three men on the bummel-第5节

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〃She's　going　to　her　people　in　Wales；〃　said　Harris；　〃for　the
holidays；　with　the　children；　we've　had　an　invitation。〃

〃Possibly；〃　I　said；　〃she'll　go　to　Wales　before　she　goes　to
Folkestone；　or　maybe　she'll　take　Wales　on　her　way　home；　but　she'll
want　a　house　at　Folkestone　for　the　season；　notwithstanding。　　I　may
be　mistakenI　hope　for　your　sake　that　I　ambut　I　feel　a
presentiment　that　I'm　not。〃

〃This　trip；〃　said　Harris；　〃is　going　to　be　expensive。〃

〃It　was　an　idiotic　suggestion；〃　I　said；　〃from　the　beginning。〃

〃It　was　foolish　of　us　to　listen　to　him；〃　said　Harris；　〃he'll　get　us
into　real　trouble　one　of　these　days。〃

〃He　always　was　a　muddler；〃　I　agreed。

〃So　headstrong；〃　added　Harris。

We　heard　his　voice　at　that　moment　in　the　hall；　asking　for　letters。

〃Better　not　say　anything　to　him；〃　I　suggested；　〃it's　too　late　to　go
back　now。〃

〃There　would　be　no　advantage　in　doing　so；〃　replied　Harris。　　〃I
should　have　to　get　that　bathroom　and　piano　in　any　case　now。〃

He　came　in　looking　very　cheerful。

〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃is　it　all　right？　　Have　you　managed　it？〃

There　was　that　about　his　tone　I　did　not　altogether　like；　I　noticed
Harris　resented　it　also。

〃Managed　what？〃　I　said。

〃Why；　to　get　off；〃　said　George。

I　felt　the　time　was　come　to　explain　things　to　George。

〃In　married　life；〃　I　said；　〃the　man　proposes；　the　woman　submits。
It　is　her　duty；　all　religion　teaches　it。〃

George　folded　his　hands　and　fixed　his　eyes　on　the　ceiling。

〃We　may　chaff　and　joke　a　little　about　these　things；〃　I　continued；
〃but　when　it　comes　to　practice；　that　is　what　always　happens。　　We
have　mentioned　to　our　wives　that　we　are　going。　　Naturally；　they　are
grieved；　they　would　prefer　to　come　with　us；　failing　that；　they
would　have　us　remain　with　them。　　But　we　have　explained　to　them　our
wishes　on　the　subject；　andthere's　an　end　of　the　matter。〃

George　said；　〃Forgive　me；　I　did　not　understand。　　I　am　only　a
bachelor。　　People　tell　me　this；　that；　and　the　other；　and　I　listen。〃

I　said；　〃That　is　where　you　do　wrong。　　When　you　want　information
come　to　Harris　or　myself；　we　will　tell　you　the　truth　about　these
questions。〃

George　thanked　us；　and　we　proceeded　with　the　business　in　hand。

〃When　shall　we　start？〃　said　George。

〃So　far　as　I　am　concerned；〃　replied　Harris；　〃the　sooner　the
better。〃

His　idea；　I　fancy；　was　to　get　away　before　Mrs。　H。　thought　of　other
things。　　We　fixed　the　following　Wednesday。

〃What　about　route？〃　said　Harris。

〃I　have　an　idea；〃　said　George。　　〃I　take　it　you　fellows　are
naturally　anxious　to　improve　your　minds？〃

I　said；　〃We　don't　want　to　become　monstrosities。　　To　a　reasonable
degree；　yes；　if　it　can　be　done　without　much　expense　and　with　little
personal　trouble。〃

〃It　can；〃　said　George。　　〃We　know　Holland　and　the　Rhine。　　Very　well；
my　suggestion　is　that　we　take　the　boat　to　Hamburg；　see　Berlin　and
Dresden；　and　work　our　way　to　the　Schwarzwald；　through　Nuremberg　and
Stuttgart。〃

