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〃This is no place for winter sport。〃
〃We know it。 We want to go where they have the winter sport。〃
〃What have you been doing in Italy？〃
〃I have been studying architecture。 My cousin has been studying art。〃
〃Why do you leave there？〃
〃We want to do the winter sport。 With the war going on you cannot study architecture。〃
〃You will please stay where you are；〃 the lieutenant said。 He went back into the building with our passports。
〃You're splendid； darling；〃 Catherine said。 〃Keep on the same track。 You want to do the winter sport。〃
〃Do you know anything about art？〃
〃Rubens；〃 said Catherine。
〃Large and fat；〃 I said。
〃Titian；〃 Catherine said。
〃Titian…haired；〃 I said。 〃How about Mantegna？〃
〃Don't ask hard ones；〃 Catherine said。 〃I know him though…… very bitter。〃
〃Very bitter；〃 I said。 〃Lots of nail holes。〃
〃You see I'll make you a fine wife；〃 Catherine said。 〃I'll be able to talk art with your customers。〃
〃Here he es；〃 I said。 The thin lieutenant came down the length of the custom house； holding our passports。
〃I will have to send you into Locarno；〃 he said。 〃You can get a carriage and a soldier will go in with you。〃
〃All right；〃 I said。 〃What about the boat？〃
〃The boat is confiscated。 What have you in those bags？〃
He went all through the two bags and held up the quarterbottle of brandy。 〃Would you join me in a drink？〃 I asked。
〃No thank you。〃 He straightened up。 〃How much money have you？〃
〃Twenty…five hundred lire。〃
He was favorably impressed。 〃How much has your cousin？〃
Catherine had a little over twelve hundred lire。 The lieutenant was pleased。 His attitude toward us became less haughty。
〃If you are going for winter sports；〃 he said； 〃Wengen is the place。 My father has a very fine hotel at Wengen。 It is open all the time。〃
〃That's splendid；〃 I said。 〃Could you give me the name？〃
〃I will write it on a card。〃 He handed me the card very politely。
〃The soldier will take you into Locarno。 He will keep your passports。 I regret this but it is necessary。 I have good hopes they will give you a visa or a police permit at Locarno。〃
He handed the two passports to the soldier and carrying the bags we started into the village to order a carriage。 〃Hi；〃 the lieutenant called to the soldier。 He said something in a German dialect to him。 The soldier slung his rifle on his back and picked up the bags。
〃It's a great country；〃 I said to Catherine。
〃It's so practical。〃
〃Thank you very much；〃 I said to the lieutenant。 He waved his hand。
〃Service！〃 he said。 We followed our guard into the village。
We drove to Locarno in a carriage with the soldier sitting on the front seat with the driver。 At Locarno we did not have a bad time。 They questioned us but they were polite because we had passports and money。 I do not think they believed a word of the story and I thought it was silly but it was like a law…court。 You did not want something reasonable； you wanted something technical and then stuck to it without explanations。 But we had passports and we would spend the money。 So they gave us provisional visas。
At any time this visa might be withdrawn。 We were to report to the police wherever we went。
Could we go wherever we wanted？ Yes。 Where did we want to go？
〃Where do you want to go； Cat？〃
〃Montreux。〃
〃It is a very nice place；〃 the official said。 〃I think you will like that place。〃
〃Here at Locarno is a very nice place；〃 another official said。 〃I am sure you would like it here very much at Locarno。 Locarno is a very attractive place。〃
〃We would like some place where there is winter sport。〃
〃There is no winter sport at Montreux。〃
〃I beg your pardon；〃 the other official said。 〃I e from Montreux。 There is very certainly winter sport on the Montreux Oberland Bernois railway。 It would be false for you to deny
that。〃
〃I do not deny it。 I simply said there is no winter sport at Montreux。〃
〃I question that；〃 the other official said。 〃I question that statement。〃
〃I hold to that statement。〃
〃I question that statement。 I myself have _luge…ed_ into the streets of Montreux。 I have done it not once but several times。 Luge…ing is certainly winter sport。〃
The other official turned to me。
〃Is luge…ing your idea of winter sport； sir？ I tell you you would be very fortable here in Locarno。 You would find the climate healthy； you would find the environs attractive。 You would like it very much。〃
〃The gentleman has expressed a wish to go to Montreux。〃
〃What is luge…ing？〃 I asked。
〃You see he has never even heard of luge…ing！〃
That meant a great deal to the second official。 He was pleased by that。
