a personal record-第12章
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day; with the dusk overtaking our leisurely footsteps; a little
way beyond Hospenthal。 This is not the day on which the remark
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 a hotel; it
had even a name; which I have forgotten。 But there was no gold
laced doorkeeper 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 sur mounts
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 slab…sided 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 up stairs 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 eleven o'clock。〃 This statement
surprised me; I had heard no noise whatever; having slept like a
top。
We went down…stairs 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 curtained 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 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 reason 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 toward 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 toward 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 toward 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