第1章

类别:其他 作者:Jerome K. Jerome字数:22272更新时间:19/01/03 09:43:47
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。