The rain took off near Laeken. But the sun was already down; the air was chill; and we had scarcely a dry stitch between the pair of us. Nay1, now we found ourselves near the end of the Allee Verte, and on the very threshold of Brussels, we were confronted by a serious difficulty. The shores were closely lined by canal boats waiting their turn at the lock. Nowhere was there any convenient landing-place; nowhere so much as a stable-yard to leave the canoes in for the night. We scrambled3 ashore4 and entered an estaminet where some sorry fellows were drinking with the landlord. The landlord was pretty round with us; he knew of no coach-house or stable-yard, nothing of the sort; and seeing we had come with no mind to drink, he did not conceal5 his impatience6 to be rid of us. One of the sorry fellows came to the rescue. Somewhere in the corner of the basin there was a slip, he informed us, and something else besides, not very clearly defined by him, but hopefully construed7 by his hearers.
Sure enough there was the slip in the corner of the basin; and at the top of it two nice-looking lads in boating clothes. The Arethusa addressed himself to these. One of them said there would be no difficulty about a night's lodging8 for our boats; and the other, taking a cigarette from his lips, inquired if they were made by Searle and Son. The name was quite an introduction. Half-a- dozen other young men came out of a boat-house bearing the superscription ROYAL SPORT NAUTIQUE, and joined in the talk. They were all very polite, voluble, and enthusiastic; and their discourse9 was interlarded with English boating terms, and the names of English boat-builders and English clubs. I do not know, to my shame, any spot in my native land where I should have been so warmly received by the same number of people. We were English boating-men, and the Belgian boating-men fell upon our necks. I wonder if French Huguenots were as cordially greeted by English Protestants when they came across the Channel out of great tribulation10. But after all, what religion knits people so closely as a common sport?
The canoes were carried into the boat-house; they were washed down for us by the Club servants, the sails were hung out to dry, and everything made as snug11 and tidy as a picture. And in the meanwhile we were led upstairs by our new-found brethren, for so more than one of them stated the relationship, and made free of their lavatory12. This one lent us soap, that one a towel, a third and fourth helped us to undo13 our bags. And all the time such questions, such assurances of respect and sympathy! I declare I never knew what glory was before.
'Yes, yes, the Royal Sport Nautique is the oldest club in Belgium.'
'We number two hundred.'
'We'--this is not a substantive14 speech, but an abstract of many speeches, the impression left upon my mind after a great deal of talk; and very youthful, pleasant, natural, and patriotic15 it seems to me to be--'We have gained all races, except those where we were cheated by the French.'
'You must leave all your wet things to be dried.'
'O! entre freres! In any boat-house in England we should find the same.' (I cordially hope they might.)
'En Angleterre, vous employez des sliding-seats, n'est-ce pas?'
'We are all employed in commerce during the day; but in the evening, voyez-vous, nous sommes serieux.'
These were the words. They were all employed over the frivolous16 mercantile concerns of Belgium during the day; but in the evening they found some hours for the serious concerns of life. I may have a wrong idea of wisdom, but I think that was a very wise remark. People connected with literature and philosophy are busy all their days in getting rid of second-hand18 notions and false standards. It is their profession, in the sweat of their brows, by dogged thinking, to recover their old fresh view of life, and distinguish what they really and originally like, from what they have only learned to tolerate perforce. And these Royal Nautical19 Sportsmen had the distinction still quite legible in their hearts. They had still those clean perceptions of what is nice and nasty, what is interesting and what is dull, which envious20 old gentlemen refer to as illusions. The nightmare illusion of middle age, the bear's hug of custom gradually squeezing the life out of a man's soul, had not yet begun for these happy-starred young Belgians. They still knew that the interest they took in their business was a trifling21 affair compared to their spontaneous, long-suffering affection for nautical sports. To know what you prefer, instead of humbly22 saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive. Such a man may be generous; he may be honest in something more than the commercial sense; he may love his friends with an elective, personal sympathy, and not accept them as an adjunct of the station to which he has been called. He may be a man, in short, acting23 on his own instincts, keeping in his own shape that God made him in; and not a mere24 crank in the social engine-house, welded on principles that he does not understand, and for purposes that he does not care for.
