After walking about a dozen miles, I came to a town, where I rested for the night.  The next morning I set out again in the direction of the north-west.  I continued journeying for four days, my daily journeys varying from twenty to twenty-five miles.  During this time nothing occurred to me worthy of any especial notice.  The weather was brilliant, and I rapidly improved both in strength and spirits.  On the fifth day, about two o’clock, I arrived at a small town.  Feeling hungry, I entered a decent-looking inn—­within a kind of bar I saw a huge, fat, landlord-looking person, with a very pretty, smartly-dressed maiden.  Addressing myself to the fat man, ‘House!’ said I, ’house!  Can I have dinner, house?’

CHAPTER LXIII

Primitive habits—­Rosy-faced damsel—­A pleasant moment—­Suit of black—­The furtive glance—­The mighty round—­Degenerate times—­The newspaper—­The evil chance—­I congratulate you.

‘Young gentleman,’ said the huge fat landlord, ’you are come at the right time; dinner will be taken up in a few minutes, and such a dinner,’ he continued, rubbing his hands, ’as you will not see every day in these times.’

‘I am hot and dusty,’ said I, ’and should wish to cool my hands and face.’

‘Jenny!’ said the huge landlord, with the utmost gravity, ’show the gentleman into number seven, that he may wash his hands and face.’

‘By no means,’ said I, ’I am a person of primitive habits, and there is nothing like the pump in weather like this.’

‘Jenny,’ said the landlord, with the same gravity as before, ’go with the young gentleman to the pump in the back kitchen, and take a clean towel along with you.’

Thereupon the rosy-faced clean-looking damsel went to a drawer, and producing a large, thick, but snowy white towel, she nodded to me to follow her; whereupon I followed Jenny through a long passage into the back kitchen.

And at the end of the back kitchen there stood a pump; and going to it I placed my hands beneath the spout, and said, ‘Pump, Jenny’; and Jenny incontinently, without laying down the towel, pumped with one hand, and I washed and cooled my heated hands.

And, when my hands were washed and cooled, I took off my neckcloth, and, unbuttoning my shirt collar, I placed my head beneath the spout of the pump, and I said unto Jenny, ’Now, Jenny, lay down the towel, and pump for your life.’

{picture:’Now, Jenny, lay down the towel and pump for your life.’:  page338.jpg}

Thereupon Jenny, placing the towel on a linen-horse, took the handle of the pump with both hands and pumped over my head as handmaid had never pumped before; so that the water poured in torrents from my head, my face, and my hair down upon the brick floor.

And, after the lapse of somewhat more than a minute, I called out with a half-strangled voice, ‘Hold, Jenny!’ and Jenny desisted.  I stood for a few moments to recover my breath, then taking the towel which Jenny proffered, I dried composedly my hands and head, my face and hair; then, returning the towel to Jenny, I gave a deep sigh and said, ’Surely this is one of the pleasant moments of life.’