ross the Splugen into Italy; I'll
bear you company so far, if you have no objection."

"Well, it may not seem civil to say it, but I have an objection," said
he, rising from the table. "When I've got weighty things on my mind, I
've a bad habit of talking of them to myself aloud. I can't help it, and
so I keep strictly alone till my plans are all fixed and settled; after
that, there's no danger of my revealing them to any one. There now, you
have my reason, and you 'll not dispute that it's a good one."

"You may not be too distrustful of yourself," said I, laughing,
"but, assuredly, you are far too flattering in your estimate of _my_
acuteness."

"I'll not risk it," said he, bluntly, as he sought for his hat.

"Wait a moment," said I. "You told me at Constance that you were in
want of money; at the time I was not exactly in funds myself. Yesterday,
however, I received a remittance; and if ten or twenty pounds be of any
service, they are heartily at your disposal."

He looked at me fixedly, almost sternly, for a minute or two, and then
said,--

"Is this true, or is it that you have changed your mind about me?"

"True," said I,--"strictly true."

"Will this loan--I mean it to be a loan--inconvenience you much?"

"No, no; I make you the offer freely."

"I take it, then. Let me have ten pounds; and write down there an
address where I am to remit it some day or other, though I can't say
when."

"There may be some difficulty about that," said I. "Stay. I mean to be
at Rome some time in the winter; send it to me there."

"To what banker?"

"I have no banker; I never had a banker. There's my name, and let the
post-office be the address."

"Whichever way you 're bent on going, you 're not on the road to be a
rich man," said Harpar, as he deposited my gold in his leather purse;
"but I hope you 'll not lose by me. Good-bye." He gave me his hand, not
very warmly or cordially, either, and was gone ere I well knew it.

CHAPTER XXXVII. MY EXPLOSION AT THE TABLE D'HOTE

I went the next morning to take leave of Harpar before starting, but
found, to my astonishment, that he was already off! He had, I learned,
hired a small carriage to convey him to Bregenz, and had set out before
daybreak. I do not know why this should have annoyed me, but it did
so, and set me a-thinking over the people whom Echstein in his
"Erfahrungen," says, are born to be dupes. "There is," says he, "a
race of men who are 'eingeborne Narre