For will any one dare to tell me that business is more entertaining than fooling among boats? He must have never seen a boat, or never seen an office, who says so. And for certain the one is a great deal better for the health. There should be nothing so much a man's business as his amusements. Nothing but money-grubbing can be put forward to the contrary; no one but
Mammon, the least erected25 spirit that fell From Heaven,
durst risk a word in answer. It is but a lying cant17 that would represent the merchant and the banker as people disinterestedly26 toiling27 for mankind, and then most useful when they are most absorbed in their transactions; for the man is more important than his services. And when my Royal Nautical Sportsman shall have so far fallen from his hopeful youth that he cannot pluck up an enthusiasm over anything but his ledger28, I venture to doubt whether he will be near so nice a fellow, and whether he would welcome, with so good a grace, a couple of drenched29 Englishmen paddling into Brussels in the dusk.
When we had changed our wet clothes and drunk a glass of pale ale to the Club's prosperity, one of their number escorted us to an hotel. He would not join us at our dinner, but he had no objection to a glass of wine. Enthusiasm is very wearing; and I begin to understand why prophets were unpopular in Judaea, where they were best known. For three stricken hours did this excellent young man sit beside us to dilate30 on boats and boat-races; and before he left, he was kind enough to order our bedroom candles.
We endeavoured now and again to change the subject; but the diversion did not last a moment: the Royal Nautical Sportsman bridled31, shied, answered the question, and then breasted once more into the swelling32 tide of his subject. I call it his subject; but I think it was he who was subjected. The Arethusa, who holds all racing33 as a creature of the devil, found himself in a pitiful dilemma34. He durst not own his ignorance for the honour of Old England, and spoke35 away about English clubs and English oarsmen whose fame had never before come to his ears. Several times, and, once above all, on the question of sliding-seats, he was within an ace2 of exposure. As for the Cigarette, who has rowed races in the heat of his blood, but now disowns these slips of his wanton youth, his case was still more desperate; for the Royal Nautical proposed that he should take an oar36 in one of their eights on the morrow, to compare the English with the Belgian stroke. I could see my friend perspiring37 in his chair whenever that particular topic came up. And there was yet another proposal which had the same effect on both of us. It appeared that the champion canoeist of Europe (as well as most other champions) was a Royal Nautical Sportsman. And if we would only wait until the Sunday, this infernal paddler would be so condescending38 as to accompany us on our next stage. Neither of us had the least desire to drive the coursers of the sun against Apollo.
When the young man was gone, we countermanded39 our candles, and ordered some brandy and water. The great billows had gone over our head. The Royal Nautical Sportsmen were as nice young fellows as a man would wish to see, but they were a trifle too young and a thought too nautical for us. We began to see that we were old and cynical40; we liked ease and the agreeable rambling41 of the human mind about this and the other subject; we did not want to disgrace our native land by messing an eight, or toiling pitifully in the wake of the champion canoeist. In short, we had recourse to flight. It seemed ungrateful, but we tried to make that good on a card loaded with sincere compliments. And indeed it was no time for scruples42; we seemed to feel the hot breath of the champion on our necks.
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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ace
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| n.A牌；发球得分；佼佼者；adj.杰出的 | |
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scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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construed
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| v.解释（陈述、行为等）( construe的过去式和过去分词 )；翻译，作句法分析 | |
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8
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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tribulation
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| n.苦难，灾难 | |
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snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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lavatory
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| n.盥洗室，厕所 | |
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undo
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| vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销 | |
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substantive
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| adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体 | |
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patriotic
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| adj.爱国的，有爱国心的 | |
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frivolous
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| adj.轻薄的；轻率的 | |
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cant
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| n.斜穿，黑话，猛扔 | |
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second-hand
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| adj.用过的，旧的，二手的 | |
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nautical
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| adj.海上的，航海的，船员的 | |
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envious
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| adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的 | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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25
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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disinterestedly
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27
toiling
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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28
ledger
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| n.总帐，分类帐；帐簿 | |
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29
drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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dilate
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| vt.使膨胀，使扩大 | |
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31
bridled
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| 给…套龙头( bridle的过去式和过去分词 )； 控制； 昂首表示轻蔑（或怨忿等）； 动怒，生气 | |
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swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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dilemma
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| n.困境，进退两难的局面 | |
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35
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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37
perspiring
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| v.出汗，流汗( perspire的现在分词 ) | |
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38
condescending
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| adj.谦逊的,故意屈尊的 | |
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countermanded
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| v.取消（命令），撤回( countermand的过去分词 ) | |
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cynical
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| adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的 | |
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rambling
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| adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的 | |
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42
scruples
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| n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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