  seemedinclinedtodisputetheaward,andcalledupthestation-

  master。

  Thestation-masterdidnotwaittolistentowhattheyhadtosay,butatoncebeganabusingthemforbeinginthecarriageatall。Hetoldthemtheyoughttobeashamedofthemselvesforforcingtheirwayintoacompartmentthatwasalreadymorethanfull,andinconveniencingthepeoplealreadythere。

  HealsousedEnglishtoexplainthistothem,andtheygotoutontheplatformandansweredhimbackinEnglish。

  Englishseemstobethepopularlanguageforquarrellingin,amongforeigners。Isupposetheyfinditmoreexpressive。

  Weallwatchedthegroupfromthewindow。Wewereamusedandinterested。Inthemiddleoftheargumentanearlygendarmearrivedonthescene。Thegendarmenaturallysupportedthestation-master。

  Onemaninuniformalwayssupportsanothermaninuniform,nomatterwhattherowisabout,orwhomaybeintheright——thatdoesnottroublehim。Itisafixedtenetofbeliefamonguniformcirclesthatauniformcandonowrong。Ifburglarsworeuniform,thepolicewouldbeinstructedtorenderthemeveryassistanceintheirpower,andtotakeintocustodyanyhouseholderattemptingtointerferewiththemintheexecutionoftheirbusiness。Thegendarmeassistedthestation-mastertoabusethetwostoutpassengers,andhealsoabusedtheminEnglish。ItwasnotgoodEnglishinanysenseoftheword。ThemanwouldprobablyhavebeenabletogivehisfeelingsmuchgreatervarietyandplayinFrenchorFlemish,butthatwasnothisobject。Hisambition,likeeveryotherforeigner’s,wastobecomeanaccomplishedEnglishquarreller,andthiswaspracticeforhim。

  ACustomsHouseclerkcameoutandjoinedinthebabel。Hetookthepartofthepassengers,andabusedthestation-masterandthegendarme,andHEabusedTHEMinEnglish。

  B。saidhethoughtitverypleasanthere,farfromournativeshores,inthelandofthestranger,tocomeacrossalittlehomelyEnglishrowlikethis。

  SATURDAY,24TH——CONTINUED

  AManofFamily。——AnEccentricTrain。——OutrageonanEnglishman。——

  AloneinEurope。——DifficultyofMakingGermanWaitersUnderstandScandinavian。——DangerofKnowingTooManyLanguages。——AWearisomeJourney。——Cologne,Ahoy!

  Therewasaverywell-informedBelgianinthecarriage,andhetoldussomethinginterestingaboutnearlyeverytownthroughwhichwepassed。IfeltthatifIcouldhavekeptawake,andhavelistenedtothatman,andrememberedwhathesaid,andnotmixedthingsup,I

  shouldhavelearntagooddealaboutthecountrybetweenOstendandCologne。

  Hehadrelationsinnearlyeverytown,hadthisman。Isupposetherehavebeen,andare,familiesaslargeandasextensiveashis;

  butIneverheardofanyotherfamilythatmadesuchashow。Theyseemedtohavebeenplantedoutwithgreatjudgment,andwerenowalloverthecountry。EverytimeIawoke,Icaughtsomesuchscatteredremarkas:

  \"Bruges——youcanseethebelfryfromthisside——playsapolkabyHaydneveryhour。Myauntliveshere。\"\"Ghent——HoteldeVille,somesayfinestspecimenofGothicarchitectureinEurope——wheremymotherlives。Youcouldseethehouseifthatchurchwasn’tthere。\"

  \"JustpassedAlost——greathopcentre。Mygrandfatherusedtolivethere;he’sdeadnow。\"\"There’stheRoyalchateau——here,justonthisside。Mysisterismarriedtoamanwholivesthere——notinthepalace,Idon’tmean,butinLaeken。\"\"That’sthedomeofthePalaisdeJustice——theycallBrussels’Parisinlittle’——IlikeitbetterthanParis,myself——notsocrowded。IliveinBrussels。\"

  \"Louvain——there’sVandeWeyer’sstatue,the1830revolutionist。Mywife’smotherlivesinLouvain。Shewantsustocomeandlivethere。ShesayswearetoofarawayfromheratBrussels,butI

  don’tthinkso。\"\"Leige——seethecitadel?GotsomecousinsatLeige——onlysecondones。MostofmyfirstonesliveatMaestricht\";

  andsoonallthewaytoCologne。

  Idonotbelievewepassedasingletownorvillagethatdidnotpossessoneormorespecimensofthisman’srelatives。Ourjourneyseemed,notsomuchlikeatourthroughBelgiumandpartofNorthernGermany,asavisittotheneighbourhoodwherethisman’sfamilyresided。

