the complete writings-2-第30节

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It　was　the　middle　of　January；　at　eleven　o'clock　at　night；　that　we　left　Munich；　on　a　mixed　railway　train；　choosing　that　time；　and　the　slowest　of　slow　trains；　that　we　might　make　the　famous　Brenner　Pass　by　daylight。　　It　was　no　easy　matter；　at　last；　to　pull　up　from　the　dear　old　city　in　which　we　had　become　so　firmly　planted；　and　to　leave　the　German　friends　who　made　the　place　like　home　to　us。　　One　gets　to　love　Germany　and　the　Germans　as　he　does　no　other　country　and　people　in　Europe。　　There　has　been　something　so　simple；　honest；　genuine；　in　our　Munich　life；　that　we　look　back　to　it　with　longing　eyes　from　this　land　of　fancy；　of　hand…organ　music；　and　squalid　splendor。　　I　presume　the　streets　are　yet　half　the　day　hid　in　a　mountain　fog；　but　I　know　the　superb　military　bands　are　still　playing　at　noon　in　the　old　Marian　Platz　and　in　the　Loggie　by　the　Residenz；　that　at　half…past　six　in　the　evening　our　friends　are　quietly　stepping　in　to　hear　the　opera　at　the　Hof　Theater；　where　everybody　goes　to　hear　the　music；　and　nobody　for　display；　and　that　they　will　be　at　home　before　half…past　nine；　and　have　dispatched　the　servant　for　the　mugs　of　foaming　beer；　I　know　that　they　still　hear　every　week　the　choice　conservatoire　orchestral　concerts　in　the　Odeon；　and；　alas　that　experience　should　force　me　to　think　of　it！　　I　have　no　doubt　that　they　sip；　every　morning；　coffee　which　is　as　much　superior　to　that　of　Paris　as　that　of　Paris　is　to　that　of　London；　and　that　they　eat　the　delicious　rolls；　in　comparison　with　which　those　of　Paris　are　tasteless。　　I　wonder；　in　this　land　of　wine；and　yet　it　must　be　so；if　the　beer…gardens　are　still　filled　nightly；　and　if　it　could　be　that　I　should　sit　at　a　little　table　there；　a　comely　lass　would；　before　I　could　ask　for　what　everybody　is　presumed　to　want；　place　before　me　a　tall　glass　full　of　amber　liquid；　crowned　with　creamy　foam。　　Are　the　handsome　officers　still　sipping　their　coffee　in　the　Caf？　Maximilian；　and；　on　sunny　days；　is　the　crowd　of　fashion　still　streaming　down　to　the　Isar；　and　the　high；　sightly　walks　and　gardens　beyond？

As　I　said；　it　was　eleven　o'clock　of　a　clear　and　not　very　severe　night；　for　Munich　had　had　no　snow　on　the　ground　since　November。　　A　deputation　of　our　friends　were　at　the　station　to　see　us　off；　and　the　farewells　between　the　gentlemen　were　in　the　hearty　fashion　of　the　country。　　I　know　there　is　a　prejudice　with　us　against　kissing　between　men；　but　it　is　only　a　question　of　taste：　and　the　experience　of　anybody　will　tell　him　that　the　theory　that　this　sort　of　salutation　must　necessarily　be　desirable　between　opposite　sexes　is　a　delusion。　But　I　suppose　it　cannot　be　denied　that　kissing　between　men　was　invented　in　Germany　before　they　wore　full　beards。　　Well；　our　goodbyes　said；　we　climbed　into　our　bare　cars。　　There　is　no　way　of　heating　the　German　cars；　except　by　tubes　filled　with　hot　water；　which　are　placed　under　the　feet；　and　are　called　foot…warmers。　　As　we　slowly　moved　out　over　the　plain；　we　found　it　was　cold；　in　an　hour　the　foot…warmers；　not　hot　to　start　with；　were　stone　cold。　　You　are　going　to　sunny　Italy；　our　friends　had　said：　as　soon　as　you　pass　the　Brenner　you　will　have　sunshine　and　delightful　weather。　　This　thought　consoled　us；　but　did　not　warm　our　feet。　　The　Germans；　when　they　travel　by　rail；　wrap　themselves　in　furs　and　carry　foot…sacks。

