the complete writings-2-第15章

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〃One　is　taken；〃　he　repeats。

〃Then　the　gentleman　will　take　the　other　two。〃

〃One　is　taken！　　〃he　cries；　jumping　up　and　smiting　the　table；〃　one　is　taken；　I　tell　you！〃

〃How　many　are　there　in　the　coupe？〃

〃TWO。〃

〃Oh！　　then　the　gentleman　will　take　the　one　remaining　in　the　coupe　and　the　one　on　top。〃

So　it　is　arranged。　　When　I　come　back　to　the　hotel；　the　Americans　are　explaining　to　the　lively　waiter　〃who　speaks　English〃　that　they　are　to　go　in　the　diligence　at　half…past　five；　and　that　they　are　to　be　called　at　half…past　four　and　have　breakfast。　　He　knows　all　about　it；　〃Diligence；　half…past　four　breakfast；　Oh；　yaas！〃　　While　I　have　been　at　the　diligence…office；　my　companions　have　secured　room　and　gone　to　them；　and　I　ask　the　waiter　to　show　m　to　my　room。　　First；　however；　I　tell　him　that　we　three　two　ladies　and　myself；　who　came　together；　are　going　in　the　diligence　at　half…past　five；　and　want　to　be　called　and　have　breakfaSt。　Did　he　comprehend？

〃Yaas；〃　rolling　his　face　about　on　the　top　of　his　head　violently。　〃You　three　gentleman　want　breakfast。　What　you　have？〃

I　had　told　him　before　what　we　would　I　have；　an　now　I　gave　up　all　hope　of　keeping　our　parties　separate　in　his　mind；　so　I　said；　〃Five　persons　want　breakfast　at　five　o'clock。　　Five　persons；　five　hours。　　Call　all　of　them　at　half…past　four。〃　And　I　repeated　it；　and　made　him　repeat　it　in　English　and　French。　　He　then　insisted　on　putting　me　into　the　room　of　one　of　the　American　gentlemen　and　then　he　knocked　at　the　door　of　a　lady；　who　cried　out　in　indignation　at　being　disturbed；　and；　finally；　I　found　my　room。　　At　the　door　I　reiterated　the　instructions　for　the　morning；　and　he　cheerfully　bade　me　good…night。　　But　he　almost　immediately　came　back；　and　poked　in　his　head　with；

〃Is　you　go　by　de　diligence？〃

〃Yes；　you　stupid。〃

In　the　morning　one　of　our　party　was　called　at　halfpast　three；　and　saved　the　rest　of　us　from　a　like　fate；　and　we　were　not　aroused　at　all；　but　woke　early　enough　to　get　down　and　find　the　diligence　nearly　ready；　and　no　breakfast；　but　〃the　man　who　spoke　English　〃　as　lively　as　ever。　　And　we　had　a　breakfast　brought　out；　so　filthy　in　all　respects　that　nobody　could　eat　it。　　Fortunately；　there　was　not　time　to　seriously　try；　but　we　paid　for　it；　and　departed。　　The　two　American　gentlemen　sat　in　front　of　the　house；　waiting。　　The　lively　waiter　had　called　them　at　half…past　three；　for　the　railway　train；　instead　of　the　diligence；　and　they　had　their　wretched　breakfast　early。　　They　will　remember　the　funny　adventure　with　〃the　man　who　speaks　English；〃　and；　no　doubt；　unite　with　us　in　warmly　commending　the　Hotel　Lion　d'Or　at　Sion　as　the　nastiest　inn　in　Switzerland。




A　WALK　TO　THE　GORNER　GRAT

When　one　leaves　the　dusty　Rhone　Valley；　and　turns　southward　from　Visp；　he　plunges　into　the　wildest　and　most　savage　part　of　Switzerland；　and　penetrates　the　heart　of　the　Alps。　　The　valley　is　scarcely　more　than　a　narrow　gorge；　with　high　precipices　on　either　side；　through　which　the　turbid　and　rapid　Visp　tears　along　at　a　furious　rate；　boiling　and　leaping　in　foam　over　its　rocky　bed；　and　nearly　as　large　as　the　Rhone　at　the　junction。　　From　Visp　to　St。　Nicolaus；　twelve　miles；　there　is　only　a　mule…path；　but　a　very　good　one；　winding　along　on　the　slope；　sometimes　high　up；　and　again　descending　to　cross　the　stream；　at　first　by　vineyards　and　high　stone　walls；　and　then　on　the　edges　of　precipices；　but　always　romantic　and　wild。　　It　is　noon　when　we　set　out　from　Visp；　in　true　pilgrim　fashion；　and　the　sun　is　at　first　hot；　but　as　we　slowly　rise　up　the　easy　ascent；　we　get　a　breeze；　and　forget　the　heat　in　the　varied　charms　of　the　walk。

Everything　for　the　use　of　the　upper　valley　and　Zermatt；　now　a　place　of　considerable　resort；　must　be　carried　by　porters；　or　on　horseback；　and　we　pass　or　meet　men　and　women；　sometimes　a　dozen　of　them　together；　laboring　along　under　the　long；　heavy　baskets；　broad　at　the　top　and　coming　nearly　to　a　point　below；　which　are　universally　used　here　for　carrying　everything。　　The　tubs　for　transporting　water　are　of　the　same　sort。　　There　is　no　level　ground；　but　every　foot　is　cultivated。　　High　up　on　the　sides　of　the　precipices；　where　it　seems　impossible　for　a　goat　to　climb；　are　vineyards　and　houses；　and　even　villages；　hung　on　slopes；　nearly　up　to　the　clouds；　and　with　no　visible　way　of　communication　with　the　rest　of　the　world。

