贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > three men on the bummel(三个闲逛的人) >

第25章

three men on the bummel(三个闲逛的人)-第25章

小说: three men on the bummel(三个闲逛的人) 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




weapon      with   which    to  soak    Harris。   Of    course;   the   result  was    that; 

between them; they soused every dead and living thing within fifty yards; 

except   themselves。   One   furious   man;   too   drenched   to   care   what   more 

happened   to him;  leapt into   the  arena  and   also took   a  hand。        The   three 

among      them    proceeded     to  sweep    the  compass     with   that  hose。    They 

pointed it to heaven; and the water descended upon the people in the form 

of an equinoctial storm。         They pointed it downwards; and sent the water 

in rushing streams that took people off their feet; or caught them about the 

waist line; and doubled them up。 

     Not one of them would loosen his grip upon the hose; not one of them 

thought   to    turn  the   water   off。  You    might    have   concluded   they   were 

struggling with some primeval force of nature。               In forty…five seconds; so 

George said; who was timing it; they had swept that circus bare of every 

living thing except one dog; who; dripping like a water nymph; rolled over 

by    the  force   of  water;   now    on  this  side;   now   on   that;  still  gallantly 

staggered again and again to its feet to bark defiance at what it evidently 

regarded as the powers of hell let loose。 

     Men and women left their machines upon the ground; and flew into the 

woods。      From   behind   every   tree   of   importance   peeped   out   wet;   angry 

heads。 

     At last; there arrived upon the scene one man of sense。                 Braving all 

things; he crept to the hydrant; where still stood the iron key; and screwed 

it down。     And then from forty trees began to creep more or less soaked 

human beings; each one with something to say。 

     At   first   I   fell   to   wondering   whether   a   stretcher   or   a   clothes   basket 



                                               76 


… Page 77…

                              THREE MEN ON THE BUMMEL 



would be the more useful for the conveyance of Harris's remains back to 

the   hotel。   I   consider   that   George's   promptness   on   that   occasion   saved 

Harris's life。     Being dry; and therefore able to run quicker; he was there 

before the crowd。        Harris was for explaining things; but George cut him 

short。 

     〃You get on that;〃 said George; handing him his bicycle; 〃and go。 They 

don't know we belong to you; and you may trust us implicitly not to reveal 

the secret。     We'll hang about behind; and get in their way。               Ride zig…zag 

in case they shoot。〃 

     I wish this book to be a strict record of fact; unmarred by exaggeration; 

and therefore I have shown my description of this incident to Harris; lest 

anything beyond bald narrative may have crept into it。                  Harris maintains 

it  is  exaggerated;     but   admits    that  one   or  two    people    may   have    been 

〃sprinkled。〃      I have offered to turn a street hose on him at a distance of 

five…and…twenty   yards;       and   take   his   opinion   afterwards;     as  to  whether 

〃sprinkled〃 is the adequate term; but he has declined the test。                  Again; he 

insists   there   could   not   have   been   more   than   half   a   dozen   people;   at   the 

outside; involved in the catastrophe; that forty is a ridiculous misstatement。 

I have offered to return with him to Hanover and make strict inquiry into 

the    matter;   and    this   offer   he   has   likewise    declined。      Under     these 

circumstances; I maintain that mine is a true and restrained narrative of an 

event    that   is;  by  a  certain   number     of  Hanoverians;      remembered       with 

bitterness unto this very day。 

     We left Hanover that same evening; and arrived at Berlin in time for 

supper and   an evening stroll。         Berlin is   a disappointing   town; its   centre 

over…crowded; its outlying parts lifeless; its one famous street; Unter den 

Linden;   an   attempt   to   combine   Oxford   Street   with   the   Champs   Elysee; 

singularly unimposing; being much too wide for its size; its theatres dainty 

and    charming;      where    acting    is  considered     of  more     importance      than 

scenery  or   dress;  where   long   runs   are   unknown;  successful pieces   being 

played     again   and   again;    but  never    consecutively;     so  that   for  a  week 

running you may go to the same Berlin theatre; and see a fresh play every 

night;    its  opera   house    unworthy      of  it;  its  two   music    halls;   with   an 

unnecessary   suggestion         of  vulgarity   and   commonness        about    them;   ill… 



                                                77 


… Page 78…

                              THREE MEN ON THE BUMMEL 



arranged      and   much     too  large   for   comfort。     In   the   Berlin   cafes    and 

restaurants; the busy time is from midnight on till three。                Yet most of the 

people who frequent them are up again at seven。                 Either the Berliner has 

solved the great problem of modern life; how to do without sleep; or; with 

Carlyle; he must be looking forward to eternity。 

     Personally;   I   know   of   no   other   town   where   such   late   hours   are   the 

vogue; except St。 Petersburg。           But your St。 Petersburger does not get up 

early in the morning。         At St。 Petersburg; the music halls; which it is the 

fashionable thing to attend AFTER the theatrea drive to them taking half 

an hour in a swift sleighdo not practically begin till twelve。                  Through 

the   Neva   at   four   o'clock   in   the   morning   you   have   to   literally  push   your 

way;   and   the   favourite   trains   for   travellers   are   those   starting   about   five 

o'clock   in   the   morning。     These   trains   save   the   Russian   the   trouble   of 

getting up early。      He wishes his friends 〃Good…night;〃 and drives down to 

the   station   comfortably   after   supper;   without   putting   the   house   to   any 

inconvenience。 

     Potsdam;   the   Versailles   to   Berlin;   is   a   beautiful   little   town;   situate 

among      lakes   and   woods。      Here    in   the  shady    ways    of  its  quiet;   far… 

stretching park of Sans Souci; it is easy to imagine lean; snuffy Frederick 

〃bummeling〃 with shrill Voltaire。 

     Acting on my advice; George and Harris consented not to stay long in 

Berlin; but to push on to Dresden。             Most that Berlin has to show can be 

seen better elsewhere; and we decided to be content with a drive through 

the   town。     The   hotel   porter   introduced   us   to   a   droschke   driver;   under 

whose guidance; so he assured us; we should see everything worth seeing 

in the shortest possible time。         The man himself; who called for us at nine 

o'clock   in   the   morning;   was   all   that   could   be   desired。  He   was   bright; 

intelligent; and well… informed; his German was easy to understand; and 

he knew a little English with which to eke it out on occasion。                    With the 

man himself   there was no fault to be found;  but his   horse was the   most 

unsympathetic brute I have ever sat behind。 

     He took a dislike to us the moment he saw us。               I was the first to come 

out of the hotel。      He turned his head; and looked me up and down with a 

cold; glassy eye; and then he looked across at another horse; a friend of his 



                                                78 


… Page 79…

                             THREE MEN ON THE BUMMEL 



that   was    standing    facing   him。    I   knew     what   he   said。   He     had   an 

expressive head; and he made no attempt to disguise his thought。 

     He said: 

     〃Funny things one does come across in the summer time; don't one?〃 

     George followed me out the nex

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的