Punch: Punch (101.1891)

146 PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. [September 26, 1891.

THE TRAVELLING COMPANIONS.

No. vm.

Scene—A Bridge over the Pegnitz, at Nuremberg. Time, afternoon.
The shadows of the old gabled and balconied houses are thrown

and gibbers at him. This familiarity depresses him, and he moves
away, feeling lonelier than ever.)

On the Terrace of the Burg. Half an hour later.

Culch. {on a seat commanding a panorama of roofs, gables, turrets,
, and spires). Now this is a thing that can only be properly enjoyed
sharply on the reddish-yellow water. Above the steep specked when one ig by oneself. The mere presence of Podbury-well, thank
roofs, the spires of St Lorenz glitter against the blue sky. \ goodnesS) be's found more congenial company. [He sighs.) That
Culchard is leaning listlessly upon the parapet of the bridge. lookg like an Engbsb girl sketching on the next seat, Rather a fine
Culchard {to himself). How mediaeval it all is, and how infinitely profile, so regular—general air of repose about her. Singular, now I
restful! {He yawns.) What a blessed relief to be without that ! think of it, how little repose there is about Maud. (The Young
fellow Podbury ! He's very careful to keep out of my way—I 've j Lady rises arid walks to the parapet.) Dear me, she has left

scarcely seen him since I've been here. He must find it dreadfully j her india-rubber behind her. I really think I ought-■ [He

dull. {He sighs.) I ought to find material for a colour-sonnet here, j rescues the india-rubber, which he restores to the owner.) Am
with these subdued grey tones, those dull coppery-greens, and the I mistaken in supposing that this piece of india-rubber is your
glowing reds of the conical caps of those towers. T ought—but I property?

don't, I fancy that half-engagement to Maud Trotter must have ! The Y. L. {in musically precise tones). Your supposition is per-
scared away the Muse. I wonder if Podbury has really gone yet ? fectly correct. I was under the impression that it would be safe
{Here a thump on the back disposes of any doubt as to this.) Er—so where it was for a few moments ; but I am obliged to you, never-
you 're still at Nuremberg ? [Awkwardly, theless. I find india-rubber quite indispensable in sketching.

Podbury {cheerfully). Rather ! Regular ripping old place this— | Culch. 1 can quite understand that. I—I mean that it reduces
suits me down to the ground. the—er—paralysing sense of

And how are you getting on ? r j * irrevocability.

Culch. Perfectly, thanks. ! j! The Y. L. You express my

My mind is being—er—sti- j h j j?j| own meaning exactly,

mulated here in the direction if^SP^ \ fill I f [Culchard, not being quite

most congenial to it. bFW i sure °f 0!fn' ''s l)yo~

Podb. So's mine. By the ^£JT f 'A {■ \ _ M I . i poriionately pleased.

way, have you got a book— sGS^L^kj Iw ilPl^""'-- I \ Culch. You nave chosen an

I don't mean a novel, but a ' 1 inspiring scene, rich with his-

regular improving book—the ySSsSfllv /3 ■ torical interest.

stodgier the better—to lend a /////iBm '.JL ^—- ifaasfc— P The Y. L. {enthusiastically).

fellow? '^flr /,Mi\ unr'^ - l < i v Yes' iiuit,(iL' what names

Culch. Well, I brought an ■IiUHf^ j pp||L^ rise to one's mind instinc-

Epitome of Herbert Spencer's $iWj' l\ ^liMllIsi^ lli'^^^s M lira tively! Melanchthon, Jom*