In　two　hours'　time　we　are　at　Stalden；　a　village　perched　upon　a　rocky　promontory；　at　the　junction　of　the　valleys　of　the　Saas　and　the　Visp；　with　a　church　and　white　tower　conspicuous　from　afar。　　We　climb　up　to　the　terrace　in　front　of　it；　on　our　way　into　the　town。　　A　seedy…　looking　priest　is　pacing　up　and　down；　taking　the　fresh　breeze；　his　broad…brimmed；　shabby　hat　held　down　upon　the　wall　by　a　big　stone。　His　clothes　are　worn　threadbare；　and　he　looks　as　thin　and　poor　as　a　Methodist　minister　in　a　stony　town　at　home；　on　three　hundred　a　year。　He　politely　returns　our　salutation；　and　we　walk　on。　　Nearly　all　the　priests　in　this　region　look　wretchedly　poor；as　poor　as　the　people。　Through　crooked；　narrow　streets；　with　houses　overhanging　and　thrusting　out　corners　and　gables；　houses　with　stables　below；　and　quaint　carvings　and　odd　little　windows　above；　the　panes　of　glass　hexagons；　so　that　the　windows　looked　like　sections　of　honey…comb；we　found　our　way　to　the　inn；　a　many…storied　chalet；　with　stairs　on　the　outside；　stone　floors　in　the　upper　passages；　and　no　end　of　queer　rooms；　built　right　in　the　midst　of　other　houses　as　odd；　decorated　with　German…text　carving；　from　the　windows　of　which　the　occupants　could　look　in　upon　us；　if　they　had　cared　to　do　so；　but　they　did　not。　They　seem　little　interested　in　anything；　and　no　wonder；　with　their　hard　fight　with　Nature。　　Below　is　a　wine…shop；　with　a　little　side　booth；　in　which　some　German　travelers　sit　drinking　their　wine；　and　sputtering　away　in　harsh　gutturals。　　The　inn　is　very　neat　inside；　and　we　are　well　served。　　Stalden　is　high；　but　away　above　it　on　the　opposite　side　is　a　village　on　the　steep　slope；　with　a　slender　white　spire　that　rivals　some　of　the　snowy　needles。　　Stalden　is　high；　but　the　hill　on　which　it　stands　is　rich　in　grass。　　The　secret　of　the　fertile　meadows　is　the　most　thorough　irrigation。　　Water　is　carried　along　the　banks　from　the　river；　and　distributed　by　numerous　sluiceways　below；　and　above；　the　little　mountain　streams　are　brought　where　they　are　needed　by　artificial　channels。　　Old　men　and　women　in　the　fields　were　constantly　changing　the　direction　of　the　currents。　All　the　inhabitants　appeared　to　be　porters：　women　were　transporting　on　their　backs　baskets　full　of　soil；　hay　was　being　backed　to　the　stables；　burden…bearers　were　coming　and　going　upon　the　road：　we　were　told　that　there　are　only　three　horses　in　the　place。　　There　is　a　pleasant　girl　who　brings　us　luncheon　at　the　inn；　but　the　inhabitants　for　the　most　part　are　as　hideous　as　those　we　see　all　day：　some　have　hardly　the　shape　of　human　beings；　and　they　all　live　in　the　most　filthy　manner　in　the　dirtiest　habitations。　　A　chalet　is　a　sweet　thing　when　you　buy　a　little　model　of　it　at　home。

After　we　leave　Stalden；　the　walk　becomes　more　picturesque；　the　precipices　are　higher；　the　gorges　deeper。　　It　required　some　engineering　to　carry　the　footpath　round　the　mountain　buttresses　and　over　the　ravines。　　Soon　the　village　of　Emd　appears　on　the　right；a　very　considerable　collection　of　brown　houses；　and　a　shining　white　church…spire；　above　woods　and　precipices　and　apparently　unscalable　heights；　on　a　green　spot　which　seems　painted　on　the　precipices；　with　nothing　visible　to　keep　the　whole　from　sliding　down；　down；　into　the　gorge　of　the　Visp。　　Switzerland　may　not　have　so　much　population　to　the　square　mile　as　some　countries；　but　she　has　a　population　to　some　of　her　square　miles　that　would　astonish　some　parts　of　the　earth's　surface　elsewhere。　　Farther　on　we　saw　a　faint；　zigzag　footpath；　that　we　conjectured　led　to　Emd；　but　it　might　lead　up　to　heaven。　　All　day　we　had　been　solicited　for　charity　by　squalid　little　children；　who　kiss　their　nasty　little　paws　at　us；　and　ask　for　centimes。　　The　children　of　Emd；　however；　did　not　trouble　us。　　It　must　be　a　serious　affair　if　they　ever　roll　out　of　bed。

Late　in　the　afternoon　thunder　began　to　tumble　about　the　hills；　and　clouds　snatched　away　from　our　sight　the　snow…peaks　at　t