When I walked into an inn business
brightened immediately. Tea was at a premium, and only the richer class
could afford nine cash instead of three to drink tea with the bewildered
foreigner. The most inquisitive came behind me, rubbing their unshaven
pates against the side of my head in enterprising endeavor to see
through the sides of my spectacles. They would speak to me, yelling in
their coarsest tones thinking my hearing was defective. I would motion
then to go away, always politely, cleverly suppressing my sense of
indignation at their conduct; and they would do so, only to make room
for a worse crowd. The town's business stopped; people left their stalls
and shops to glare aimlessly at or to ask inane and unintelligible
questions about the barbarian who seemed to have dropped suddenly from
the heavens. When I addressed a few words to them in strongest
Anglo-Saxon, telling them in the name of all they held sacred to go away
and leave me in peace, something like a cheer would go up, and my boy
would swear them all down in his choicest. When I slowly rose to move
the crowd looked disappointed, but allowed me to go forward on my
journey in peace.
* * * * *
Thus the days passed, and things were never dull.
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