登陆注册
4808700000050

第50章 THE MAN AND THE MOUNTAIN.(5)

It is no goot until I vill a tunnel make or der grade lefel. Dere vas mine fader's house, dere vos der church, der schoolhouse, dot vos de burgomaster's house," he went on, pointing to the respective plots in this old curving parallelogram of the mountain shelf. "So was the fillage when I leave him on the 5th of March, eighteen hundred and feefty. Now you shall see him shoost as I vill make him ven I go back." He took up another plan, beautifully drawn and colored, and evidently done by a professional hand. It was a practical, yet almost fairylike transformation of the same spot!

The narrow mountain shelf was widened by excavation, and a boulevard stretched on either side. A great hotel, not unlike the one in which we sat, stood in an open terrace, with gardens and fountains--the site of his father's house. Blocks of pretty dwellings, shops, and cafes filled the intermediate space. I laid down the paper.

"How long have you had this idea?"

"Efer since I left dere, fifteen years ago."

"But your father and mother may be dead by this time?""So, but dere vill be odders. Und der blace--it vill remain.""But all this will cost a fortune, and you are not sure"--"I know shoost vot id vill gost, to a cend."

"And you think you can ever afford to carry out your idea?""I VILL affort id. Ven you shall make yet some moneys and go to Europe, you shall see. I VILL infite you dere first. Now coom and look der house around.". . . . . .

I did NOT make "some moneys," but I DID go to Europe. Three years after this last interview with Rutli I was coming from Interlaken to Berne by rail. I had not heard from him, and I had forgotten the name of his village, but as I looked up from the paper I was reading, I suddenly recognized him in the further end of the same compartment I occupied. His recognition of me was evidently as sudden and unexpected. After our first hand-grasp and greeting, Isaid:--

"And how about our new village?"

"Dere is no fillage."

"What! You have given up the idea?"

"Yes. There is no fillage, olt or new."

"I don't understand."

He looked at me a moment. "You have not heard?""No."

He gently picked up a little local guidebook that lay in my lap, and turning its leaves, pointed to a page, and read as follows:--"5 M. beyond, the train passes a curve R., where a fine view of the lake may be seen. A little to the R. rises the steep slopes of the ----, the scene of a terrible disaster. At three o'clock on March 5, 1850, the little village of ----, lying midway of the slope, with its population of 950 souls, was completely destroyed by a landslip from the top of the mountain. So sudden was the catastrophe that not a single escape is recorded. A large portion of the mountain crest, as will be observed when it is seen in profile, descended to the valley, burying the unfortunate village to a depth variously estimated at from 1000 ft. to 1800 ft. The geological causes which produced this extraordinary displacement have been fully discussed, but the greater evidence points to the theory of subterranean glaciers. 5 M. beyond ---- the train crosses the R. bridge."I laid down the guide-book in breathless astonishment.

"And you never heard of this in all these years?""Nefer! I asked no questions, I read no pooks. I have no ledders from home.""And yet you"-- I stopped, I could not call him a fool; neither could I, in the face of his perfect composure and undisturbed eyes, exhibit a concern greater than his own. An uneasy recollection of what he confessed had been his mental condition immediately after his accident came over me. Had he been the victim of a strange hallucination regarding his house and family all these years? Were these dreams of revenge, this fancy of creating a new village, only an outcome of some shock arising out of the disaster itself, which he had long since forgotten?

He was looking from the window. "Coom," he said, "ve are near der blace. I vill show id to you." He rose and passed out to the rear platform. We were in the rear car, and a new panorama of the lake and mountains flashed upon us at every curve of the line. Ifollowed him. Presently he pointed to what appeared to be a sheer wall of rock and stunted vegetation towering two or three thousand feet above us, which started out of a gorge we were passing. "Dere it vos!" he said. I saw the vast stretch of rock face rising upward and onward, but nothing else. No debris, no ruins, nor even a swelling or rounding of the mountain flank over that awful tomb.

Yet, stay! as we dashed across the gorge, and the face of the mountain shifted, high up, the sky-line was slightly broken as if a few inches, a mere handful, of the crest was crumbled away. And then--both gorge and mountain vanished.

I was still embarrassed and uneasy, and knew not what to say to this man at my side, whose hopes and ambition had been as quickly overthrown and buried, and whose life-dream had as quickly vanished. But he himself, taking his pipe from his lips, broke the silence.

"It vos a narrow esgabe!"

"What was?"

"Vy, dis dings. If I had stayed in my fader's house, I vould haf been det for goot, and perried too! Somedimes dose dings cooms oudt apout right, don't id?"Unvanquished philosopher! As we stood there looking at the flying landscape and sinking lesser hills, one by one the great snow peaks slowly arose behind them, lifting themselves, as if to take a last wondering look at the man they had triumphed over, but had not subdued.

同类推荐
  • 佛说金耀童子经

    佛说金耀童子经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 悟真篇注释

    悟真篇注释

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 顾华玉集

    顾华玉集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 卫生易简方

    卫生易简方

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 雁

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 玩转三十六计

    玩转三十六计

    三十六计,人们耳熟能详!但如何恰到好处地运用,并非人人皆知。本书总结三十六计要点,以极具代表性的事例对每个要点进行演示说明,教你如何娴熟运用三十六计中的策略处理好各种人际关系,灵活应对各种局面,成为生活中的强者!
  • 帝君妖娆:一等狂妃太嚣张

    帝君妖娆:一等狂妃太嚣张

    新文已发《人鱼五小姐:魔尊,请让道!》她是魔界之王,叱咤风云,手段狠辣,却不料被暗害。三百年后重生于九云大陆废材五公主身上,训魔兽,收灵宠,虐渣渣,从此以后只有她虐别人的份。不想一不小心看了某人的出浴,此后上天入地均缠着她要负责。“娘子,你还不负责,等下宝宝都出来了。”某女青筋暴起,反身就是一脚“老娘怀都没怀”“那好我加油,赶快让你怀上”“……”【本文脑洞略大,慎入。】
  • 骄阳

