What Could He Do?
This was another of Marriot's perplexities of the heart. He had been on
the Continent, and I knew from his face, the moment he returned, that I
would have a night of him.
On the 4th of September, he began, playing agitatedly with my
tobacco-pouch, which was not for hands like his, I had walked from
Spondinig to Franzenshohe, which is a Tyrolese inn near the top of
Stelvio Pass. From t
few minutes; but the path is broken by a roaring stream. The only bridge
across this stream is a plank, which seemed to give way as I put my foot
on it. I drew back, for the stream would be called one long waterfall in
England. Though a passionate admirer of courage, I easily lose my head
myself, and I did not dare to venture across the plank. I walked up the
stream, looking in vain for another crossing, and finally sat down on a
wilderness of stones, from which I happened to have a good view of the
plank. In parties of two and three a number of tourists strolled down
the path; but they were all afraid to cross the bridge. I saw them test
it with their alpenstocks; but none would put more than one foot on it.
They gathered there at their wit's end. Suddenly I saw that there was
some one on the plank. It was a young lady. I stood up and gazed. She
was perhaps a hundred yards away from me; but I could distinctly make
out her swaying, girlish figure, her deer-stalker cap, and the ends of
her boa (as, I think, those long, furry things are called) floating in
the wind. In a moment she was safe on the other side; but on the middle
of the plank she had turned to kiss her hand to some of her more timid
friends, and it was then that I fell in love with her. No doubt it was
the very place for romance, if one was sufficiently clad; but I am not
'susceptible,' as it is called, and I had never loved before. On the
other hand, I was always a firm believer in love at first sight, which,
as you will see immediately, is at the very root of my present
sufferings.
The other tourists, their fears allayed, now crossed the plank, but I
hurried away anywhere; and found myself an hour afterward on a hillside,
surrounded by tinkling cows. All that time I had been thinking of a
plank with a girl on it. I returned hastily to the inn, to hear that
the heroine of the bridge and her friends had already driven off up the
pass. My intention had been to stay at Franzenshohe over night, but of
course I at once followed the line of carriages which could be seen
crawling up the winding road. It was no difficult matter to overtake
them, and in half an hour I was within a few yards of the hindmost
carriage. It contained her of whom I was in pursuit. Her back was
toward me, but I recognized the cap and the boa. I confess that I was
nervous about her face, which I had not yet seen. So often had I been
disappointed in ladies when they showed their faces, that I muttered
Jimmy's aphorism to myself: 'The saddest thing in life is that most
women look best from the back.' But when she looked round all anxiety
was dispelled. So far as your advice is concerned, it cannot matter
to you what she was like. Briefly, she was charming.
I am naturally shy, and so had more difficulty in making her
acquaintance than many travellers would have had. It was at the baths of
Bormio that we came together. I had bribed a waiter to seat me next her
father at dinner; but, when the time came, I could say nothing to him,
so anxious was I to create a favorable impression. In the evening,
however, I found the family gathered round a pole, with skittles at the
foot of it. They were wondering how Italian skittles was played, and,
though I had no idea, I volunteered to teach them. Fortunately none of
them understood Italian, and consequently the expostulations of the boy
in charge were disregarded. It is not my intention to dwell upon the
never-to-be-forgotten days--ah, and still more the evenings--we spent
at the baths of Bormio. I had loved her as she crossed the plank; but
daily now had I more cause to love her, and it was at Bormio that she
learned--I say it with all humility--to love me. The seat in the garden
on which I proposed is doubtless still to be seen, with the chair near
it on which her papa was at that very moment sitting, with one of his
feet on a small table. During the three sunny days that followed, my
life was one delicious dream, with no sign that the awakening was at
hand.
So far I had not mentioned the incident at Franzenshohe to her. Perhaps
you will call my reticence contemptible; but the fact is, I feared to
fall in her esteem. I could not have spoken of the plank without
admitting that I was afraid to cross it; and then what would she, who
was a heroine, think of a man who was so little of a hero? Thus, though
I had told her many times that I fell in love with her at first sight,
she thought I referred to the time when she first saw me. She liked to
hear me say that I believed in no love but love at first sight; and,
looking back, I can recall saying it at least once on every seat in the
garden at the baths of Bormio.
Do you know Tirano, a hamlet in a nest of vines, where Italian soldiers
strut and women sleep in the sun beside baskets of fruit? How happily we
entered it; were we the same persons who left it within an hour? I was
now travelling with her party; and at Tirano, while the others rested,
she and I walked down a road between vines and Indian corn. Why I should
then have told her that I loved her for a whole day before she saw me
I cannot tell. It may have been something she said, perhaps only an
irresistible movement of her head; for her grace was ever taking me by
surprise, and she was a revelation a thousand times a day. But whatever
it was that made me speak out, I suddenly told her that I fell in love
with her as she stood upon the plank at Franzenshohe. I remember her
stopping short at a point where there had probably once been a gate to
the vineyard, and I thought she was angry with me for not having told
her of the Franzenshohe incident before. Soon the pallor of her face
alarmed me. She entreated me to say it was not at Franzenshohe that I
first loved her, and I fancied she was afraid lest her behavior on the
bridge had seemed a little bold. I told her it was divine, and pictured
the scene as only an anxious lover could do. Then she burst into tears,
and we went back silently to her relatives. She would not say a word
to me.
