登陆注册
5429400000008

第8章 AT MAUBEUGE(1)

PARTLY from the terror we had of our good friends the Royal Nauticals, partly from the fact that there were no fewer than fifty-five locks between Brussels and Charleroi, we concluded that we should travel by train across the frontier, boats and all.

Fifty-five locks in a day's journey was pretty well tantamount to trudging the whole distance on foot, with the canoes upon our shoulders, an object of astonishment to the trees on the canal side, and of honest derision to all right-thinking children.

To pass the frontier, even in a train, is a difficult matter for the ARETHUSA. He is somehow or other a marked man for the official eye. Wherever he journeys, there are the officers gathered together. Treaties are solemnly signed, foreign ministers, ambassadors, and consuls sit throned in state from China to Peru, and the Union Jack flutters on all the winds of heaven. Under these safeguards, portly clergymen, school-mistresses, gentlemen in grey tweed suits, and all the ruck and rabble of British touristry pour unhindered, MURRAY in hand, over the railways of the Continent, and yet the slim person of the ARETHUSA is taken in the meshes, while these great fish go on their way rejoicing. If he travels without a passport, he is cast, without any figure about the matter, into noisome dungeons: if his papers are in order, he is suffered to go his way indeed, but not until he has been humiliated by a general incredulity. He is a born British subject, yet he has never succeeded in persuading a single official of his nationality. He flatters himself he is indifferent honest; yet he is rarely taken for anything better than a spy, and there is no absurd and disreputable means of livelihood but has been attributed to him in some heat of official or popular distrust. . . .

For the life of me I cannot understand it. I too have been knolled to church, and sat at good men's feasts; but I bear no mark of it.

I am as strange as a Jack Indian to their official spectacles. Imight come from any part of the globe, it seems, except from where I do. My ancestors have laboured in vain, and the glorious Constitution cannot protect me in my walks abroad. It is a great thing, believe me, to present a good normal type of the nation you belong to.

Nobody else was asked for his papers on the way to Maubeuge; but Iwas; and although I clung to my rights, I had to choose at last between accepting the humiliation and being left behind by the train. I was sorry to give way; but I wanted to get to Maubeuge.

Maubeuge is a fortified town, with a very good inn, the GRAND CERF.

It seemed to be inhabited principally by soldiers and bagmen; at least, these were all that we saw, except the hotel servants. We had to stay there some time, for the canoes were in no hurry to follow us, and at last stuck hopelessly in the custom-house until we went back to liberate them. There was nothing to do, nothing to see. We had good meals, which was a great matter; but that was all.

The CIGARETTE was nearly taken up upon a charge of drawing the fortifications: a feat of which he was hopelessly incapable. And besides, as I suppose each belligerent nation has a plan of the other's fortified places already, these precautions are of the nature of shutting the stable door after the steed is away. But Ihave no doubt they help to keep up a good spirit at home. It is a great thing if you can persuade people that they are somehow or other partakers in a mystery. It makes them feel bigger. Even the Freemasons, who have been shown up to satiety, preserve a kind of pride; and not a grocer among them, however honest, harmless, and empty-headed he may feel himself to be at bottom, but comes home from one of their COENACULA with a portentous significance for himself.

同类推荐
  • 黄石公素书注

    黄石公素书注

    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。
  • Barlaam and Ioasaph

    Barlaam and Ioasaph

    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。
  • Till He Come

    Till He Come

    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。
  • 夜宴洛阳程九主簿宅

    夜宴洛阳程九主簿宅

    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。
  • 十剂表

    十剂表

    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
  • 掌勺农女之金玉满堂

    掌勺农女之金玉满堂

    身为烹饪大师关门弟子,被誉为未来最有潜力的顶级技师女厨神,却被好友陷害魂魄离体,穿越到了不知名的朝代,不知名的村庄,成为了何家的软妹子二女儿,何如意。上有姐姐,下有弟妹,父母离世,孤苦无依。前有无情奶奶重男轻女逼婚夺子,后有无耻亲戚垂涎家产各自出招。前世怨恨今世委屈混合爆发!如意忍无可忍,抄起锅铲!谁说炒锅铲就是撸袖子打架!?如意冷笑:就让你们见识见识,本姑娘怎么用这锅铲子炒的你们自食恶果,悔不当初,炒出富贵如意,金玉满堂!于是,自寻食材,饭菜飘香,宴席自荐,初露锋芒,亲戚无良,如意反击,商机四现,财源滚滚……谁知那佳肴还未飘香万里,竟已引来绝色男神!男神出马一个顶俩,上位神助攻!等等!为什么有种论“男神——吃货——忠犬”进化过程的感觉!?!?初见之时,男神倨傲高冷,唇角微翘:“听闻姑娘手艺,皇宫御厨也要汗颜三分,不知是真是假?可千万别自己打脸了”再次相逢,某吃货愤怒的一拍桌子,大有找茬踢馆之势:“何如意!你敢假装没看到我!?本公子五丈之外就晓得是你了!”如意头也不抬专心试菜:“哦,你怎么知道是我?”某吃货:“我……我闻到香味儿了!”定终生时,某人屁颠颠的牵着如意的小手带她看自己奢华的“八十八抬”,可怜兮兮的凑到她身边:“这是我的嫁妆,你别不要我好不好……我跟大黄一样不用操心,你管我一碗饭就好;我也比大黄有用,不但会看家,还能管你一生幸福无忧……”
  • 裨海记游