We　creaked　along；　with　many　stoppings。　　At　two　o'clock　we　were　at　Rosenheim。　　Rosenheim　is　a　windy　place；　with　clear　starlight；　with　a　multitude　of　cars　on　a　multiplicity　of　tracks；　and　a　large；　lighted　refreshment…room；　which　has　a　glowing；　jolly　stove。　　We　stay　there　an　hour；　toasting　by　the　fire　and　drinking　excellent　coffee。　　Groups　of　Germans　are　seated　at　tables　playing　cards；　smoking；　and　taking　coffee。　　Other　trains　arrive；　and　huge　men　stalk　in；　from　Vienna　or　Russia；　you　would　say；　enveloped　in　enormous　fur　overcoats；　reaching　to　the　heels；　and　with　big　fur　boots　coming　above　the　knees；　in　which　they　move　like　elephants。　　Another　start；　and　a　cold　ride　with　cooling　foot…warmers；　droning　on　to　Kurfstein。　　It　is　five　o'clock　when　we　reach　Kurfstein；　which　is　also　a　restaurant；　with　a　hot　stove；　and　more　Germans　going　on　as　if　it　were　daytime；　but　by　this　time　in　the　morning　the　coffee　had　got　to　be　wretched。

After　an　hour's　waiting；　we　dream　on　again；　and；　before　we　know　it；　come　out　of　our　cold　doze　into　the　cold　dawn。　　Through　the　thick　frost　on　the　windows　we　see　the　faint　outlines　of　mountains。　Scraping　away　the　incrustation；　we　find　that　we　are　in　the　Tyrol；　high　hills　on　all　sides；　no　snow　in　the　valley；　a　bright　morning；　and　the　snow…peaks　are　soon　rosy　in　the　sunrise。　　It　is　just　as　we　expected；little　villages　under　the　hills；　and　slender　church　spires　with　brick…red　tops。　　At　nine　o'clock　we　are　in　Innsbruck；　at　the　foot　of　the　Brenner。　　No　snow　yet。　　It　must　be　charming　here　in　the　summer。

During　the　night　we　have　got　out　of　Bavaria。　　The　waiter　at　the　restaurant　wants　us　to　pay　him　ninety　kreuzers　for　our　coffee；　which　is　only　six　kreuzers　a　cup　in　Munich。　　Remembering　that　it　takes　one　hundred　kreuzers　to　make　a　gulden　in　Austria；　I　launch　out　a　Bavarian　gulden；　and　expect　ten　kreuzers　in　change。　　I　have　heard　that　sixty　Bavarian　kreuzers　are　equal　to　one　hundred　Austrian；　but　this　waiter　explains　to　me　that　my　gulden　is　only　good　for　ninety　kreuzers。　　I；　in　my　turn；　explain　to　the　waiter　that　it　is　better　than　the　coffee；　but　we　come　to　no　understanding；　and　I　give　up；　before　I　begin；　trying　to　understand　the　Austrian　currency。　　During　the　day　I　get　my　pockets　full　of　coppers；　which　are　very　convenient　to　take　in　change；　but　appear　to　have　a　very　slight　purchasing；　power　in　Austria　even；　and　none　at　all　elsewhere；　and　the　only　use　for　which　I　have　found　is　to　give　to　Italian　beggars。　　One　of　these　pieces　satisfies　a　beggar　when　it　drops　into　his　hat；　and　then　it　detains　him　long　enough　in　the　examination　of　it；　so　that　your　carriage　has　time　to　get　so　far　away　that　his　renewed　pursuit　is　usually　unavailing。