We drove to Sondrio, and before we reached it I dare say I was as pale
as she. A horrible thought had flashed upon me. At Sondrio I took her
papa aside, and, without telling him what had happened, questioned him
about his impressions of Franzenshohe. 'You remember the little bridge,'
he said, 'that we were all afraid to cross; by Jove! I have often
wondered who that girl was that ventured over it first.'
I hastened away from him to think. My fears had been confirmed. It was
not she who had first crossed the plank. Therefore it was not she with
whom I had fallen in love. Nothing could be plainer than that I was in
love with the wrong person. All the time I had loved another. But who
was she? Besides, did I love her? Certainly not. Yes, but why did I love
this one? The whole foundation of my love had been swept away. Yet the
love remained. Which is absurd.
At Colico I put the difficulty to her father; but he is stout, and did
not understand its magnitude. He said he could not see how it mattered.
As for her, I have never mentioned it to her again; but she is always
thinking of it, and so am I. A wall has risen up between us, and how to
get over it or whether I have any right to get over it, I know not. Will
you help me--and her?
Certainly not, I said.
More
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Later Victorian Days
When life was all a summer day, And I was under twenty, Three loves were scattered in my way-- And three at once are plenty. Three hearts, if offered with a grace, One thinks not of refusing. The task in this esp... Marriot
I have hinted that Marriot was our sentimental member. He was seldom sentimental until after midnight, and then only when he and I were alone. Why he should have chosen me as the pail into which to pour his troubles I cannot say. I let him talk... Matrimony And Smoking Compared
The circumstances in which I gave up smoking were these: I was a mere bachelor, drifting toward what I now see to be a tragic middle age. I had become so accustomed to smoke issuing from my mouth that I felt incomplete without it; indeed, the ti... My Brother Henry
Strictly speaking I never had a brother Henry, and yet I cannot say that Henry was an impostor. He came into existence in a curious way, and I can think of him now without malice as a child of smoke. The first I heard of Henry was at Pettigrew'... My First Cigar
It was not in my chambers, but three hundred miles further north, that I learned to smoke. I think I may say with confidence that a first cigar was never smoked in such circumstances before. At that time I was a school-boy, living with my bro... My Last Pipe
The night of my last smoke drew near without any demonstration on my part or on that of my friends. I noticed that none of them was now comfortable if left alone with me, and I knew, I cannot tell how, that though they had too much delicacy to ... My Pipes
In a select company of scoffers my brier was known as the Mermaid. The mouth-piece was a cigarette-holder, and months of unwearied practice were required before you found the angle at which the bowl did not drop off. This brings me to one of... My Smoking-table
Had it not been for a bootblack at Charing Cross I should probably never have bought the smoking-table. I had to pass that boy every morning. In vain did I scowl at him, or pass with my head to the side. He always pointed derisively (as I thoug... My Tobacco-pouch
I once knew a lady who said of her husband that he looked nice when sitting with a rug over him. My female relatives seemed to have the same opinion of my tobacco-pouch; for they never saw it, even in my own room, without putting a book or pamp... Not The Arcadia
Those who do not know the Arcadia may have a mixture that their uneducated palate loves, but they are always ready to try other mixtures. The Arcadian, however, will never help himself from an outsider's pouch. Nevertheless, there was one black... Page Six |
stimulus. Alcohol, ever true to its companion, steps in and supplies this artificial stimulus. It is a scientific fact that tobacco is responsible for more drunkards than alcohol. I know from my own experience, that smoking natura... Pettigrew's Dream
My dream (said Pettigrew) contrasts sadly with those of my young friends. They dream of revenge, but my dream is tragic. I see my editor writing my obituary notice. This is how it reads: Mr. Pettigrew, M.A., whose sad death is recorded in anothe... Preface
This is the first attempt to write the history of smoking in this country from the social point of view. There have been many books written about tobacco--F.W. Fairholt's History of Tobacco, 1859, and the Tobacco (1857) of Andrew Steinmetz, are st... Primus
Primus is my brother's eldest son, and he once spent his Easter holidays with me. I did not want him, nor was he anxious to come, but circumstances were too strong for us, and, to be just to Primus, he did his best to show me that I was not in his... Primus To His Uncle
Though we all pretended to be glad when Primus went, we spoke of him briefly at times, and I read his letters aloud at our evening meetings. Here is a series of them from my desk. Primus was now a year and a half older and his spelling had impr... Scrymgeour
Scrymgeour was an artist and a man of means, so proud of his profession that he gave all his pictures fancy prices, and so wealthy that he could have bought them. To him I went when I wanted money--though it must not be thought that I borrowed. In... Signs Of Revival