〃There　are　some　pretty　bits　in　Mesopotamia；　so　I've　been　told；〃
murmured　Harris。

George　said　Mesopotamia　was　too　much　out　of　our　way；　but　that　the
Berlin…Dresden　route　was　quite　practicable。　　For　good　or　evil；　he
persuaded　us　into　it。

〃The　machines；　I　suppose；〃　said　George；　〃as　before。　　Harris　and　I
on　the　tandem；　J。〃

〃I　think　not；〃　interrupted　Harris；　firmly。　　〃You　and　J。　on　the
tandem；　I　on　the　single。〃

〃All　the　same　to　me；〃　agreed　George。　　〃J。　and　I　on　the　tandem；
Harris〃

〃I　do　not　mind　taking　my　turn；〃　I　interrupted；　〃but　I　am　not　going
to　carry　George　ALL　the　way；　the　burden　should　be　divided。〃

〃Very　well；〃　agreed　Harris；　〃we'll　divide　it。　　But　it　must　be　on
the　distinct　understanding　that　he　works。〃

〃That　he　what？〃　said　George。

〃That　he　works；〃　repeated　Harris；　firmly；　〃at　all　events；　uphill。〃

〃Great　Scott！〃　said　George；　〃don't　you　want　ANY　exercise？〃

There　is　always　unpleasantness　about　this　tandem。　　It　is　the　theory
of　the　man　in　front　that　the　man　behind　does　nothing；　it　is　equally
the　theory　of　the　man　behind　that　he　alone　is　the　motive　power；　the
man　in　front　merely　doing　the　puffing。　　The　mystery　will　never　be
solved。　　It　is　annoying　when　Prudence　is　whispering　to　you　on　the
one　side　not　to　overdo　your　strength　and　bring　on　heart　disease；
while　Justice　into　the　other　ear　is　remarking；　〃Why　should　you　do
it　all？　　This　isn't　a　cab。　　He's　not　your　passenger：〃　to　hear　him
grunt　out：

〃What's　the　matterlost　your　pedals？〃

Harris；　in　his　early　married　days；　made　much　trouble　for　himself　on
one　occasion；　owing　to　this　impossibility　of　knowing　what　the
person　behind　is　doing。　　He　was　riding　with　his　wife　through
Holland。　　The　roads　were　stony；　and　the　machine　jumped　a　good　deal。

〃Sit　tight；〃　said　Harris；　without　turning　his　head。

What　Mrs。　Harris　thought　he　said　was；　〃Jump　off。〃　　Why　she　should
have　thought　he　said　〃Jump　off；〃　when　he　said　〃Sit　tight；〃　neither
of　them　can　explain。

Mrs。　Harris　puts　it　in　this　way；　〃If　you　had　said；　'Sit　tight；'　why
should　I　have　jumped　off？〃

Harris　puts　it；　〃If　I　had　wanted　you　to　jump　off；　why　should　I　have
said　'Sit　tight！'？〃

The　bitterness　is　past；　but　they　argue　about　the　matter　to　this
day。

Be　the　explanation　what　it　may；　however；　nothing　alters　the　fact
that　Mrs。　Harris　did　jump　off；　while　Harris　pedalled　away　hard；
under　the　impression　she　was　still　behind　him。　　It　appears　that　at
first　she　thought　he　was　riding　up　the　hill　merely　to　show　off。
They　were　both　young　in　those　days；　and　he　used　to　do　that　sort　of
thing。　　She　expected　him　to　spring　to　earth　on　reaching　the　summit；
and　lean　in　a　careless　and　graceful　attitude　against　the　machine；
waiting　for　her。　　When；　on　the　contrary；　she　saw　him　pass　the
summit　and　proceed　rapidly　down　a　long　and　steep　incline；　she　was
seized；　first　with　surprise；　secondly　with　indignation；　and　lastly
with　alarm。　　She　ran　to　the　top　of　the　hill　and　shouted；　but　he
never　turned　his　head。　　She　watched　him　disappear　into　a　wood　a
mile　and　a　half　distant；　and　then　sat　down　and　cried。　　They　had　had
a　slight　difference　that　morning；　and　she　wondered　if　he　had　taken
it　seriously　and　intended　desertion。　　She　had　no　money；　she　knew　no
Dutch。　　People　passed；　and　seemed　sorry　for　her；　she　tried　to　make
them　understand　what　had　happened。　　They　gathered　that　she　had　lost
something；　but　could　not　grasp　what。　　They　took　her　to　the　nearest
village；　and　found　a　policeman　for　her。　　He　concluded　from　her
pantomime　that　some　man　had　stolen　her　bicycle。　　They　put　the
telegraph　into　operation；　and　discovered　in　a　village　four　miles
off　an　unfortunate　boy　riding　a　lady's　machine　of　an　obsolete
pattern。　　They　brought　him　to　her　in　a　cart；　but　as　she　did　not
appear　to　want　either　him　or　his　bicycle　they　let　him　go　again；　and
resigned　themselves　to　bewilderment。

