第89章

’Notaltogethermerefatigue，sir，forhermulestumbledto-day，andshefellfromthesaddle。Shefelllightly，andwasupagainwithoutassistance，androdefromuslaughing；butshecomplainedtowardseveningofaslightbruiseintheside。Shespokeofitmorethanonce，aswefollowedyourpartyupthemountain。’

Theheadofthelargeretinue，whowasgraciousbutnotfamiliar，appearedbythistimetothinkthathehadcondescendedmorethanenough。Hesaidnomore，andtherewassilenceforsomequarterofanhouruntilsupperappeared。

WiththesuppercameoneoftheyoungFathers(thereseemedtobenooldFathers)totaketheheadofthetable。ItwaslikethesupperofanordinarySwisshotel，andgoodredwinegrownbytheconventinmoregenialairwasnotwanting。Theartisttravellercalmlycameandtookhisplaceattablewhentherestsatdown，withnoapparentsenseuponhimofhislateskirmishwiththecompletelydressedtraveller。

’Pray，’heinquiredofthehost，overhissoup，’hasyourconventmanyofitsfamousdogsnow？’

’Monsieur，ithasthree。’

’Isawthreeinthegallerybelow。Doubtlessthethreeinquestion。’

Thehost，aslender，bright-eyed，darkyoungmanofpolitemanners，whosegarmentwasablackgownwithstripsofwhitecrossedoveritlikebraces，andwhonomoreresembledtheconventionalbreedofSaintBernardmonksthanheresembledtheconventionalbreedofSaintBernarddogs，replied，doubtlessthosewerethethreeinquestion。

’AndIthink，’saidtheartisttraveller，’Ihaveseenoneofthembefore。’

Itwaspossible。Hewasadogsufficientlywellknown。Monsieurmighthaveeasilyseenhiminthevalleyorsomewhereonthelake，whenhe(thedog)hadgonedownwithoneoftheordertosolicitaidfortheconvent。

’Whichisdoneinitsregularseasonoftheyear，Ithink？’

Monsieurwasright。

’Andneverwithoutadog。Thedogisveryimportant。’

AgainMonsieurwasright。Thedogwasveryimportant。Peoplewerejustlyinterestedinthedog。Asoneofthedogscelebratedeverywhere，Ma’amsellewouldobserve。

Ma’amsellewasalittleslowtoobserveit，asthoughshewerenotyetwellaccustomedtotheFrenchtongue。MrsGeneral，however，observeditforher。

’Askhimifhehassavedmanylives？’said，inhisnativeEnglish，theyoungmanwhohadbeenputoutofcountenance。

Thehostneedednotranslationofthequestion。HepromptlyrepliedinFrench，’No。Notthisone。’

’Whynot？’thesamegentlemanasked。

’Pardon，’returnedthehostcomposedly，’givehimtheopportunityandhewilldoitwithoutdoubt。Forexample，Iamwellconvinced，’smilingsedately，ashecutupthedishofvealtobehandedround，ontheyoungmanwhohadbeenputoutofcountenance，’thatifyou，Monsieur，wouldgivehimtheopportunity，hewouldhastenwithgreatardourtofulfilhisduty。’

Theartisttravellerlaughed。Theinsinuatingtraveller(whoevincedaprovidentanxietytogethisfullshareofthesupper)，wipingsomedropsofwinefromhismoustachewithapieceofbread，joinedtheconversation。

’Itisbecominglateintheyear，myFather，’saidhe，’fortourist-travellers，isitnot？’

’Yes，itislate。Yettwoorthreeweeks，atmost，andweshallbelefttothewintersnows。’

’Andthen，’saidtheinsinuatingtraveller，’forthescratchingdogsandtheburiedchildren，accordingtothepictures!’

’Pardon，’saidthehost，notquiteunderstandingtheallusion。

’How，thenthescratchingdogsandtheburiedchildrenaccordingtothepictures？’

Theartisttravellerstr