the twins of table mountain-第25节

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A　long…drawn　snore　was　all　that　followed　this　affecting　climax。
The　baron　was　asleep；　the　retainers　were　also　asleep。　　Only　one
pair　of　eyes　remained　open；arch；　luminous；　blue；Wilhelmina's。

〃There　is　a　subterranean　passage　below　us　to　Linn。　　Let　us　fly！〃
she　whispered。

〃But　why？〃

〃They　always　do　it　in　the　legends；〃　she　murmured　modestly。

〃But　your　father？〃

〃He　sleeps。　　Do　you　not　hear　him？〃

Certainly　somebody　was　snoring。　　But；　oddly　enough；　it　seemed　to　be
Wilhelmina。　　Mr。　Clinch　suggested　this　to　her。

〃Fool；　it　is　yourself！〃

Mr。　Clinch；　struck　with　the　idea；　stopped　to　consider。　　She　was
right。　　It　certainly　WAS　himself。

With　a　struggle　he　awoke。　　The　sun　was　shining。　　The　maiden　was
looking　at　him。　　But　the　castlethe　castle　was　gone！

〃You　have　slept　well；〃　said　the　maiden　archly。　　〃Everybody　does
after　dinner　at　Sammtstadt。　　Father　has　just　awakened；　and　is
coming。〃

Mr。　Clinch　stared　at　the　maiden；　at　the　terrace；　at　the　sky；　at　the
distant　chimneys　of　Sammtstadt；　at　the　more　distant　Rhine；　at　the
table　before　him；　and　finally　at　the　empty　glass。　　The　maiden
smiled。　　〃Tell　me；〃　said　Mr。　Clinch；　looking　in　her　eyes；　〃is　there
a　secret　passage　underground　between　this　place　and　the　Castle　of
Linn？〃

〃An　underground　passage？〃

〃Aywhence　the　daughter　of　the　house　fled　with　a　stranger　knight。〃

〃They　say　there　is；〃　said　the　maiden；　with　a　gentle　blush。

〃Can　you　show　it　to　me？〃

She　hesitated。　　〃Papa　is　coming：　I'll　ask　him。〃

I　presume　she　did。　　At　least　the　Herr　Consul　at　Sammtstadt　informs
me　of　a　marriage…certificate　issued　to　one　Clinch　of　Chicago；　and
Kolnische　of　Koln；　and　there　is　an　amusing　story　extant　in　the
Verein　at　Sammtstadt；　of　an　American　connoisseur　of　Rhine　wines；
who　mistook　a　flask　of　Cognac　and　rock…candy；　used　for　〃craftily
qualifying〃　lower　grades　of　wine　to　the　American　standard；　for　the
rarest　Rudesheimerberg。




VIEWS　FROM　A　GERMAN　SPION


Outside　of　my　window；　two　narrow　perpendicular　mirrors；　parallel
with　the　casement；　project　into　the　street；　yet　with　a　certain
unobtrusiveness　of　angle　that　enables　them　to　reflect　the　people
who　pass；　without　any　reciprocal　disclosure　of　their　own。　　The　men
and　women　hurrying　by　not　only　do　not　know　they　are　observed；　but；
what　is　worse；　do　not　even　see　their　own　reflection　in　this
hypocritical　plane；　and　are　consequently　unable；　through　its　aid；
to　correct　any　carelessness　of　garb；　gait；　or　demeanor。　　At　first
this　seems　to　be　taking　an　unfair　advantage　of　the　human　animal；
who　invariably　assumes　an　attitude　when　he　is　conscious　of　being
under　human　focus。　　But　I　observe　that　my　neighbors'　windows；　right
and　left；　have　a　similar　apparatus；　that　this　custom　is　evidently　a
local　one；　and　the　locality　is　German。　　Being　an　American　stranger；
I　am　quite　willing　to　leave　the　morality　of　the　transaction　with
the　locality；　and　adapt　myself　to　the　custom：　indeed；　I　had　thought
of　offering　it；　figuratively；　as　an　excuse　for　any　unfairness　of
observation　I　might　make　in　these　pages。　　But　my　German　mirrors
reflect　without　prejudice；　selection；　or　comment；　and　the　American
eye；　I　fear；　is　but　mortal；　and　like　all　mortal　eyes；　figuratively
as　well　as　in　that　literal　fact　noted　by　an　eminent　scientific
authority；　infinitely　inferior　to　the　work　of　the　best　German
opticians。

