three men on the bummel-第35节

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pass　with　indifference。　　His　loyalty　to　this　unresponsive　man　was
touching；　and　we　made　no　attempt　to　undermine　it。

Having　completed　to　our　satisfaction　the　Black　Forest；　we　journeyed
on　our　wheels　through　Alt　Breisach　and　Colmar　to　Munster；　whence　we
started　a　short　exploration　of　the　Vosges　range；　where；　according
to　the　present　German　Emperor；　humanity　stops。　　Of　old；　Alt
Breisach；　a　rocky　fortress　with　the　river　now　on　one　side　of　it　and
now　on　the　otherfor　in　its　inexperienced　youth　the　Rhine　never
seems　to　have　been　quite　sure　of　its　way；must；　as　a　place　of
residence；　have　appealed　exclusively　to　the　lover　of　change　and
excitement。　　Whoever　the　war　was　between；　and　whatever　it　was
about；　Alt　Breisach　was　bound　to　be　in　it。　　Everybody　besieged　it；
most　people　captured　it；　the　majority　of　them　lost　it　again；　nobody
seemed　able　to　keep　it。　　Whom　he　belonged　to；　and　what　he　was；　the
dweller　in　Alt　Breisach　could　never　have　been　quite　sure。　　One　day
he　would　be　a　Frenchman；　and　then　before　he　could　learn　enough
French　to　pay　his　taxes　he　would　be　an　Austrian。　　While　trying　to
discover　what　you　did　in　order　to　be　a　good　Austrian；　he　would　find
he　was　no　longer　an　Austrian；　but　a　German；　though　what　particular
German　out　of　the　dozen　must　always　have　been　doubtful　to　him。　　One
day　he　would　discover　that　he　was　a　Catholic；　the　next　an　ardent
Protestant。　　The　only　thing　that　could　have　given　any　stability　to
his　existence　must　have　been　the　monotonous　necessity　of　paying
heavily　for　the　privilege　of　being　whatever　for　the　moment　he　was。
But　when　one　begins　to　think　of　these　things　one　finds　oneself
wondering　why　anybody　in　the　Middle　Ages；　except　kings　and　tax
collectors；　ever　took　the　trouble　to　live　at　all。

For　variety　and　beauty；　the　Vosges　will　not　compare　with　the　hills
of　the　Schwarzwald。　　The　advantage　about　them　from　the　tourist's
point　of　view　is　their　superior　poverty。　　The　Vosges　peasant　has
not　the　unromantic　air　of　contented　prosperity　that　spoils　his　vis…
a…vis　across　the　Rhine。　　The　villages　and　farms　possess　more　the
charm　of　decay。　　Another　point　wherein　the　Vosges　district　excels
is　its　ruins。　　Many　of　its　numerous　castles　are　perched　where　you
might　think　only　eagles　would　care　to　build。　　In　others；　commenced
by　the　Romans　and　finished　by　the　Troubadours；　covering　acres　with
the　maze　of　their　still　standing　walls；　one　may　wander　for　hours。

The　fruiterer　and　greengrocer　is　a　person　unknown　in　the　Vosges。
Most　things　of　that　kind　grow　wild；　and　are　to　be　had　for　the
picking。　　It　is　difficult　to　keep　to　any　programme　when　walking
through　the　Vosges；　the　temptation　on　a　hot　day　to　stop　and　eat
fruit　generally　being　too　strong　for　resistance。　　Raspberries；　the
most　delicious　I　have　ever　tasted；　wild　strawberries；　currants；　and
gooseberries；　grow　upon　the　hill…sides　as　black…berries　by　English
lanes。　　The　Vosges　small　boy　is　not　called　upon　to　rob　an　orchard；
he　can　make　himself　ill　without　sin。　　Orchards　exist　in　the　Vosges
mountains　in　plenty；　but　to　trespass　into　one　for　the　purpose　of
stealing　fruit　would　be　as　foolish　as　for　a　fish　to　try　and　get
into　a　swimming　bath　without　paying。　　Still；　of　course；　mistakes　do
occur。

