304 The Unknown River, 



with much courtesy and proffered me his services ; and 

 it turned out that this villager was in a position to be 

 particularly useful to a traveller, for he was at the same 

 time innkeeper and mayor, a man capable at once of 

 nourishing the stranger, and casting over him the aegis 

 of political protection. He lived in a small cottage 

 whose worst defect, in my view, was that of being alarm- 

 ingly damp. It had been submerged in a great flood 

 which had happened a few weeks before, and the walls 

 were still full of moisture that oozed out from the plaster 

 on every side. However, here I stayed two nights, and 

 contended against the damp by means of a blazing fire 

 and warm bedding. The place was rather amusing, foi 

 the inn was at the same time the village shop, and my 

 bed was in the shop itself ; so I had ample opportunities 

 for studying the inhabitants of the place. As all the 

 villagers went to bed about sunset they did not disturb 

 my privacy in the evening ; but they began their shop- 

 ping at such an uncommonly early hour in the morning, 

 that it was rather a perplexing matter how and when to 

 go through the business of dressing. The most amusing 

 plan seemed to be to lie quietly in bed and watch them ; 

 but this, though agreeable to a sluggardly mind, did not 

 especially advance my own projects. One thing struck 

 me very much, and that was the total absence of any 

 visible stock-in-trade ; yet notwithstanding this apparent 

 deficiency every article in demand always came forth at 

 once. 



The innkeeper was a man of some culture, and both 

 could and did read, which is more than can be said oi 