And　this　leads　me　to　my　first　observation；　namely；　that　a　majority
of　those　who　pass　my　mirror　have　weak　eyes；　and　have　already
invoked　the　aid　of　the　optician。　　Why　are　these　people；　physically
in　all　else　so　much　stronger　than　my　countrymen；　deficient　in
eyesight？　　Or；　to　omit　the　passing　testimony　of　my　Spion；　and　take
my　own　personal　experience；　why　does　my　young　friend　Max；　brightest
of　all　schoolboys；　who　already　wears　the　cap　that　denotes　the
highest　class；why　does　he　shock　me　by　suddenly　drawing　forth　a
pair　of　spectacles；　that　upon　his　fresh；　rosy　face　would　be　an
obvious　mocking　imitation　of　the　Herr　Papaif　German　children
could　ever；　by　any　possibility；　be　irreverent？　　Or　why　does　the
Fraulein　Marie；　his　sister；　pink　as　Aurora；　round　as　Hebe；　suddenly
veil　her　blue　eyes　with　a　golden　lorgnette　in　the　midst　of　our
polyglot　conversation？　　Is　it　to　evade　the　direct；　admiring　glance
of　the　impulsive　American？　　Dare　I　say　NO？　　Dare　I　say　that　that
frank；　clear；　honest；　earnest　return　of　the　eye；　which　has　on　the
Continent　most　unfairly　brought　my　fair　countrywomen　under
criticism；　is　quite　as　common　to　her　more　carefully…guarded；
tradition…hedged　German　sisters？　　No；　it　is　not　that。　　Is　it　any
thing　in　these　emerald　and　opal　tinted　skies；　which　seem　so　unreal
to　the　American　eye；　and　for　the　first　time　explain　what　seemed　the
unreality　of　German　art？　in　these　mysterious　yet　restful　Rhine
fogs；　which　prolong　the　twilight；　and　hang　the　curtain　of　romance
even　over　mid…day？　　Surely　not。　　Is　it　not　rather；　O　Herr　Professor
profound　in　analogy　and　philosophy！is　it　not　rather　this
abominable　black…letter；　this　elsewhere…discarded；　uncouth；　slowly…
decaying　text　known　as　the　German　Alphabet；　that　plucks　out　the
bright　eyes　of　youth；　and　bristles　the　gateways　of　your　language
with　a　chevaux　de　frise　of　splintered　rubbish？　　Why　must　I　hesitate
whether　it　is　an　accident　of　the　printer's　press；　or　the　poor
quality　of　the　paper；　that　makes　this　letter　a　〃k〃　or　a　〃t〃？　　Why
must　I　halt　in　an　emotion　or　a　thought　because　〃s〃　and　〃f〃　are　so
nearly　alike？　　Is　it　not　enough　that　I；　an　impulsive　American；
accustomed　to　do　a　thing　first；　and　reflect　upon　it　afterwards；
must　grope　my　way　through　a　blind　alley　of　substantives　and
adjectives；　only　to　find　the　verb　of　action　in　an　obscure　corner；
without　ruining　my　eyesight　in　the　groping？

