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

We all know that lesson, and many of us believe in it; but if the
lesson be true, the Italians ought to be the healthiest and wealthiest
and wisest of all men and women. Three or four o'clock seems to them
quite a natural hour for commencing the day's work. Why we should
have started from Chiavenna at four o'clock in order that we might be
kept waiting for the boat an hour and a half on the little quay at
Colico, I don't know; but such was our destiny. There we remained an
hour and a half; Mrs. Greene sitting pertinaciously on the one
important box. She had designated it as being smaller than the
others, and, as all the seven were now ranged in a row, I had an
opportunity of comparing them. It was something smaller,--perhaps an
inch less high, and an inch and a half shorter. She was a sharp
woman, and observed my scrutiny. "I always know it," she said in a
loud whisper, "by this little hole in the canvas," and she put her
finger on a slight rent on one of the ends. "As for Greene, if one of
those Italian brigands were to walk off with it on his shoulders,
before his eyes, he wouldn't be the wiser. How helpless you men are,
Mr. Robinson!"

"It is well for us that we have women to look after us."

"But you have got no one to look after you;--or perhaps you have left
her behind?"

"No, indeed. I'm all alone in the world as yet. But it's not my own
fault. I have asked half a dozen."

"Now, Mr. Robinson!" And in this way the time passed on the quay at
Colico, till the boat came and took us away. I should have preferred
to pass my time in making myself agreeable to the younger lady; but
the younger lady stood aloof, turning up her nose, as I thought, at
her mamma.

I will not attempt to describe the scenery about Colico. The little
town itself is one of the vilest places under the sun, having no
accommodation for travellers, and being excessively unhealthy; but
there is very little either north or south of the Alps,--and, perhaps,
I may add, very little elsewhere,--to beat the beauty of the mountains
which cluster round the head of the lake. When we had sat upon those
boxes that hour and a half, we were taken on board the steamer, which
had been lying off a little way from the shore, and then we commenced
our journey. Of course there was a good deal of exertion and care
necessary in getting the packages off from the shore on to the boat,
and I observed that any one with half an eye in his head might have
seen that the mental anxiety expended on that one box which was marked
by the small hole in the canvas far exceeded that which was extended
to all the other six boxes. "They deserve that it should be stolen,"
I said to myself, "for being such fools." And then we went down to
breakfast in the cabin.