〃Luge…ing；〃 said the first official； 〃is tobogganing。〃
〃I beg to differ；〃 the other official shook his head。 〃I must differ again。 The toboggan is very different from the luge。 The toboggan is constructed in Canada of flat laths。 The luge is a mon sled with runners。 Accuracy means something。〃
〃Couldn't we toboggan？〃 I asked。
〃Of course you could toboggan；〃 the first official said。 〃You could toboggan very well。 Excellent Canadian toboggans are sold in Montreux。 Ochs Brothers sell toboggans。 They import their own toboggans。〃
The second official turned away。 〃Tobogganing；〃 he said； 〃requires a special piste。 You could not toboggan into the streets of Montreux。 Where are you stopping here？〃
〃We don't know；〃 I said。 〃We just drove in from Brissago。 The carriage is outside。〃
〃You make no mistake in going to Montreux；〃 the first official said。 〃You will find the climate delightful and beautiful。 You will have no distance to go for winter sport。〃
〃If you really want winter sport；〃 the second official said； 〃you will go to the Engadine or to M黵ren。 I must protest against your being advised to go to Montreux for the winter sport。〃
〃At Les Avants above Montreux there is excellent winter sport of every sort。〃 The champion of Montreux glared at his colleague。
〃Gentlemen；〃 I said； 〃I am afraid we must go。 My cousin is very tired。 We will go tentatively to Montreux。〃
〃I congratulate you；〃 the first official shook my hand。
〃I believe that you will regret leaving Locarno；〃 the second official said。 〃At any rate you will report to the police at Montreux。〃
〃There will be no unpleasantness with the police；〃 the first official assured me。 〃You will find all the inhabitants extremely courteous and friendly。〃
〃Thank you both very much；〃 I said。 〃We appreciate your advice very much。〃
〃Good…by；〃 Catherine said。 〃Thank you both very much。〃
They bowed us to the dooi the champion of Locarno a little coldly。 We went down the steps and into the carriage。
〃My God； darling；〃 Catherine said。 〃Couldn't we have gotten away any sooner？〃 I gave the name of a hotel one of the officials had remended to the driver。 He picked up the reins。
〃You've forgotten the army；〃 Catherine said。 The soldier was standing by the carriage。 I gave him a ten…lira note。 〃I have no Swiss money yet；〃 I said。 He thanked me； saluted and went off。 The carriage started and we drove to the hotel。
〃How did you happen to pick out Montreux？〃 I asked Catherine。 〃Do you really want to go there？〃
〃It was the first place I could think of；〃 she said。 〃It's not a bad place。 We can find some place up in the mountains。〃
〃Are you sleepy？〃
〃I'm asleep right now。〃
〃We'll get a good sleep。 Poor Cat； you had a long bad night。〃
〃I had a lovely time；〃 Catherine said。 〃Especially when you sailed with the umbrella。〃
〃Can you realize we're in Switzerland？〃
〃No； I'm afraid I'll wake up and it won't be true。〃
〃I am too。〃
〃It is true； isn't it； darling？ I'm not just driving down to the stazione in Milan to see you off。〃
〃I hope not。〃
〃Don't say that。 It frightens me。 Maybe that's where we're going。〃
〃I'm so groggy I don't know；〃 I said。
〃Let me see your hands。〃
I put them out。 They were both blistered raw。
〃There's no hole in my side；〃 I said。
〃Don't be sacrilegious。〃
I felt very tired and vague in the head。 The exhilaration was all gone。 The carriage was going along the Street。
〃Poor hands；〃 Catherine said。
〃Don't touch them；〃 I said。 〃By God I don't know where we are。 Where are we going； driver？〃 The driver stopped his horse。
〃To the Hotel Metropole。 Don't you want to go there？〃
〃Yes；〃 I said。 〃It's all right； Cat。〃
〃It's all right； darling。 Don't be upset。 We'll get a good sleep and you won't feel groggy to…morrow。〃
〃I get pretty groggy；〃 I said。 〃It's like a ic opera to…day。 Maybe I'm hungry。〃
〃You're just tired； darling。 You'll be fine。〃 The carriage pulled up before the hotel。 Some one came out to take our bags。
〃I feel all right；〃 I said。 We were down on the pavement going into the hotel。
〃I know you'll be all right。 You're just tired。 You've been up a long time。〃
〃Anyhow we're here。〃
〃Yes； we're really here。〃
We followed the boy with the bags into the hotel。
BOOK FIVE
38
That fall the snow came very late。 We lived in a brown wooden house in the pine trees on the side of the mountain and at night there was frost so that there was thin ice over the water in the two pitchers on the dresser in the morning。 Mrs。 Guttingen came into the room early in the morning to shut the windows and started a fire in the tall porcelain stove。 The pine wood crackled and sparked a