The　Brenner　Pass　repaid　us　for　the　pains　we　had　taken　to　see　it；　especially　as　the　sun　shone　and　took　the　frost　from　our　windows；　and　we　encountered　no　snow　on　the　track；　and；　indeed；　the　fall　was　not　deep；　except　on　the　high　peaks　about　us。　　Even　if　the　engineering　of　the　road　were　not　so　interesting；　it　was　something　to　be　again　amidst　mountains　that　can　boast　a　height　of　ten　thousand　feet。　　After　we　passed　the　summit；　and　began　the　zigzag　descent；　we　were　on　a　sharp　lookout　for　sunny　Italy。　　I　expected　to　lay　aside　my　heavy　overcoat；　and　sun　myself　at　the　first　station　among　the　vineyards。　　Instead　of　that；　we　bade　good…by　to　bright　sky；　and　plunged　into　a　snowstorm；　and；　so　greeted；　drove　down　into　the　narrow　gorges；　whose　steep　slopes　we　could　see　were　terraced　to　the　top；　and　planted　with　vines。　We　could　distinguish　enough　to　know　that；　with　the　old　Roman　ruins；　the　churches　and　convent　towers　perched　on　the　crags；　and　all；　the　scenery　in　summer　must　be　finer　than　that　of　the　Rhine；　especially　as　the　vineyards　here　are　picturesque；the　vines　being　trained　so　as　to　hide　and　clothe　the　ground　with　verdure。

It　was　four　o'clock　when　we　reached　Trent；　and　colder　than　on　top　of　the　Brenner。　　As　the　Council；　owing　to　the　dead　state　of　its　members　for　now　three　centuries；　was　not　in　session；　we　made　no　long　tarry。　We　went　into　the　magnificent　large　refreshment…room　to　get　warm；　but　it　was　as　cold　as　a　New　England　barn。　　I　asked　the　proprietor　if　we　could　not　get　at　a　fire；　but　he　insisted　that　the　room　was　warm；　that　it　was　heated　with　a　furnace；　and　that　he　burned　good　stove…coal；　and　pointed　to　a　register　high　up　in　the　wall。　　Seeing　that　I　looked　incredulous；　he　insisted　that　I　should　test　it。　　Accordingly；　I　climbed　upon　a　table；　and　reached　up　my　hand。　　A　faint　warmth　came　out；　and　I　gave　it　up；　and　congratulated　the　landlord　on　his　furnace。　But　the　register　had　no　effect　on　the　great　hall。　　You　might　as　well　try　to　heat　the　dome　of　St。　Peter's　with　a　lucifer…match。　　At　dark；　Allah　be　praised！　　we　reached　Ala；　where　we　went　through　the　humbug　of　an　Italian　custom…house；　and　had　our　first　glimpse　of　Italy　in　the　picturesque…looking　idlers　in　red…tasseled　caps；　and　the　jabber　of　a　strange　tongue。　　The　snow　turned　into　a　cold　rain：　the　foot…warmers；　we　having　reached　the　sunny　lands；　could　no　longer　be　afforded；　and　we　shivered　along　till　nine　o'clock；　dark　and　rainy；　brought　us　to　Verona。　　We　emerged　from　the　station　to　find　a　crowd　of　omnibuses；　carriages；　drivers；　runners；　and　people　anxious　to　help　us；　all　vociferating　in　the　highest　key。　　Amidst　the　usual　Italian　clamor　about　nothing；　we　gained　our　hotel　omnibus；　and　sat　there　for　ten　minutes　watching　the　dispute　over　our　luggage；　and　serenely　listening　to　the　angry　vituperations　of　policemen　and　drivers。　　It　sounded　like　a　revolution；　but　it　was　only　the　ordinary　Italian　way　of　doing　things；　and　we　were　at　last　rattling　away　over　the　broad　pavements。

Of　course；　we　stopped　at　a　palace　turned　hotel；　drove　into　a　court　with　double　flights　of　high　stone　and　marble　stairways；　and　were　hurried　up　to　the　marble…mosaic　landing　by　an　active　boy；　and；　almost　before　we　could　ask　for　rooms；　were　shown　into　a　suite　of　magnificent　apartments。　　I　had　a　glimpse　of　a　garden　in　the　rear；flowers　and　plants；　and　a