cambridge pieces-第5节

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d'hote　to　be　leaning　over　the　balcony　that　ran　round　the　house　and
passed　our　bedroom　door；　when　a　man　and　a　girl　came　out　with　two
large　pails　in　their　hands；　and　we　watched　them　proceed　to　a　cart
with　a　barrel　in　it；　which　was　in　a　corner　of　the　yard；　we　had　been
wondering　what　was　in　the　barrel　and　were　glad　to　see　them　commence
tapping　it；　when　lo！　out　spouted　the　blood…red　wine　with　which　they
actually　half　filled　their　pails　before　they　left　the　spot。　　This
was　as　Italy　should　be。　　After　dinner；　too；　as　we　stroll　in　the
showy　Italian　sort　of　piazza　near　the　inn；　the　florid　music　which
fills　the　whole　square；　accompanied　by　a　female　voice　of　some
pretensions；　again　thoroughly　Italianises　the　scene；　and　when　she
struck　up　our　English　national　anthem　（with　such　a　bass
accompaniment！）　nothing　could　be　imagined　more　incongruous。

Sleeping　at　La　Tour　at　the　hotel　kept　by　M。　Gai　（which　is　very　good；
clean；　and　cheap）；　we　left　next　morning；　i。e。　Tuesday；　June　16；　at
four　by　diligence　for　Pinerolo；　thence　by　rail　to　Turin　where　we
spent　the　day。　　It　was　wet　and　we　saw　no　vestiges　of　the　Alps。

Turin　is　a　very　handsome　city；　very　regularly　built；　the　streets
running　nearly　all　parallel　to　and　at　right　angles　with　each　other；
there　are　no　suburbs；　and　the　consequence　is　that　at　the　end　of
every　street　one　sees　the　country；　the　Alps　surround　the　city　like　a
horseshoe；　and　hence　many　of　the　streets　seem　actually　walled　in
with　a　snowy　mountain。　　Nowhere　are　the　Alps　seen　to　greater
advantage　than　from　Turin。　　I　speak　from　the　experience；　not　of　the
journey　I　am　describing；　but　of　a　previous　one。　　From　the　Superga
the　view　is　magnificent；　but　from　the　hospital　for　soldiers　just
above　the　Po　on　the　eastern　side　of　the　city　the　view　is　very
similar；　and　the　city　seen　to　greater　advantage。　　The　Po　is　a　fine
river；　but　very　muddy；　not　like　the　Ticino　which　has　the　advantage
of　getting　washed　in　the　Lago　Maggiore。　　On　the　whole　Turin　is　well
worth　seeing。　　Leaving　it；　however；　on　Wednesday　morning　we　arrived
at　Arona　about　half…past　eleven：　　the　country　between　the　two　places
is　flat；　but　rich　and　well　cultivated：　　much　rice　is　grown；　and　in
consequence　the　whole　country　easily　capable　of　being　laid　under
water；　a　thing　which　I　should　imagine　the　Piedmontese　would　not　be
slow　to　avail　themselves　of；　we　ought　to　have　had　the　Alps　as　a
background　to　the　view；　but　they　were　still　veiled。　　It　was　here
that　a　countryman；　seeing　me　with　one　or　two　funny　little　pipes
which　I　had　bought　in　Turin；　asked　me　if　I　was　a　fabricante　di　pipi…
…a　pipe…maker。

