第114章

Also，withoutbeingactuallypositive，itstruckhimagreatfieldwastobeopenedupinthelineofopeningupnewroutestokeeppacewiththetimesaproposoftheFishguard-Rosslareroutewhich，itwasmooted，wasoncemoreonthetapisintheCircumlocutiondepartmentswiththeusualquantityofredtapeanddillydallyingofeffetefogeydomanddunderheadsgenerally。Agreatopportunitytherecertainlywasforpushandenterprisetomeetthetravellingneedsofthepublicatlarge，theaverageman，i。e。Brown，RobinsonandCo。

Itwasasubjectofregretandabsurdaswellonthefaceofitandnosmallblametoourvauntedsocietythatthemaninthestreet，whenthesystemreallyneededtoningup，foramatterofacoupleofpaltrypounds，wasdebarredfromseeingmoreoftheworldtheylivedininsteadofbeingalwayscoopedupsincemyoldstick-in-the-mudtookmeforawife。

Afterall，hangit，theyhadtheirelevenandmorehumdrummonthsofitandmeritedaradicalchangeofvenueafterthegrindofcitylifeinthesummertime，forchoice，whenDameNatureisatherspectacularbest，constitutingnothingshortofanewleaseoflife。Therewereequallyexcellentopportunitiesforvacationistsinthehomeisland，delightfulsylvanspotsforrejuvenation，offeringaplethoraofattractionsaswellasabracingtonicforthesysteminandaroundDublinanditspicturesqueenvirons，even，Poulaphouca，towhichtherewasasteamtram，butalsofartherawayfromthemaddingcrowd，inWicklow，rightlytermedthegardenofIreland，anidealneighbourhoodforelderlywheelmen，solongasitdidn’tcomedown，andinthewildsofDonegal，whereifreportspoketrue，thecoupd’ilwasexceedinglygrand，thoughthelastnamedlocalitywasnoteasilygetatablesothattheinfluxofvisitorswasnotasyetallthatitmightbeconsideringthesignalbenefitstobederivedfromit，whileHowthwithitshistoricassociationsandotherwise，SilkenThomas，GraceO’Malley，GeorgeIV，rhododendronsseveralhundredfeetabovesealevelwasafavouritehauntwithallsortsandconditionsofmen，especiallyinthespringwhenyoungmensfancy，thoughithaditsowntollofdeathsbyfallingoffthecliffsbydesignoraccidentally，usually，bytheway，ontheirleftleg，itbeingonlyaboutthreequartersofanhour’srunfromthepillar。Becauseofcourseuptodatetouristtravellingwasasyetmerelyinitsinfancy，sotospeak，andtheaccommodationleftmuchtobedesired。Interestingtofathom，itseemedtohim，fromamotiveofcuriositypureandsimple，waswhetheritwasthetrafficthatcreatedtherouteorvice-versaorthetwosidesinfact。HeturnedbacktheothersideofthecardpictureandpasseditalongtoStephen。

IseenaChineseonetime，relatedthedoughtynarrator，thathadlittlepillslikeputtyandheputtheminthewaterandtheyopened，andeverypillwassomethingdifferent。Onewasaship，anotherwasahouse，anotherwasaflower。Cooksratsinyoursoup，heappetisinglyadded，theChinesedoes。

Possiblyperceivinganexpressionofdubiosityontheirfaces，theglobetrotterwentonadheringtohisadventures。

AndIseenamankilledinTriestebyanItalianchap。Knifeinhisback。Knifelikethat。

Whilstspeakingheproducedadangerouslookingclaspknife，quiteinkeepingwithhischaracter，andhelditinthestrikingposition。

Inaknockingshopitwascountofatryonbetweentwosmugglers。

Fellowhidbehindadoor，comeupbehindhim。Likethat。PreparetomeetyourGod，sayshe。Chuck！Itwentintohisbackuptothebutt。

Hisheavyglance，drowsilyroamingabout，kindofdefiedtheirfurtherquestionsevenshouldtheybyanychancewantto。That’sagoodbitofsteel，repeatedhe，examininghisformidablestiletto。

Afterwhichharrowingdé；nouementsufficienttoappalthestoutesthesnappedthebladetoandstowedtheweaponinquestionawayasbeforeinhischamberofhorrors，otherwisepocket。

They’regreatforthecoldsteel，somebodywhowasevidentlyquiteinthedarksaidforthebenefitofthemall。Thatwaswhytheythoughttheparkmurdersoftheinvincibleswasdonebyforeignersonaccountofthemusingknives。

Atthisremark，passedobviouslyinthespiritofwhereignoranceisbliss，MrBloomandStephen，eachinhisownparticularway，bothinstinctivelyexchangedmeaningglances，inareligioussilenceof