foncoBotelho
NotverymanyyearsagothejourneyfromOortotoRegoahadtobemadeartlybystagecoachandartlybyrail,asthecountryermitted。
Thestagecoach,drawnbysixowerfulhorses,stoodattheointofdearturefromtheofficesoftheCoachingComanyinOorto,awaitingthefinalarrivals。Inthewildcrowdaroundthecoach,someassengersdeclaredthattheycouldnotgetthelacestheyhadbookedandotherscouldnotfindtheirluggage。Thegeneraldisturbancewasenetratedfromtimetotimebytheroughlanguageoftheorters。
Ayoungmansatinoneofthelacesnearthedoor。Hehadtakenhisseatearly,andhisluggagewasallinorder。Theotherlaceswereallfilledwiththeexcetionoftheoneoositehim;andthisoneaearedtobereservedforsomeassengerwhohadnotbeenabletoarriveintime。Thedrivergathereduthereins,andtheguardbegantosoundthesignalfordearture。
Suddenlyastrangesightcameroundthecomer-afatmanwalkinglikeaduck,breathinghard,andwavinganenormousumbrellainthedirectionofthecoach。Afterhimcametwoorterswithaloadofluggage。
Theguardusedsomestronglanguage,theluggagewasliftedu,andthefatassengerclimbedintotheemtylace。Withsomedifficultyhefoundroomforhisumbrellaandabigraincloak。
ThehorsessetoffalongthestonystreetsofOortointhedirectionoftheroadleadingtotherailwaystationoftheMinho-Douroline。Thefatassengerseemedannoyedaboutsomething,forhemutteredimatientlytohimself,andcouldnotsitstill。Atlasthecaughttheeyeoftheyoungmanoosite,JoaodeSousa。
"Itistoobad,sir,
"heexclaimed,
"Justthink:Icouldnotgetmycuoftea!
"
JoaodeSousadidnotanswer,butlookedquestioninglyatthefatman,whowenton:
"Yousee,ithasalwaysbeenmycustomtotakeacuofteaaftermylunch;justacuofstrongblacktea。IwasinsuchahurrytocatchthecoachthatIdidnotwaitforteajustnow。IcannottellyouhowImissit。Yousee,sir,whenamancomestomyage,habitsareeverything,anditisreallydreadfultohavetobreakyourhabits。NowIknowIshallbemiserablethroughoutthejourneybecauseIcouldnothavemycuoftea。Youareyoung,sir,buttaketheadviceofamanwhoisofregularhabits。Whenyouonceformasteadyhabit,letnothingutyouoffit。
"
JoaodeSousawasamused。
"Butwhenwegettotherailwaystation,
"hesaid,
"youwillbeabletogetteaintherefreshmentroom。
"
"Ofcourse!Ihadnotthoughtofthat!Itwillbealittlebitlateaftermylunch,butatleastitwillbesomething。
"
Whentheygottothestation,thetrainwasalreadyatthelatform。Everyonerushedintotherefreshmentroomtoreareforthetrainjourney,somebydrinkingaglassofwineandeatingsomebreadandfruit,othersbyurchasingfoodtoeatinthetrain。
Thefatmansatdownatoneofthetablesandlookedroundforawaiter。Buttherewerefewofthem,anditwassometimebeforeheattractedtheattentionofoneandorderedacuoftea。Hewasabouttogivedetailsoftheteathathewanted,butthebusywaiterhadtoattendtootherorders。AtlastJoaodeSousa,whengoingofftotakehislaceinthetrain,sawthefatmanrearingtoenjoyhisfavouritedrink。
Presentlyhecamerushingoutandclimbedintothetrainjustasthewhistlesounded,hesatdownoositeJoaodeSousa,andwiedhisfacewithabrilliantsilkhandkerchief。
"Well?
"JoaodeSousasmiled。
"Mydearboy,itwasgreenteathatthewaiterbroughtme。Icanneverdrinkgreentea!
"
Thetrainassedthroughthemagnificentmountains,astlittlefarm-housesandstreams。Nightwascomingonandthesettingsunhadgonedownbelowthehills。Thefatassengersawnobeautyinthescene。Heyawnedandutteredimatientexclamationsunderhisbreath。DeSousaheardamoanendingwiththeword
"tea
"。