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corrected my omission on his own account； or some simple miracle may
have happened to restore that bicycle to its owner some time before the
end of his tour。 The bag we sent to Radolfzell： but here I console
myself with the recollection that it was labelled Constance； and no doubt
after a while the railway authorities； finding it unclaimed at Radolfzell；
forwarded it on to Constance。
But all this is apart from the moral I wished to draw from the incident。
The true inwardness of the situation lay in the indignation of this Britisher
at finding a German railway porter unable to comprehend English。 The
moment we spoke to him he expressed this indignation in no measured
terms。
〃Thank you very much indeed；〃 he said； 〃it's simple enough。 I want
to go to Donaueschingen myself by train； from Donaueschingen I am
going to walk to Geisengen； from Geisengen I am going to take the train
to Engen； and from Engen I am going to bicycle to Constance。 But I don't
want to take my bag with me； I want to find it at Constance when I get
there。 I have been trying to explain the thing to this fool for the last ten
minutes； but I can't get it into him。〃
〃It is very disgraceful；〃 I agreed。 〃Some of these German workmen
know hardly any other language than their own。〃
〃I have gone over it with him；〃 continued the man； 〃on the time table；
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and explained it by pantomime。 Even then I could not knock it into
him。〃
〃I can hardly believe you；〃 I again remarked； 〃you would think the
thing explained itself。〃
Harris was angry with the man； he wished to reprove him for his folly
in journeying through the outlying portions of a foreign clime； and seeking
in such to accomplish complicated railway tricks without knowing a word
of the language of the country。 But I checked the impulsiveness of Harris；
and pointed out to him the great and good work at which the man was
unconsciously assisting。
Shakespeare and Milton may have done their little best to spread
acquaintance with the English tongue among the less favoured inhabitants
of Europe。 Newton and Darwin may have rendered their language a
necessity among educated and thoughtful foreigners。 Dickens and Ouida
（for your folk who imagine that the literary world is bounded by the
prejudices of New Grub Street； would be surprised and grieved at the
position occupied abroad by this at… home…sneered…at lady） may have
helped still further to popularise it。 But the man who has spread the
knowledge of English from Cape St。 Vincent to the Ural Mountains is the
Englishman who； unable or unwilling to learn a single word of any
language but his own； travels purse in hand into every corner of the
Continent。 One may be shocked at his ignorance； annoyed at his
stupidity； angry at his presumption。 But the practical fact remains； he it
is that is anglicising Europe。 For him the Swiss peasant tramps through
the snow on winter evenings to attend the English class open in every
village。 For him the coachman and the guard； the chambermaid and the
laundress； pore over their English grammars and colloquial phrase books。
For him the foreign shopkeeper and merchant send their sons and
daughters in their thousands to study in every English town。 For him it is
that every foreign hotel… and restaurant…keeper adds to his advertisement：
〃Only those with fair knowledge of English need apply。〃
Did the English…speaking races make it their rule to speak anything
else than English； the marvellous progress of the English tongue
throughout the world would stop。 The English…speaking man stands
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amid the strangers and jingles his gold。
〃Here；〃 cries； 〃is payment for all such as can speak English。〃
He it is who is the great educator。 Theoretically we may scold him；
practically we should take our hats off to him。 He is the missionary of
the English tongue。
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CHAPTER XII
We are grieved at the earthly instincts of the GermanA superb view；
but no restaurantContinental opinion of the Englishman That he does
not know enough to come in out of the rainThere comes a weary
traveller with a brickThe hurting of the dogAn undesirable family
residenceA fruitful regionA merry old soul comes up the hillGeorge；
alarmed at the lateness of the hour； hastens down the other sideHarris
follows him； to show him the wayI hate being alone； and follow Harris
Pronunciation specially designed for use of foreigners。
A thing that vexes much the high…class Anglo…Saxon soul is the earthly
instinct prompting the German to fix a restaurant at the goal of every
excursion。 On mountain summit； in fairy glen； on lonely pass； by
waterfall or winding stream； stands ever the busy Wirtschaft。 How can
one rhapsodise over a view when surrounded by beer…stained tables？
How lose one's self in historical reverie amid the odour of roast veal and
spinach？
One day； on elevating thoughts intent； we climbed through tangled
woods。
〃And at the top；〃 said Harris； bitterly； as we paused to breathe a space
and pull our belts a hole tighter； 〃there will be a gaudy restaurant； where
people will be guzzling beefsteaks and plum tarts and drinking white
wine。〃
〃Do you think so？〃 said George。
〃Sure to be；〃 answered Harris； 〃you know their way。 Not one grove
will they consent to dedicate to solitude and contemplation； not one height
will they leave to the lover of nature unpolluted by the gross and the
material。〃
〃I calculate；〃 I remarked； 〃that we shall be there a little before one
o'clock； provided we don't dawdle。〃
〃The 'mittagstisch' will be just r