She became very much discomposed on learning this, and that she would
be carried on fifty-six English miles in a wrong direction before she
could telegraph to or communicate with her friends in any way; but
after a time she laughed at it as being quite a little adventure, and
to amuse her, Chute, by the aid of his Continental guide, indicated
the various places of interest through which they swept with a mighty
rush; now it was Ahrensburg or Bargtehude, and after traversing a
flat, stupid, and uninteresting district, Oldeslohe with its salt
mines and lime pits, and then Reinfeldt.
Anon the scenery became more and more English in aspect, and enclosed
with hedges in English fashion, and all so homelike, that one could
not but remember that not far off lies the nook which still bears the
name of England, which was transferred by the emigrant Saxons to
South Britain. The rich meadows, the well-tilled corn-lands, the
farmhouses and villages, all looking as clean and as pretty as red
brick, white plaster, green paint and flowers could make them, all
seem there to remind one of the most beautiful parts in England;
while in the distance, more than once could be had glimpses of the
Baltic, with its dark blue waters sparkling in the evening sun.
Lakes and groves add then to the beauty of the scenery, and
wood-covered hills that slope gently upward from the bordering sea,
or smooth sheets of inland water.
Chute's companion seemed really to enjoy her journey; and her first
annoyance over, she relapsed into her occasional air of nonchalance
and languid carelessness, that seemed born of Tyburnia and the
West-end of London; and soon the tall red spires of Lubeck, which had
been long in sight above the greenness of the level land, were close
by, as the train ran into the station, near the magnificent and
picturesque double towers and deep dark archways of the Holstein
Thor, which stands among the long and shady avenues of the
Linden-platz.
Though small, beautiful indeed looked the ancient Hans city rising on
its ridge, with its twelve great earthen bastions covered by
luxuriant foliage, all steeped in the glorious crimson of the
after-glow from the set sun that blended with amber and blue.
Trevor Chute handed out his fair companion. There was no train for
Buchen that night, nor would there be one till nearly noon on the
morrow. The lady knew that her husband would be taken on to
Lauenberg, but as she did not know where to telegraph to him there,
she could but do so to the station-master at Buchen, and on this
being done, she turned to Chute, for, traveller though she was, she
was perplexed to find herself in a strange place, without servants or
escort, and surrounded by unceremonious German touts bawling out,
'Stadt Hamburg,' 'Hotel du Nord,' 'Funf Thurme,' and the names of
other hotels.
'Permit me to be your guide,' said he, as Travers procured an open
droski; 'the Stadt Hamburg is the chief hotel. I shall have the
honour to escort you there.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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