One　afternoon　in　the　course　of　a　climb　we　emerged　upon　a　plateau；
where　we　lingered　perhaps　too　long；　eating　more　fruit　than　may　have
been　good　for　us；　it　was　so　plentiful　around　us；　so　varied。　　We
commenced　with　a　few　late　strawberries；　and　from　those　we　passed　to
raspberries。　　Then　Harris　found　a　greengage…tree　with　some　early
fruit　upon　it；　just　perfect。

〃This　is　about　the　best　thing　we　have　struck；〃　said　George；　〃we　had
better　make　the　most　of　this。〃　　Which　was　good　advice；　on　the　face
of　it。

〃It　is　a　pity；〃　said　Harris；　〃that　the　pears　are　still　so　hard。〃

He　grieved　about　this　for　a　while；　but　later　on　came　across　some
remarkably　fine　yellow　plums　and　these　consoled　him　somewhat。

〃I　suppose　we　are　still　a　bit　too　far　north　for　pineapples；〃　said
George。　　〃I　feel　I　could　just　enjoy　a　fresh　pineapple。　　This
commonplace　fruit　palls　upon　one　after　a　while。〃

〃Too　much　bush　fruit　and　not　enough　tree；　is　the　fault　I　find；〃
said　Harris。　　〃Myself；　I　should　have　liked　a　few　more　greengages。〃

〃Here　is　a　man　coming　up　the　hill；〃　I　observed；　〃who　looks　like　a
native。　　Maybe；　he　will　know　where　we　can　find　some　more
greengages。〃

〃He　walks　well　for　an　old　chap；〃　remarked　Harris。

He　certainly　was　climbing　the　hill　at　a　remarkable　pace。　　Also；　so
far　as　we　were　able　to　judge　at　that　distance；　he　appeared　to　be　in
a　remarkably　cheerful　mood；　singing　and　shouting　at　the　top　of　his
voice；　gesticulating；　and　waving　his　arms。

〃What　a　merry　old　soul　it　is；〃　said　Harris；　〃it　does　one　good　to
watch　him。　　But　why　does　he　carry　his　stick　over　his　shoulder？　　Why
doesn't　he　use　it　to　help　him　up　the　hill？〃

〃Do　you　know；　I　don't　think　it　is　a　stick；〃　said　George。

〃What　can　it　be；　then？〃　asked　Harris。

〃Well；　it　looks　to　me；〃　said　George；　〃more　like　a　gun。〃

〃You　don't　think　we　can　have　made　a　mistake？〃　suggested　Harris。
〃You　don't　think　this　can　be　anything　in　the　nature　of　a　private
orchard？〃

I　said：　　〃Do　you　remember　the　sad　thing　that　happened　in　the　South
of　France　some　two　years　ago？　　A　soldier　picked　some　cherries　as　he
passed　a　house；　and　the　French　peasant　to　whom　the　cherries
belonged　came　out；　and　without　a　word　of　warning　shot　him　dead。〃

〃But　surely　you　are　not　allowed　to　shoot　a　man　dead　for　picking
fruit；　even　in　France？〃　said　George。

〃Of　course　not；〃　I　answered。　　〃It　was　quite　illegal。　　The　only
excuse　offered　by　his　counsel　was　that　he　was　of　a　highly　excitable
disposition；　and　especially　keen　about　these　particular　cherries。〃

〃I　recollect　something　about　the　case；〃　said　Harris；　〃now　you
mention　it。　　I　believe　the　district　in　which　it　happenedthe
'Commune；'　as　I　think　it　is　calledhad　to　pay　heavy　compensation
to　the　relatives　of　the　deceased　soldier；　which　was　only　fair。〃

George　said：　　〃I　am　tired　of　this　place。　　Besides；　it's　getting
late。〃

Harris　said：　　〃If　he　goes　at　that　rate　he　will　fall　and　hurt
himself。　　Besides；　I　don't　believe　he　knows　the　way。〃

