The conversation flagged again, and I was driven to comment upon the appearance of the little German down in the interieur.  It was quite remarkable, apart from the bloom on his nose, his pale-blue eyes wandered so irresponsibly in their sockets, and his scanty, flaxen beard made such an unsuccessful effort to disguise the amiability of his chin.  He wore a braided cotton coat to keep cool, and a woollen comforter to keep warm, and from time to time he smilingly invited the attention of the other three to vast green maps of the country, which I could see him apologising for spreading over Mrs. Portheris’s capacious lap.  It was interesting to watch his joyous sense of being in foreign society, and his determination to be agreeable even if he had to talk all the time.  Now and then a sentence bubbled up over the noise of the wheels, as when he had the happiness to discover the nationalities of his fellow-travellers.

“Ach, is it so?  From England, from America also, and I from Markadorf am!  Four peoples, to see zis so beautiful Switzerland from everyveres in one carriage we are come!” He smiled at them one after another in the innocent joy of this wonderful fact, and it made me quite unhappy to see how unresponsive they had grown.

“In America I haf one uncle got——­”

“No, I don’t know him,” said the Senator, who was extremely tired of being expected to keep up with society in Castle Garden.

“But before I vas born going, mein uncle I myself haf never seen!  To Chicago mit nossings he went, und now letters ve are always getting it is goot saying.”

“Made money, has he?” poppa inquired, with indifference.

“Mit some small flours of large manufacture selling.  Dose small flours—­ze name forgotten I haf—­ze breads making, ze cakes making, ze maedschen——­”

“Baking powder!” divined momma.

“Bakings—­powder!  In America it is moch eat.  So mine uncle Blittens——­”

“Josef Blittens?” exclaimed poppa.

“Blittens und Josef also!  The name of mine uncle to you is known!  He is so rich, mit carriage, piano, large family—­he is now famous also, hein?  My goot uncle!”

“He’s been my foreman for fifteen years,” said poppa, “and I don’t care where he came from; he’s as good an American now as there is in the Union.  I am pleased to make the acquaintance of any member of his family.  There’s nothing in the way of refreshments to be got till we next change horses, but as soon as that happens, sir, I hope you will take something.”

After that we began to rattle down the other side of the Julier and I lost the thread of the conversation, but I saw that Herr Blittens’ determination to practise English was completely swamped in the Senator’s desire to persuade him of the advantages of emigration.

“I never see a foreigner in his native land,” said Mr. Mafferton, regarding this one with disapproval, “without thinking what a pity it is that any portion of the earth, so desirable for instance as this is, should belong to him.”  Which led me to suggest that when he entered political life in his native land Mr. Mafferton should aim at the Cabinet, he was obviously so well qualified to sustain British traditions.