"mnkmb10" - читать интересную книгу автора (Trollope Anthony)

the lakes of Como, Colico, and Lecco; and Bellaggio is the spot at
which their waters join each other. I had half made up my mind to
sleep there one night on my road into Italy, and now, on hearing their
purpose, I declared that such was my intention.

"How very pleasant," said Mrs. Greene. "It will be quite delightful
to have some one to show us how to settle ourselves, for really--"

"My dear, I'm sure you can't say that you ever have much trouble."

"And who does then, Mr. Greene? I am sure Sophonisba does not do much
to help me."

"You won't let me," said Sophonisba, whose name I had not before
heard. Her papa had called her Sophy in the yard of the inn.
Sophonisba Greene! Sophonisba Robinson did not sound so badly in my
ears, and I confess that I had tried the names together. Her papa had
mentioned to me that he had no other child, and had mentioned also
that he had made his fortune.

And then there was a little family contest as to the amount of
travelling labour which fell to the lot of each of the party, during
which I retired to one of the windows of the big front room in which
we were sitting. And how much of this labour there is incidental to a
tourist's pursuits! And how often these little contests do arise upon
a journey! Who has ever travelled and not known them? I had taken up
such a position at the window as might, I thought, have removed me out
of hearing; but nevertheless from time to time a word would catch my
ear about that precious box. "I have never taken MY eyes off it since
I left England," said Mrs. Greene, speaking quick, and with a
considerable brogue superinduced by her energy. "Where would it have
been at Basle if I had not been looking after it?" "Quite safe," said
Sophonisba; "those large things always are safe." "Are they, Miss?
That's all you know about it. I suppose your bonnet-box was quite
safe when I found it on the platform at--at--I forget the name of the
place?"

"Freidrichshafen," said Sophonisba, with almost an unnecessary amount
of Teutonic skill in her pronunciation. "Well, mamma, you have told
me of that at least twenty times." Soon after that, the ladies took
them to their own rooms, weary with the travelling of two days and a
night, and Mr. Greene went fast asleep in the very comfortless chair
in which he was seated.

At four o'clock on the next morning we started on our journey.


"Early to bed, and early to rise,
Is the way to be healthy, and wealthy, and wise."