I　felt　lonesome　up　there　all　by　myself；　with　nobody　to　speak　to。
Besides；　not　since　I　was　a　boy；　I　reflected；　had　I　enjoyed　a　run
down　a　really　steep　hill。　　I　thought　I　would　see　if　I　could　revive
the　sensation。　　It　is　a　jerky　exercise；　but　good；　I　should　say；　for
the　liver。

We　slept　that　night　at　Barr；　a　pleasant　little　town　on　the　way　to
St。　Ottilienberg；　an　interesting　old　convent　among　the　mountains；
where　you　are　waited　upon　by　real　nuns；　and　your　bill　made　out　by　a
priest。　　At　Barr；　just　before　supper　a　tourist　entered。　　He　looked
English；　but　spoke　a　language　the　like　of　which　I　have　never　heard
before。　　Yet　it　was　an　elegant　and　fine…sounding　language。　　The
landlord　stared　at　him　blankly；　the　landlady　shook　her　head。　　He
sighed；　and　tried　another；　which　somehow　recalled　to　me　forgotten
memories；　though；　at　the　time；　I　could　not　fix　it。　　But　again
nobody　understood　him。

〃This　is　damnable；〃　he　said　aloud　to　himself。

〃Ah；　you　are　English！〃　exclaimed　the　landlord；　brightening　up。

〃And　Monsieur　looks　tired；〃　added　the　bright　little　landlady。
〃Monsieur　will　have　supper。〃

They　both　spoke　English　excellently；　nearly　as　well　as　they　spoke
French　and　German；　and　they　bustled　about　and　made　him　comfortable。
At　supper　he　sat　next　to　me；　and　I　talked　to　him。

〃Tell　me；〃　I　saidI　was　curious　on　the　subject〃what　language　was
it　you　spoke　when　you　first　came　in？〃

〃German；〃　he　explained。

〃Oh；〃　I　replied；　〃I　beg　your　pardon。〃

〃You　did　not　understand　it？〃　he　continued。

〃It　must　have　been　my　fault；〃　I　answered；　〃my　knowledge　is
extremely　limited。　　One　picks　up　a　little　here　and　there　as　one
goes　about；　but　of　course　that　is　a　different　thing。〃

〃But　THEY　did　not　understand　it；〃　he　replied；　〃the　landlord　and　his
wife；　and　it　is　their　own　language。〃

〃I　do　not　think　so；〃　I　said。　　〃The　children　hereabout　speak　German；
it　is　true；　and　our　landlord　and　landlady　know　German　to　a　certain
point。　　But　throughout　Alsace　and　Lorraine　the　old　people　still
talk　French。〃

〃And　I　spoke　to　them　in　French　also；〃　he　added；　〃and　they
understood　that　no　better。〃

〃It　is　certainly　very　curious；〃　I　agreed。

〃It　is　more　than　curious；〃　he　replied；　〃in　my　case　it　is
incomprehensible。　　I　possess　a　diploma　for　modern　languages。　　I　won
my　scholarship　purely　on　the　strength　of　my　French　and　German。　　The
correctness　of　my　construction；　the　purity　of　my　pronunciation；　was
considered　at　my　college　to　be　quite　remarkable。　　Yet；　when　I　come
abroad　hardly　anybody　understands　a　word　I　say。　　Can　you　explain
it？〃

〃I　think　I　can；〃　I　replied。　　〃Your　pronunciation　is　too　faultless。
You　remember　what　the　Scotsman　said　when　for　the　first　time　in　his
life　he　tasted　real　whisky：　　'It　may　be　puir；　but　I　canna　drink
it'；　so　it　is　with　your　German。　　It　strikes　one　less　as　a　language
than　as　an　exhibition。　　If　I　might　offer　advice；　I　should　say：
Mispronounce　as　much　as　possible；　and　throw　in　as　many　mistakes　as
you　can　think　of。〃

It　is　the　same　everywhere。　　Each　country　keeps　a　special
pronunciation　exclu