By　the　time　that　we　were　at　Arona　the　sun　had　appeared；　and　the
clouds　were　gone；　here；　too；　we　determined　to　halt　for　half　a　day；
neither　of　us　being　quite　the　thing；　so　after　a　visit　to　the
colossal　statue　of　San　Carlo；　which　is　very　fine　and　imposing；　we
laid　ourselves　down　under　the　shade　of　some　chestnut　trees　above　the
lake；　and　enjoyed　the　extreme　beauty　of　everything　around　us；　until
we　fell　fast　asleep；　and　yet　even　in　sleep　we　seemed　to　retain　a
consciousness　of　the　unsurpassable　beauty　of　the　scene。　　After
dinner　（we　were　stopping　at　the　Hotel　de　la　Poste；　a　very　nice　inn
indeed）　we　took　a　boat　and　went　across　the　lake　to　Angera；　a　little
town　just　opposite；　it　was　in　the　Austrian　territory；　but　they　made
no　delay　about　admitting　us；　the　reason　of　our　excursion　was；　that
we　might　go　and　explore　the　old　castle　there；　which　is　seated　on　an
inconsiderable　eminence　above　the　lake。　　It　affords　an　excellent
example　of　Italian　domestic　Gothic　of　the　Middle　Ages；　San　Carlo　was
born　and　resided　here；　and；　indeed；　if　saintliness　were　to　depend
upon　beauty　of　natural　scenery；　no　wonder　at　his　having　been　a
saint。

The　castle　is　only　tenanted　by　an　old　man　who　keeps　the　place；　we
found　him　cooking　his　supper　over　a　small　crackling　fire　of　sticks；
which　he　had　lighted　in　the　main　hall；　his　feeble　old　voice　chirps
about　San　Carlo　this　and　San　Carlo　that　as　we　go　from　room　to　room。
We　have　no　carpets　hereplain　honest　brick　floorsthe　chairs；
indeed；　have　once　been　covered　with　velvet；　but　they　are　now　so　worn
that　one　can　scarcely　detect　that　they　have　been　so；　the　tables
warped　and　worm…eaten；　the　few；　that　is；　that　remained　there；　the
shutters　cracked　and　dry　with　the　sun　and　summer　of　so　many　hundred
yearsno　Renaissance　work　here；　yet　for　all　that　there　was
something　about　it　which　made　it　to　me　the　only　really　pleasurable
nobleman's　mansion　that　I　have　ever　been　over；　the　view　from　the　top
is　superb；　and　then　the　row　home　to　Arona；　the　twinkling　lights
softly　gleaming　in　the　lake；　the　bells　jangling　from　the　tall　and
gaudy　campaniles；　the　stillness　of　the　summer　nightso　warm　and　yet
so　refreshing　on　the　water；　hush；　there　are　some　people　singinghow
sweetly　their　voices　are　borne　to　us　upon　the　slight　breath　of　wind
that　alone　is　stirring；　oh；　it　is　a　cruel　thing　to　think　of　war　in
connection　with　such　a　spot　as　this；　and　yet　from　this　very　Angera
to　this　very　Arona　it　is　that　the　Austrians　have　been　crossing　to
commence　their　attack　on　Sardinia。　　I　fear　these　next　summer　nights
will　not　be　broken　with　the　voice　of　much　singing　and　that　we　shall
have　to　hush　for　the　roaring　of　cannon。

I　never　knew　before　how　melodiously　frogs　can　croakthere　is　a
sweet　guttural　about　some　of　these　that　I　never　heard　in　England：
before　going　to　bed；　I　remember　particularly　one　amorous　batrachian
courting　malgre　sa　maman　regaled　us　with　a　lusciously　deep　rich
croak；　that　served　as　a　good　accompaniment　for　the　shrill　whizzing
sound　of　the　cigales。

My　space　is　getting　short；　but　fortunately　we　are　getting　on　to
ground　better　known；　I　will　therefore　content　myself　with　sketching
out　the　remainder　of　our　tour　and　leaving　the　reader　to　Murray　for
descriptions。