Synthetic" Philosophy away ./t^'f \^WbM^Kvv W^S'Jb H \ I . "wl U Huss, Kraft, and Peter

with me to dip into occasion- X^WW^MmKlwSm^h. ffl^ Cliffy ""MuW Vischer, and Durer, and

ally. It seems a very able '^MmSHiHWIfe'-^JS^$^ ■ • l^rr Wohlgemut, and Mvximi-

summary, and you are wel- ) '^^^^ffl'%li^^^yC\v^ip^-^^tefc^" 'f ijax> the ^ibst, an<^ Louis

t0}v//;. Spencer, eh?—he's !ISl^^ I 1 V ||i J hc^fhistory, an7 do'efnot !»-

a stiff kind of old bird, ain't _ ^^^^Mflm W \WB^MUol^^__ tend to be b< att n at this game).

he ? He '11 do me to-rights, 'r\ ^^^M^^W^T^^^^^^^^^^^ tI I'rerisely. And the imperious

Culch. It strikes me, Pod- ) .-^^^^'j'irWj^^^^^l^^^i^1'''. ; ' ] .t^p.^^i'j and Wallexsteix, and Gus-

burt, that you must find the ('A ^^^Slf'MJH 'tr^^^^^^l^^M- 'I'M ;'if imSHBttfiMnr TAYrs Adolphus, and Goetz

time rather long, to want a '(h ' /Wip P]\ if,^ ' ^^Ljjji ;' | (Smmm^ma ' vox Berlichtngen. One can

book of that kind. If you ' ^^^^Et ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^'' f almost see their—er—pictu-

did yon think of moving ^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^Ma^ ^ chance^? . ^ ^

Culch. {briskly). As soon as X^mg^ '' J:jyY-'- ^sP^ ^Ek*^**^ is, I'record my impressions in

you please. We might start a poetic form. A perfect son-

for Constance to-morrow, if " Er—I have brought you the philosophical work I mentioned." net may render a scene, a

you like. mood, a passing thought, more

Podb. {hesitating) Well, you see, it's just this: there's a fellow indelibly than the most finished sketch ; may it not?
staying at my hotel—Prendergast, bis name is—rattling good sort i The Y. L. That is quite true; indeed, I occasionally relieve my
■—and I've rather chummed up with him, and—and he's travelling ! feelings by the composition of Greek or Latin verses, which I find,
with a relation of his, and—well, the fact is, they rather made a on the whole, better adapted to express the subtler emotions. Don't
point of my going on to Constance with them, don't you see ? But you agree with me there ?

I daresay we could work it so as to go on all together. I 'U see j Culch. {who has done no Greek or Latin verse since he left school).
what they say about it, Doubtless. But I am hindering your sketch f

Culch. {stiffly). I'm exceedingly obliged—but so large a party is
scarcely—however, I'll let you know whether I can join you or
not this evening. Are you—er—going anywhere in particular
just now ?

Podb. Well, yes. I've got to meet Prendergast at the Cafe
Noris. We 're going to beat up some stables, and see if we can't
hire a couple of gees for an hour or two before dinner. Do you feel
inclined for a tittup ?

Culch. Thanks, but I am no equestrian. {To himself after Pod-
bury's departure.) He seems to manage well enough without me.
And yet I do think my society would be more good for him than

Why did he want to borrow that book, though ? Can my influence

after all- [He walks on thoughtfully, till he finds himself before

an optician's window in which a mechanical monkey is looking own way with his new friends. I shall spend most of to-morrow on
through a miniature telescope ; the monkey suddenly turns its head this terrace.

The Y. L. No, I was merely saturating my mind with the
general effect. I shall not really begin my sketch till to-morrow.
I am going now. I hope the genius of the place will inspire

you.

Culch. Thank you. I trust it will—er—have that effect, [To
himself, after the'Young Lady has left the terrace.) Now, that's
a very superior girl—she has intellect, style, culture—everything
the ideal woman should have. I wonder, now, whether, if I had
met her before—but such speculations are most unprofitable ! How
clear her eyes looked through her pince-nez.' Blue-grey, like
Athene's own. If I'd been with Podbury, I should never have had
this talk. The sight of him would have repelled her at once. I
shall tell him when I take him that book that he had better go hi: