some reminiscences-第9章

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was　made：　　in　the　shadows　of　the　deep　valley　and　with　the



habitations　of　men　left　some　way　behind；　our　thoughts　ran　not



upon　the　ethics　of　conduct　but　upon　the　simpler　human　problem　of



shelter　and　food。　　There　did　not　seem　anything　of　the　kind　in



sight；　and　we　were　thinking　of　turning　back　when　suddenly　at　a



bend　of　the　road　we　came　upon　a　building；　ghostly　in　the



twilight。







At　that　time　the　work　on　the　St。　Gothard　Tunnel　was　going　on；　and



that　magnificent　enterprise　of　burrowing　was　directly　responsible



for　the　unexpected　building；　standing　all　alone　upon　the　very



roots　of　the　mountains。　　It　was　long　though　not　big　at　all；　it



was　low；　it　was　built　of　boards；　without　ornamentation；　in



barrack…hut　style；　with　the　white　window…frames　quite　flush　with



the　yellow　face　of　its　plain　front。　　And　yet　it　was　an　hotel；　it



had　even　a　name　which　I　have　forgotten。　　But　there　was　no　gold…



laced　door…keeper　at　its　humble　door。　　A　plain　but　vigorous



servant…girl　answered　our　inquiries；　then　a　man　and　woman　who



owned　the　place　appeared。　　It　was　clear　that　no　travellers　were



expected；　or　perhaps　even　desired；　in　this　strange　hostelry；



which　in　its　severe　style　resembled　the　house　which　surmounts　the



unseaworthy…looking　hulls　of　the　toy　Noah's　Arks；　the　universal



possession　of　European　childhood。　　However；　its　roof　was　not



hinged　and　it　was　not　full　to　the　brim　of　slabsided　and　painted



animals　of　wood。　　Even　the　live　tourist　animal　was　nowhere　in



evidence。　　We　had　something　to　eat　in　a　long；　narrow　room　at　one



end　of　a　long；　narrow　table；　which；　to　my　tired　perception　and　to



my　sleepy　eyes；　seemed　as　if　it　would　tilt　up　like　a　see…saw



plank；　since　there　was　no　one　at　the　other　end　to　balance　it



against　our　two　dusty　and　travel…stained　figures。　　Then　we



hastened　upstairs　to　bed　in　a　room　smelling　of　pine　planks；　and　I



was　fast　asleep　before　my　head　touched　the　pillow。







In　the　morning　my　tutor　（he　was　a　student　of　the　Cracow



University）　woke　me　up　early；　and　as　we　were　dressing　remarked：



〃There　seems　to　be　a　lot　of　people　staying　in　this　hotel。　　I　have



heard　a　noise　of　talking　up　till　11　o'clock？〃　　This　statement



surprised　me；　I　had　heard　no　noise　whatever；　having　slept　like　a



top。







We　went　downstairs　into　the　long　and　narrow　dining…room　with　its



long　and　narrow　table。　　There　were　two　rows　of　plates　on　it。　　At



one　of　the　many　uncurtained　windows　stood　a　tall　bony　man　with　a



bald　head　set　off　by　a　bunch　of　black　hair　above　each　ear　and



with　a　long　black　beard。　　He　glanced　up　from　the　paper　he　was



reading　and　seemed　genuinely　astonished　at　our　intrusion。　　By…



and…by　more　men　came　in。　　Not　one　of　them　looked　like　a　tourist。



Not　a　single　woman　appeared。　　These　men　seemed　to　know　each　other



with　some　intimacy；　but　I　cannot　say　they　were　a　very　talkative



lot。　　The　bald…headed　man　sat　down　gravely　at　the　head　of　the



table。　　It　all　had　the　air　of　a　family　party。　　By…and…by；　from



one　of　the　vigorous　servant…girls　in　national　costume；　we



discovered　that　the　place　was　really　a　boarding…house　for　some



English　engineers　engaged　at　the　works　of　the　St。　Gothard　Tunnel；



and　I　could　listen　my　fill　to　the　sounds　of　the　English　language；



as　far　as　it　is　used　at　a　breakfast…table　by　men　who　do　not



believe　in　wasting　many　words　on　the　mere　amenities　of　life。







This　was　my　first　contact　with　British　mankind　apart　from　the



tourist　kind　seen　in　the　hotels　of　Zurich　and　Lucernethe　kind



which　has　no　real　existence　in　a　workaday　world。　　I　know　now　that



the　bald…headed　man　spoke　with　a　strong　Scotch　accent。　　I　have



met　many　of　his　kind　since；　both　ashore　and　afloat。　　The　second



engineer　of　the　steamer　〃Mavis〃；　for　instance；　ought　to　have　been



his　twin　brother。　　I　cannot　help　thinking　that　he　really　was；



though　for　some　reasons　of　his　own　he　assured　me　that　he　never



had　a　twin　brother。　　Anyway　the　deliberate　bald…headed　Scot　with



the　coal…black　beard　appeared　to　my　boyish　eyes　a　very　romantic



and　mysterious　person。







We　slipped　out　unnoticed。　　Our　mapped…out　route　led　over　the



Furca　Pass　towards　the　Rhone　Glacier；　with　the　further　intention



of　following　down　the　trend　of　the　Hasli　Valley。　　The　sun　was



already　declining　when　we　found　ourselves　on　the　top　of　the　pass；



and　the　remark　alluded　to　was　presently　uttered。







We　sat　down　by　the　side　of　the　road　to　continue　the　argument



begun　half　a　mile　or　so　before。　　I　am　certain　it　was　an　argument



because　I　remember　perfectly　how　my　tutor　argued　and　how　without



the　power　of　reply　I　listened　with　my　eyes　fixed　obstinately　on



the　ground。　　A　stir　on　the　road　made　me　look　upand　then　I　saw



my　unforgettable　Englishman。　　There　are　acquaintances　of　later



years；　familiars；　shipmates；　whom　I　remember　less　clearly。　　He



marched　rapidly　towards　the　east　（attended　by　a　hang…dog　Swiss



guide）　with　the　mien　of　an　ardent　and　fearless　traveller。　　He　was



clad　in　a　knickerbocker　suit；　but　as　at　the　same　time　he　wore



short　socks　under　his　laced　boots；　for　reasons　which　whether



hygienic　or　conscientious　were　surely　imaginative；　his　calves



exposed　to　the　public　gaze　and　to　the　tonic　air　of　high



altitudes；　dazzled　the　beholder　by　the　splendour　of　their　marble…



like　condition　and　their　rich　tone　of　young　ivory。　　He　was　the



leader　of　a　small　caravan。　　The　light　of　a　headlong；　exalted



satisfaction　with　the　world　of　men　and　the　scenery　of　mountains



illumined　his　clean…cut；　very　red　face；　his　short；　silver…white



whiskers；　his　innocently　eager　and　triumphant　eyes。　　In　passing



he　cast　a　glance　of　kindly　curiosity　and　a　friendly　gleam　of　big；



sound；　shiny　teeth　towards　the　man　and　the　boy　sitting　like　dusty



tramps　by　the　roadside；　with　a　modest　knapsack　lying　at　their



feet。　　His　white　calves　twinkled　sturdily；　the　uncouth　Swiss



guide　with　a　surly　mouth　stalked　like　an　unwilling　bear　at　his



elbow；　a　small　train　of　three　mules　followed　in　single　file　the



lead　of　this　inspiring　enthusiast。　　Two　ladies　rode　past　one



behind　the　other；　but　from　the　way　they　sat　I　saw　only　their



calm；　uniform　backs；　and　the　long　ends　of　blue　veils　hanging



behind　far　down　over　their　identical　hat…brims。　　His　two



daughters　surely。　　An　industrious　luggage…mule；　with　unstarched



ears　and　guarded　by　a　slouching；　sallow　driver；　brought　up　the



rear。　　My　tutor；　after　pausing　for　a　look　and　a　faint　smile；



resumed　his　earnest　argument。







I　tell　you　it　was　a　memorable　year！　　One　does　not　meet　such　an



Englishman　twice　in　a　lifetime。　　Was　he　in　the　mystic　ordering　of



common　events　the　ambassador　of　my　future；　sent　out　to　turn　the



scale　at　a　critical　moment　on　the　top　of　an　Alpine　pass；　with　the



peaks　of　the　Bernese　Oberland　for　mute　and　solemn　witnesses？　　His



glance；　his　smile；　the　unextinguishable　and　comic　ardour　of　his



striving…forward　appearance　helped　me　to　pull　myself　together。



It　must　be　stated　that　on　that　day　and　in　the　exhilarating



atmosphere　of　that　elevated　spot　I　had　been　feeling　utterly



crushed。　　It　was　the　year　in　which　I　had　first　spoken　aloud　of　my



desire　to　go　to　sea。　　At　first　like　those　sounds　that；　ranging



outside　the　scale　to　which　men's　ears　are　attuned；　remain



inaudible　to　our　sense　of　hearing；　this　declaration　passed



unperceived。　　It　was　as　if　it　had　not　been。　　Later　on；　by　trying



various　tones　I　managed　to　arouse　here　and　there　a　surprised



momentary　attentionthe　〃What　was　that　funny　noise？〃　sort　of



inquiry。　　Later　on　it　was〃Did　you　hear　what　that　boy　said？



What　an　extraordinary　outbreak！〃　　Presently　a　wave　of　scandalised



astonishment　（it　could　not　have　been　greater　if　I　had　announced



the　intention　of　entering　a　Carthusian　monastery）　ebbing　out　of



the　educational　and　academical　town　of　Cracow　spread　itself　over



several　provinces。　　It　spread　itself　shallow　but　far…reaching。



It　stirred　up　a　mass　of　remonstrance；　indignation；　pitying



wonder；　bitter　irony　and　downright　chaff。　　I　could　hardly　breathe



under　its　weight；　and　certainly　had　no　words　for　an　answer。



People　wondered　what　Mr。　T。B。　would　do　now　with　his　worrying



nephew　and；　I　dare　say；　hoped　kindly　that　he　would　make　short



work　of　my　nonsense。







What　he　did　was　to　come　down　all　the　way　from　Ukraine　to　have　it



out　with　me　and　to　judge　by　himself；　unprejudiced；　impartial　and



just；　taking　his　stand　on　the　ground　of　wisdom　and　affection。　　As



far　as　is　possible　for　a　boy　whose　power　of　expression　is　still



unformed　I　opened　the　secret　of　my　thoughts　to　him　and　he　in



return　allowed　me　a　glimpse　into　his　mind　and　heart；　the　first



glimpse　of　an　inexhaustible　and　noble　treasure　of　clear　thought



and　warm　feeling；　which　through　life　was　to　be　mine　to　draw　upon



with　a　never…deceived　love　and　confidence。　　Practically；　after



several　exhaustive　conversations；　he　concluded　that　he　would　not



have　me　later　on　reproach　him　for　having　spoiled　my　life　by　an



unconditional　opposition。　　But　I　must　take　time　for　serious



reflection。　　And　I　must　not　only　think　of　myself　but　of　others；



weigh　the　claims　of　affection　and　conscience　against　my　own



sincerity　of　purpose。　　〃Think　well　what　it　all　means　in　the



larger　issues；　my　boy；〃　he　exhorted　me　finally　with　special



friendliness。　　〃And　meantime　try　to　get　the　best　place　you　can　at



the　yearly　examinations。〃







The　scholastic　year　came　to　an　end。　　I　took　a　fairly　good　place



at　the　exams。；　which　for　me　（for　certain　reasons）　happened　to　be



a　more　difficult　task　than　for　other　boys。　　In　that　respect　I



could　enter　with　a　good　conscience　upon　that　holiday　which　was



like　a　long　visit　pour　prendre　conge　of　the　mainland　of　old



Europe　I　was　to　see　so　little　of　for　the　next　four　and　twenty



years。　　Such；　however；　was　not　the　avowed　purpose　of　that　tour。



It　was　rather；　I　suspect；　planned　in　order　to　distract　and　occupy



my　thoughts　in　other　directions。　　Nothing　had　been　said　for



months　of　my　going　to　sea。　　But　my　attachment　to　my　young　tutor



and　his　influence　over　me　were　so　well　known　that　he　must　have



received　a　confidential　mission　to　talk　me　out　of　my　romantic



folly。　　It　was　an　excellently　appropriate　arrangement；　as　neither



he　nor　I　had　ever　had　a　single　glimpse　of　the　sea　in　our　lives。



That　was　to　come　by…and…by　for　both　of　us　in　Venice；　from　the



outer　shore　of　Lido。　　Meantime　he　had　taken　his　mission　to　heart



so　well　that　I　began　to　feel　crush