We　left　Arona　with　regret　on　Thursday　morning　（June　18）；　took
steamer　to　the　Isola　Bella；　which　is　an　example　of　how　far　human
extravagance　and　folly　can　spoil　a　rock；　which　had　it　been　left
alone　would　have　been　very　beautiful；　and　thence　by　a　little　boat
went　to　Baveno；　thence　we　took　diligence　for　Domo　d'Ossola；　the
weather　clouded　towards　evening　and　big　raindrops　beginning　to
descend　we　thought　it　better　to　proceed　at　once　by　the　same
diligence　over　the　Simplon；　we　did　not　care　to　walk　the　pass　in　wet；
therefore　leaving　Domo　d'Ossola　at　ten　o'clock　that　night　we　arrived
at　Iselle　about　two；　the　weather　clearing　we　saw　the　gorge　of　Gondo
and　walked　a　good　way　up　the　pass　in　the　early　morning　by　the
diligence；　breakfasted　at　Simplon　at　four　o'clock　in　the　morning；
and　without　waiting　a　moment　as　soon　as　we　got　out　at　Brieg　set　off
for　Visp；　which　we　reached　at　twelve　on　foot；　we　washed　and　dressed
there；　dined　and　advanced　to　Leuk；　and　thence　up　the　most
exquisitely　beautiful　road　to　Leukerbad；　which　we　reached　at　about
eight　o'clock　after　a　very　fatiguing　day。　　The　Hotel　de　la　France　is
clean　and　cheap。　　Next　morning　we　left　at　half…past　five　and；
crossing　the　Gemini；　got　to　Frutigen　at　half…past　one；　took　an　open
trap　after　dinner　and　drove　to　Interlaken；　which　we　reached　on　the
Saturday　night　at　eight　o'clock；　the　weather　first　rate；　Sunday　we
rested　at　Interlaken；　on　Monday　we　assailed　the　Wengern　Alp；　but　the
weather　being　pouring　wet　we　halted　on　the　top　and　spent　the　night
there；　being　rewarded　by　the　most　transcendent　evening　view　of　the
Jungfrau；　Eiger；　and　Monch　in　the　clear　cold　air　seen　through　a　thin
veil　of　semi…transparent　cloud　that　was　continually　scudding　across
them。

Next　morning　early　we　descended　to　Grindelwald；　thence　past　the
upper　glacier　under　the　Wetterhorn　over　the　Scheidegg　to　Rosenlaui；
where　we　dined　and　saw　the　glacier；　after　dinner；　descending　the
valley　we　visited　the　falls　of　Reichenbach　（which　the　reader　need
not　do　if　he　means　to　see　those　of　the　Aar　at　Handegg）；　and　leaving
Meyringen　on　our　left　we　recommenced　an　ascent　of　the　valley　of　the
Aar；　sleeping　at　Guttannen；　about　ten　miles　farther　on。

Next　day；　i。e。　Wednesday；　June　24；　leaving　Guttannen　very　early；
passing　the　falls　of　Handegg；　which　are　first　rate；　we　reached　the
hospice　at　nine；　had　some　wine　there；　and　crawled　on　through　the
snow　and　up　the　rocks　to　the　summit　of　the　passhere　we　met　an　old
lady；　in　a　blue　ugly；　with　a　pair　of　green　spectacles；　carried　in　a
chaise　a　porteur；　she　had　taken　it　into　her　head　in　her　old　age　that
she　would　like　to　see　a　little　of　the　world；　and　here　she　was。　　We
had　seen　her　lady's　maid　at　the　hospice；　concerning　whom　we　were
told　that　she　was　〃bien　sage；〃　and　did　not　scream　at　the　precipices。
On　the　top　of　the　Gemini；　too；　at　half…past　seven　in　the　morning；　we
had　met　a　somewhat　similar　lady　walking　alone　with　a　blue　parasol
over　the　snow；　about　half　an　hour　after　we　met　some　porters　carrying
her　luggage；　and　found　that　she　was　an　invalid　lady　of　Berne；　who
was　walking　over　to　the　baths　at　Leukerbad　for　the　benefit　of　her
healthwe　scarcely　thought　there　could　be　much　occasionleaving
these　two　good　ladies　then；　let　us　descend　the　Grimsel　to　the　bottom
of　the　glacier　of　the　Rhone；　and　then　ascend　the　Furkaa　stiff
pull；　we　got　there　by　two　o'clock；　dined　（Italian　is　spoken　here
again）；　and　finally　re