But　I　dismiss　these　abstract　reflections　for　a　fresh　and　active
resentment。　　This　is　the　fifth　or　sixth　dog　that　has　passed　my
Spion；　harnessed　to　a　small　barrow…like　cart；　and　tugging　painfully
at　a　burden　so　ludicrously　disproportionate　to　his　size；　that　it
would　seem　a　burlesque；　but　for　the　poor　dog's　sad　sincerity。
Perhaps　it　is　because　I　have　the　barbarian's　fondness　for　dogs；　and
for　their　lawless；　gentle；　loving　uselessness；　that　I　rebel　against
this　unnatural　servitude。　　It　seems　as　monstrous　as　if　a　child　were
put　between　the　shafts；　and　made　to　carry　burdens；　and　I　have　come
to　regard　those　men　and　women；　who　in　the　weakest　perfunctory　way
affect　to　aid　the　poor　brute　by　laying　idle　hands　on　the　barrow
behind；　as　I　would　unnatural　parents。　　Pegasus　harnessed　to　the
Thracian　herdsman's　plough　was　no　more　of　a　desecration。　　I　fancy
the　poor　dog　seems　to　feel　the　monstrosity　of　the　performance；　and；
in　sheer　shame　for　his　master；　forgivingly　tries　to　assume　it　is
PLAY；　and　I　have　seen　a　little　〃colley〃　running　along；　barking；　and
endeavoring　to　leap　and　gambol　in　the　shafts；　before　a　load　that
any　one　out　of　this　locality　would　have　thought　the　direst　cruelty。
Nor　do　the　older　or　more　powerful　dogs　seem　to　become　accustomed　to
it。　　When　his　cruel　taskmaster　halts　with　his　wares；　instantly　the
dog；　either　by　sitting　down　in　his　harness；　or　crawling　over　the
shafts；　or　by　some　unmistakable　dog…like　trick；　utterly　scatters
any　such　delusion　of　even　the　habit　of　servitude。　　The　few　of　his
race　who　do　not　work　in　this　ducal　city　seem　to　have　lost　their
democratic　canine　sympathies；　and　look　upon　him　with　something　of
that　indifferent　calm　with　which　yonder　officer　eyes　the　road…
mender　in　the　ditch　below　him。　　He　loses　even　the　characteristics
of　species。　　The　common　cur　and　mastiff　look　alike　in　harness。　　The
burden　levels　all　distinctions。　　I　have　said　that　he　was　generally
sincere　in　his　efforts。　　I　recall　but　one　instance　to　the　contrary。
I　remember　a　young　colley　who　first　attracted　my　attention　by　his
persistent　barking。　　Whether　he　did　this；　as　the　plough…boy
whistled；　〃for　want　of　thought；〃　or　whether　it　was　a　running
protest　against　his　occupation；　I　could　not　determine；　until　one
day　I　noticed；　that；　in　barking；　he　slightly　threw　up　his　neck　and
shoulders；　and　that　the　two…wheeled　barrow…like　vehicle　behind　him；
having　its　weight　evenly　poised　on　the　wheels　by　the　trucks　in　the
hands　of　its　driver；　enabled　him　by　this　movement　to　cunningly
throw　the　center　of　gravity　and　the　greater　weight　on　the　man；a
fact　which　that　less　sagacious　brute　never　discerned。　　Perhaps　I　am
using　a　strong　expression　regarding　his　driver。　　It　may　be　that　the
purely　animal　wants　of　the　dog；　in　the　way　of　food；　care；　and
shelter；　are　more　bountifully　supplied　in　servitude　than　in
freedom；　becoming　a　valuable　and　useful　property；　he　may　be　cared
for　and　protected　as　such　（an　odd　recollection　that　this　argument
had　been　used　forcibly　in　regard　to　human　slavery　in　my　own　country
strikes　me　here）；　but　his　picturesqueness　and　poetry　are　gone；　and
I　cannot　help　thinking　that　the　people　who　have　lost　this　gentle；
sympathetic；　characteristic　figure　from　their　domestic　life　and
surroundings　have　not　acquired　an　equal　gain　through　his　harsh
labors。

To　the　American　eye　there　is；　throughout　the　length　and　breadth　of
this　foreign　city；　no　more　notable　and　striking　object　than　the
average　German　house…servant。　　It　is　not　that　she　has　passe