Some sigh for this and that My wishes don't go far; The world may wag at will, So I have my cigar. THOMAS HOOD. The revival of smoking among those who were most amenable to the dictates of fashion, and among whom c... Smoking By Women
Ladies, when pipes are brought, affect to swoon; They love no smoke, except the smoke of Town. ISAAC HAWKINS BROWNE, _circa_ 1740. A story is told of Sir Walter Raleigh by John Aubrey which seems to imply that at first women... Smoking In Church
For thy sake, TOBACCO, I Would do anything but die. CHARLES LAMB, _A Farewell to Tobacco._ The use of tobacco in churches forms a curious if short chapter in the social history of smoking. The earliest reference to such a pr... Smoking In The Restoration Period
The Indian weed withered quite Green at noon, cut down at night, Shows thy decay-- All flesh is hay: Thus think, then drink tobacco. GEORGE WITHER (1588-1667). The year 1660 that restored Charles II t... Smoking In The Twentieth Century
Sweet when the morn is grey; Sweet, when they've clear'd away Lunch; and at close of day Possibly sweetest. C.S. CALVERLEY. Tobacco is once more triumphant. The cycle of three hundred years is complete. Sin... Smoking Under King William Iii And Queen Anne
Hail! social pipe--thou foe of care, Companion of my elbow-chair; As forth thy curling fumes arise, They seem an evening sacrifice-- An offering to my Maker's praise, For all His benefits and grace. SIR SAMUEL ... Smoking Unfashionable: Early Georgian Days
Lord Fopling smokes not--for his teeth afraid; Sir Tawdry smokes not--for he wears brocade. ISAAC HAWKINS BROWNE, _circa_ 1740. With the reign of Queen Anne tobacco had entered on a period, destined to be of long duration, w... Smoking Unfashionable: Later Georgian Days
Says the Pipe to the Snuff-box, I can't understand What the ladies and gentlemen see in your face, That you are in fashion all over the land, And I am so much fallen into disgrace. WILLIAM COWPER. (From a letter... The Arcadia Mixture
Darkness comes, and with it the porter to light our stair gas. He vanishes into his box. Already the inn is so quiet that the tap of a pipe on a window-sill startles all the sparrows in the quadrangle. The men on my stair emerged from their hol... The Arcadia Mixture Again
One day, some weeks after we left Scrymgeour's house-boat, I was alone in my rooms, very busy smoking, when William John entered with a telegram. It was from Scrymgeour, and said, You have got me into a dreadful mess. Come down here first train... The First Pipes Of Tobacco Smoked In England
Before the wine of sunny Rhine, or even Madam Clicquot's, Let all men praise, with loud hurras, this panacea of Nicot's. The debt confess, though none the less they love the grape and barley, Which Frenchmen owe to good Nicot, and En... The Ghost Of Christmas Eve
A few years ago, as some may remember, a startling ghost-paper appeared in the monthly organ of the Society for Haunting Houses. The writer guaranteed the truth of his statement, and even gave the name of the Yorkshire manor-house in which the ... The Grandest Scene In History
Though Scrymgeour only painted in watercolors, I think--I never looked at his pictures--he had one superb idea, which we often advised him to carry out. When he first mentioned it the room became comparatively animated, so much struck were we a... The Murder In The Inn
Sometimes I think it is all a dream, and that I did not really murder the waits. Perhaps they are living still. Yet the scene is very vivid before me, though the affair took place--if it ever did take place--so long ago that I cannot be expected t... The Perils Of Not Smoking
When the Arcadians heard that I had signed an agreement to give up smoking they were first incredulous, then sarcastic, then angry. Instead of coming, as usual, to my room, they went one night in a body to Pettigrew's, and there, as I afterward... The Romance Of A Pipe-cleaner
We continued to visit the _Arcadia_, though only one at a time now, and Gilray, who went most frequently, also remained longest. In other words, he was in love again, and this time she lived at Cookham. Marriot's love affairs I pushed from me w... Tobacco From A Moral Stand-point |
Go to our jails and penitentiaries and you will find their inmates, almost to a man, tobacco-eate... Tobacco Triumphant: Smoking Fashionable And Universal
Tobacco engages Both sexes, all ages, The poor as well as the wealthy; From the court to the cottage, From childhood to dotage, Both those that are sick and the healthy. _Wits' Recreations_, 1640. This... Tobacconists' Signs
I would enjoin every shop to make use of a sign which bears some affinity to the wares in which it deals. ADDISON, _Spectator_, April 2, 1711. Shop-signs were one of the most conspicuous features of the streets of old London... Vanity All Is Vanity
TOBACCO ... What Could He Do?
This was another of Marriot's perplexities of the heart. He had been on the Continent, and I knew from his face, the moment he returned, that I would have a night of him. On the 4th of September, he began, playing agitatedly with my tobacco-... When My Wife Is Asleep And All The House Is Still
Perhaps the heading of this paper will deceive some readers into thinking that I smoke nowadays in camera. It is, I know, a common jest among smokers that such a promise as mine is seldom kept, and I allow that the Arcadians tempt me still. But...