  IwascarefultotakeaseatfacingtheengineatOstend。Iprefertotravelthatway。ButwhenIawokealittlelateron,Ifoundmyselfgoingbackwards。

  Inaturallyfeltindignant。Isaid:

  \"Who’sputmeoverhere?Iwasoverthere,youknow。You’venorighttodothat!\"

  Theyassuredme,however,thatnobodyhadshiftedme,butthatthetrainhadturnedroundatGhent。

  Iwasannoyedatthis。Itseemedtomeameantrickforatraintostartoffinonedirection,andthuslureyouintotakingyourseat(orsomebodyelse’sseat,asthecasemightbe)undertheimpressionthatyouweregoingtotravelthatway,andthen,afterwards,turnroundandgotheotherway。Ifeltverydoubtful,inmyownmind,astowhetherthetrainknewwhereitwasgoingatall。

  AtBrusselswegotoutandhadsomemorecoffeeandrolls。IforgetwhatlanguageItalkedatBrussels,butnobodyunderstoodme。WhenInextawoke,afterleavingBrussels,Ifoundmyselfgoingforwardsagain。Theenginehadapparentlychangeditsmindforthesecondtime,andwaspullingthecarriagestheotherwaynow。Ibegantogetthoroughlyalarmed。Thistrainwassimplydoingwhatitliked。

  Therewasnoreliancetobeplaceduponitwhatever。Thenextthingitwoulddowouldbetogosideways。ItseemedtomethatIoughttogetupandseeintothismatter;but,whileponderingthebusiness,Ifellasleepagain。

  IwasverysleepyindeedwhentheyroutedusoutatHerbesthal,toexamineourluggageforGermany。IhadavagueideathatweweretravellinginTurkey,andhadbeenstoppedbybrigands。Whentheytoldmetoopenmybag,Isaid,\"Never!\"andremarkedthatIwasanEnglishman,andthattheyhadbetterbecareful。Ialsotoldthemthattheycoulddismissanyideaofransomfromtheirmindsatonce,unlesstheywerepreparedtotakeI。O。U。’s,asitwasagainsttheprinciplesofourfamilytopaycashforanything——certainlynotforrelatives。

  Theytooknonoticeofmywarning,andcaughtholdofmyGladstone。

  Iresistedfeebly,butwasover-powered,andwenttosleepagain。

  Onawakening,Idiscoveredmyselfinthebuffet。Ihavenorecollectionofgoingthere。Myinstinctmusthaveguidedmethereduringmysleep。

  Iorderedmyusualrepastofcoffeeandrolls。(Imusthavebeenfullofcoffeeandrollsbythistime。)IhadgottheideaintomyheadnowthatIwasinNorway,andsoIorderedtheminbrokenScandinavian,afewwordsofwhichIhadpickedupduringatripthroughthefiordslastsummer。

  Ofcourse,themandidnotunderstand;butIamaccustomedtowitnessingtheconfusionofforeignerswhenaddressedintheirnativetongue,andsoforgavehim——especiallyas,thevictualsbeingwellwithinreach,languagewasamatterofsecondaryimportance。

  Itooktwocupsofcoffee,asusual——oneforB。,andoneformyself——

  and,bringingthemtothetable,lookedroundforB。Icouldnotseehimanywhere。Whathadbecomeofhim?Ihadnotseenhim,thatIcouldrecollect,forhours。IdidnotknowwhereIwas,orwhatI

  wasdoing。IhadahazyknowledgethatB。andIhadstartedofftogether——whetheryesterdayorsixmonthsago,Icouldnothavesaidtosavemylife——withtheintention,ifIwasnotmistaken,ofgoingsomewhereandseeingsomething。Wewerenowsomewhereabroad——

  somewhereinNorwaywasmyidea;thoughwhyIhadfixedonNorwayisamysterytometothisday——andIhadlosthim!

  Howonearthwereweevertofindeachotheragain?AhorriblepicturepresenteditselftomymindofourbothwanderingdistractedlyupanddownEurope,perhapsforyears,vainlyseekingeachother。ThetouchingstoryofEvangelinerecurredtomewithterriblevividness。

  Somethingmustbedone,andthatimmediately。SomehoworanotherI

  mustfindB。Irousedmyself,andsummonedtomyaideverywordofScandinavianthatIknew。

点击下载App,搜索"Diary of a Pilgrimage",免费读到尾