    骄阳

    青春的时候总是有太多太多的选择,如果不小心做了错误的选择该怎么办?家境贫寒的女大学生楚漫偶然认识了冷面律师沈澈,因为楚漫奶奶生病急需手术费,楚漫在法律意识薄弱的情况下,擅自将身份证借给闺蜜,在闺蜜的帮助下,奶奶的手术费的贷款很快到账。虽然解了这次的燃眉之急,楚漫却发现自己掉入了一个更大的深渊!不久后,网上四处都是楚漫拿着身份证的“特殊照片”。楚漫受到了来自社会和学校各方面的谩骂。无奈之下,她想到了沈澈——拥有一面之缘的知名大律师。他会帮她吗?
  • 绝心冷后

    绝心冷后

    一道圣旨将两人联系到了一起.也因为一道圣旨,他们分道杨镖....她;十岁以前是一个木衲的不受宠的将军俯小姐.在一次意外中丧生,可是这个被认定为已死的人,却突然睁开了她的双眼.那一是双怎样的眼睛?凌厉而冰冷.天下间,一瞬间风起云涌,皇储之争.烽烟四起.他;本是一个可有可无的皇子,一个从小被送出皇宫的皇子,可身为皇子的他又怎可独善其身?...他;是江湖第一杀手,为她所救,从此后为她命是从.只求能够呆在她的身边守护.他;是京城的第一公子,为她才情所折服,丢了一颗心.他;是最年轻的丞相,为那个总是冷眼看待一切人,莫名感到心疼.还有他,他,他..都被他吸引,随她而引起情绪的波动......QQ群;136264520(紫凝的小窝),敲门砖书中主角名加潇湘VIP会员号...推荐自己的完结文〈冰霜女王爷〉〈冷宫清妃〉《寒王冷妻》推荐好友的文文苹果儿;《夜枭哑后》吴笑笑;《天价皇后》懒离婚;《凤御万兽》倾城殇;《黑道之魁首争爱》红传说;《王的俘虏》桃花女王《重生—我本妖孽》
  • 富脑袋穷脑袋

    富脑袋穷脑袋

    思路决定出路,思路带来财富。贫穷是一种思想障碍,而不是一种经济状况。富人的一项资产就是其与众不同的思考方式。如果你想变富有,你就需要独立地进行思考而不是盲从他人。穷人之所以一辈子穷,就是因为他从来没有想过或者不敢成为富人!富人致富靠的不是运气,不是关系,而是他们与众不同的逻辑思维方式,像有钱人那样去思考,去做事,去行动,你也可以成为有钱人!
  • 谁说学霸不懂爱

    谁说学霸不懂爱

    被暗恋已久的竹马小哥哥突然告白,夏乐柒人生的水逆期终于结束,走桃花运了。可这桃花还不止一朵。隔壁系的富二代男神成天有事没事跑她面前刷脸刷存在,今天送香奈儿,明天送古驰LV爱马仕,女生们羡慕得快要疯了!“说,高冷傲娇兼不解风情之学霸,and帅气多金男友力爆棚之阔少,你选择谁?”某天,闺蜜逮着她就问。“我,我选……”夏乐柒老脸一红,抬头,朝前方闪光高大,正朝自己迎面走来的身影看了一眼……--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 山海雅韵

    山海雅韵

    从吴越文化的荟萃,到历代文人雅士的遗韵,金山的海派文脉源远流长,历久而弥新。数千年的人物风流,可制皇皇巨著,而薄薄一册解读的只是金山文化发展的脉络和其中一些刹那的闪烁。跟着本书去了解、熟悉金山的前世今生,比如:明长城“金山卫”砖刻与金山的故事、上海硕果仅存的最后一座渔村、妈祖文化在上海的发端演变……与此同时,可边读边走去看看:最具吴越文化交融特色的千年古镇枫泾、黄公望潜心绘制传世名作《富春山居图》的吕巷……放下书本,可以去尝美食、看农民画展、听金山故事……
  • 心理控制方法

    心理控制方法

    输掉竞争时,你可能不会想到对手做了心理暗示;做出决定时,你可能不相信自己掉入了惯性的陷阱;…………生活中每时每刻都在上演着一幕幕的心理战,不得要领往往南辕北辙,借力合力则游刃有余。当你资金不如人,条件不如人,并不表示你在实际生活中就会落败。本书为您深度剖析生活中处处用得上的心理战术。只要你能掌握对方的心理,掌握心理控制方法,就一定能旗开得胜!
  • 中国古都研究(第二十一辑)

    中国古都研究(第二十一辑)

    本缉收入的是关于郑州商都3600年学术讨论会的内容,收录38篇论文,具体内容包括:郑州大古都的年代学研究、郑州商城的建造及其性质谈等。
  • 金错刀

    金错刀

    夜色如墨。大宅灯火俱灭,毫无人声。他的嘴角露出一丝阴险的笑意,屋里面不要说人,哪怕是那条大黄狗也都已熟睡了。他将一柄七寸二分长的精钢匕首咬在口中,趁着微弱的月光从狗洞钻入……等他爬出狗洞的时候,口里依然咬着那柄匕首,只是这匕首已经鲜血淋漓。他摸摸怀里那个鼓鼓的包裹,有点满足。这次收获还不错,少说也有一百两银子,即使在城里最豪华的妓院也能风光地玩上半个月。他的银子来得快,花得也快,他早已不记得这是他第几次干的勾当了。里面一家五口死得不冤,无声无息,无苦无痛,便向阎王报到了。