小说园

第13章 被遗忘的时光7（第1页）

adeasketchoftheturnout。ItisnotaWork，itisonlywhatartistscalla“study”—athingtomakeafinishedicturefrom。Thissketchhasseveralblemishesinit;forinstance，thewagonisnottravelingasfastasthehorseis。Thisiswrong。Again，theersontryingtogetoutofthewayistoosmall，heisoutofersective，aswesay。Thetwouerlinesarenotthehorse’sback，theyarethereins;thereseemstobeawheelmissing—thiswouldbecorrectedinafinishedWork，ofcourse。Thatthingflyingoutbehindisnotaflag，itisacurtain。Thatotherthinguthereisthesun，butIdidn’tgetenoughdistanceonit。Idonotremember，now，whatthatthingisthatisinfrontofthemanwhoisrunning，butIthinkitisahaystackorawoman。ThisstudywasexhibitedintheParisSalonof1879，butdidnottakeanymedal;theydonotgivemedalsforstudies。

Wedischargedthecarriageatthebridge。Theriverwasfulloflogs—long，slender，barklessinelogs—andweleanedontherailsofthebridge，andwatchedthemenutthemtogetherintorafts。TheseraftswereofashaeandconstructiontosuitthecrookednessandextremenarrownessoftheNeckar。Theywerefromfiftytoonehundredyardslong，andtheygraduallytaeredfromanine-logbreadthattheirsterns，toathree-logbreadthattheirbow-ends。Themainartofthesteeringisdoneatthebow，withaole;thethree-logbreadththerefurnishesroomforonlythesteersman，fortheselittlelogsarenotlargeraroundthatanaverageyounglady’swaist。Theconnectionsoftheseveralsectionsoftheraftareslackandliant，sothattheraftmaybereadilybentintoanysortofcurverequiredbytheshaeoftheriver。

TheNeckarisinmanylacessonarrowthataersoncanthrowadogacrossit，ifhehasone;whenitisalsosharlycurvedinsuchlaces，theraftsmanhastodosomerettynicesnugilotingtomaketheturns。Theriverisnotalwaysallowedtosreadoveritswholebed—whichisasmuchasthirty，andsometimesfortyyardswide—butisslitintothreeequalbodiesofwater，bystonedikeswhichthrowthemainvolume，deth，andcurrentintothecentralone。Inlowwatertheseneatnarrow-edgeddikesrojectfourorfiveinchesabovethesurface，likethecombofasubmergedroof，butinhighwatertheyareoverflowed。AhatfulofrainmakeshighwaterintheNeckar，andabasketfulroducesanoverflow。

TherearedikesabreasttheSchlossHotel，andthecurrentisviolentlyswiftatthatoint。Iusedtositforhoursinmyglasscage，watchingthelong，narrowraftsslialongthroughthecentralchannel，grazingtheright-bankdikeandaimingcarefullyforthemiddlearchofthestonebridgebelow;Iwatchedtheminthisway，andlostallthistimehoingtoseeoneofthemhitthebridge-ierandwreckitselfsometimeorother，butwasalwaysdisaointed。Onewassmashedthereonemorning，butIhadjuststeedintomyroomamomenttolightaie，soIlostit。

WhileIwaslookingdownuontheraftsthatmorninginHeilbronn，thedaredevilsiritofadventurecamesuddenlyuonme，andIsaidtomycomrades:

“IamgoingtoHeidelbergonaraft。Willyouventurewithme?”

Theirfacesaledalittle，buttheyassentedwithasgoodagraceastheycould。Harriswantedtocablehismother—thoughtithisdutytodothat，ashewasallshehadinthisworld—so，whileheattendedtothis，Iwentdowntothelongestandfinestraftandhailedthecatainwithahearty“Ahoy，shimate!”whichutusuonleasanttermsatonce，andweentereduonbusiness。IsaidwewereonaedestriantourtoHeidelberg，andwouldliketotakeassagewithhim。IsaidthisartlythroughyoungZ，whosokeGermanverywell，andartlythroughMr。Xwhosokeiteculiarly。IcanunderstandGermanaswellasthemaniacthatinventedit，butItalkitbestthroughaninterreter。

Thecatainhitcheduhistrousers，thenshiftedhisquidthoughtfully。PresentlyhesaidjustwhatIwasexectinghewouldsay—thathehadnolicensetocarryassengers，andthereforewasafraidthelawwouldbeafterhimincasethemattergotnoisedaboutoranyaccidenthaened。SoIcharteredtheraftandthecrewandtookalltheresonsibilitiesonmyself。

Witharattlingsongthestarboardwatchbenttotheirworkandhovethecableshort，thengottheanchorhome，andourbarkmovedoffwithastatelystride，andsoonwasbowlingalongatabouttwoknotsanhour。

Ourartyweregrouedamidshis。Atfirstthetalkwasalittlegloomy，andranmainlyuontheshortnessoflife，theuncertaintyofit，theerilswhichbesetit，andtheneedandwisdomofbeingalwaysrearedfortheworst;thisshadedoffintolow-voicedreferencestothedangersofthedee，andkindredmatters;butasthegrayeastbegantoreddenandthemysterioussolemnityandsilenceofthedawntogivelacetothejoy-songsofthebirds，thetalktookacheeriertone，andoursiritsbegantorisesteadily。

Germany，inthesummer，istheerfectionofthebeautiful，butnobodyhasunderstood，andrealized，andenjoyedtheutmostossibilitiesofthissoftandeacefulbeautyunlesshehasvoyageddowntheNeckaronaraft。Themotionofaraftistheneedfulmotion;itisgentle，andgliding，andsmooth，andnoiseless;itcalmsdownallfeverishactivities，itsoothestosleeallnervoushurryandimatience;underitsrestfulinfluenceallthetroublesandvexationsandsorrowsthatharassthemindvanishaway，andexistencebecomesadream，acharm，adeeandtranquilecstasy。Howitcontrastswithhotandersiringedestrianism，anddustyanddeafeningrailroadrush，andtediousjoltingbehindtiredhorsesoverblindingwhiteroads!