    裨海记游

    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。
  • 解读一份文件

    解读一份文件

    《中央宣传部关于胡风及胡风集团骨干分子的著作和翻译书籍的处理办法的通知》这份文件,在以往关于胡风及胡风集团案件的研究中,未见引述,在收录新中国成立以来的几本重要文献选集中,也没有收集。胡风集团案件的当事人也没有提到过有这样一份文件存在。本文认为,这份文件在研究胡风事件中有重要意义。虽然档案法早已公布,但中国关于重要档案届时自然解密的事实极少,所以对于研究者来说,从各种渠道获得相关的研究材料本身也是重要的学术工作。
  • 宠妃打脸日常

    宠妃打脸日常

    索绰罗·云汐重生了,也清醒了,原来,她以为的付出在别人看来不过是一场笑话……堂姐谋得是荣华富贵!家族谋得是往日荣光!而她名义上的丈夫谋得是锦绣前程,亦是旧情难忘!唯独她错付真心,以至于被剥夺一切。既是如此,那她便收起真心,专干毁人不倦的事,只是要对付他们,她总得找个能借力的人……只是意外频发,结果虽然比她想得好,可是越是靠近那一位她就越感觉熟悉,甚至还有一种又被人谋算了的感觉……
  • 凤女的傲娇冷皇

    凤女的傲娇冷皇

    他是天生的王者,尊贵之身,却因手足的陷害,亲眼目睹父皇惨死,更成为被追杀的对象。她是山中不问世事的单纯少女,因为一次意外碰撞,救起濒死的他,注定从此以后的纠缠不清。在漫长的复国之路上,她舍身舍命陪伴始终,用才华和能力注他成就大业。然而,待他终于登临帝位之时,却对她弃如敝履。“秦程言,这辈子爱上你,是我最大的错误!”悬崖之上,她迎风而立,话落之时,纵身一跃,断情绝爱。那之后,他六宫无妃。多年之后,王者归来,她已是至尊之身,复仇,利用,不择手段,他只是挂着宠溺微笑,一步步走入她的圈套之中。最后的最后,她才明白,那个天大的误会,是他无情的开始,也是她爱情的终结……莫玉慈,你要这天下我都可以给,只是能不能,再把你交给我一回?
  • 唐少真香的日常

    唐少真香的日常

    【男主重生1v1he】“我很想你。”这是她第一次见他,深黑瞳眸盛满化不开的深情。“你谁?麻烦滚远一点。”这是她第二次见他,依旧是深黑的眼,却充满了不屑一顾的冷漠。“我只是想来看看你,多看一眼,我便赚到一眼。”这是她第三次见他,在自己被撬开了窗户的卧室里,在黑灯瞎火的床边。第四次,她终于露出微笑,一个过肩摔把人砸到地上,“唐大少爷,不管您是不是精分我都麻烦你从此有多远滚多远,否则我就真的要......”她半蹲下来,对着那张错愕的俊脸友好的微笑,一字一顿道,“打断你的腿了。”·一次课外打工,竟被唐氏继承人莫名告白,从此还被卷入豪门纠纷......顾绒表示,其他我都受得了,唐大爷你能不能别精分了!
  • 无双强龙

    无双强龙

    卦术,风水,暧昧,统统是点缀,孟易的心路历程才是这本小说的灵魂,也许他不是很强大,不会很装逼,但是我努力塑造一个真实的,屌丝逆袭的小卦师。情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 晋真人语录

    晋真人语录

    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。
  • Y的悲剧

    Y的悲剧

    哈特家族以疯狂著称。自打男主人约克·哈特投海身亡后,一系列不幸事件接连降临。专制、暴戾的女主人哈特老太太被谋杀;又聋又哑又瞎的女儿路易莎在家中遭人两次投毒,均侥幸脱险。案件的诸多线索都指向早在几个月前就已自杀的约克。陷入困境的萨姆巡官只得求助于退休莎剧演员哲瑞·雷恩,一出名副其实的悲剧渐渐浮出水面……
  • 女配大佬翻身日记

    女配大佬翻身日记

    受尽背叛,突然穿书,但是没想到自己还是个女配!!女配也就算了,怎么身边的女配都是重生的?!那就一个人佛系修仙吧,可是原女主你为什么非要灭掉我不可?!一遭毁灵根,遭万人唾弃,女主你还不放过我?!不行不行,女配杠不过女主,退一步海阔天空,忍一时越想越气,就是天地都认你为女主,作为变数的女配今天我也得吊打你!仙途漫漫,女主难杠,让我娓娓道来,等等!女主的桃花你们跟着我干啥,我只是个女配啊....