Meanwhile；　Harris　continued　his　ride　with　much　enjoyment。　　It
seemed　to　him　that　he　had　suddenly　become　a　stronger；　and　in　every
way　a　more　capable　cyclist。　　Said　he　to　what　he　thought　was　Mrs。
Harris：

〃I　haven't　felt　this　machine　so　light　for　months。　　It's　this　air；　I
think；　it's　doing　me　good。〃

Then　he　told　her　not　to　be　afraid；　and　he　would　show　her　how　fast
he　COULD　go。　　He　bent　down　over　the　handles；　and　put　his　heart　into
his　work。　　The　bicycle　bounded　over　the　road　like　a　thing　of　life；
farmhouses　and　churches；　dogs　and　chickens　came　to　him　and　passed。
Old　folks　stood　and　gazed　at　him；　the　children　cheered　him。

In　this　way　he　sped　merrily　onward　for　about　five　miles。　　Then；　as
he　explains　it；　the　feeling　began　to　grow　upon　him　that　something
was　wrong。　　He　was　not　surprised　at　the　silence；　the　wind　was
blowing　strongly；　and　the　machine　was　rattling　a　good　deal。　　It　was
a　sense　of　void　that　came　upon　him。　　He　stretched　out　his　hand
behind　him；　and　felt；　there　was　nothing　there　but　space。　　He
jumped；　or　rather　fell　off；　and　looked　back　up　the　road；　it
stretched　white　and　straight　through　the　dark　wood；　and　not　a
living　soul　could　be　seen　upon　it。　　He　remounted；　and　rode　back　up
the　hill。　　In　ten　minutes　he　came　to　where　the　road　broke　into
four；　there　he　dismounted　and　tried　to　remember　which　fork　he　had
come　down。

While　he　was　deliberating　a　man　passed；　sitting　sideways　on　a
horse。　　Harris　stopped　him；　and　explained　to　him　that　he　had　lost
his　wife。　　The　man　appeared　to　be　neither　surprised　nor　sorry　for
him。　　While　they　were　talking　another　farmer　came　along；　to　whom
the　first　man　explained　the　matter；　not　as　an　accident；　but　as　a
good　story。　　What　appeared　to　surprise　the　second　man　most　was　that
Harris　should　be　making　a　fuss　about　the　thing。　　He　could　get　no
sense　out　of　either　of　them；　and　cursing　them　he　mounted　his
machine　again；　and　took　the　middle　road　on　chance。　　Half…way　up；　he
came　upon　a　party　of　two　young　women　with　one　young　man　between
them。　　They　appeared　to　be　making　the　most　of　him。　　He　asked　them
if　they　had　seen　his　wife。　　They　asked　him　what　she　was　like。　　He
did　not　know　enough　Dutch　to　describe　her　properly；　all　he　could
tell　them　was　she　was　a　very　beautiful　woman；　of　medium　size。
Evidently　this　did　not　satisfy　them；　the　description　was　too
general；　any　man　could　say　that；　and　by　this　means　perhaps　get
possession　of　a　wife　that　did　not　belong　to　him。　　Th