Although  comparatively  few  people  visited  Switzerland  in
those  days,  Mr.  Osborne  had  been  there  before,  and  for  some
reason  or  other  had  determined  on  going  round  by  Inter-
lachen.  At  Thun  we  found  a  sail-boat  which  we  hired  to  take
us  and  our  luggage.  At  starting,  an  incident  happened  which
would  not  be  worth  mentioning,  but  for  the  impression  it
made  upon  me :  a  French  lady  accompanied  by  a  young  girl
approached  Mr.  Osborne — doubtless  perceiving  he  was  a  clergy-
man, for,  being  an  Evangelical  of  the  most  pure,  honest  and
narrow  type,  he  was  in  every  point  and  line  of  his  countenance
marked  a  priest  and  apart  from  his  fellow-men — and  asked
him  to  allow  her  and  her  daughter  to  go  in  the  boat  with  us  to
Interlachen.  A  glow  of  pleasure  awoke  in  me  at  sight  of  his
courtly  behaviour,  with  lifted  hat  and  bowed  head ;  for  I  had
never  been  in  the  company  of  such  a  gentleman  before.  But  the
wish  instantly  followed  that  his  son  might  have  shared  in  his
courtesy.  We  partook  freely  of  his  justice  and  benevolence,


AWAY.  131

but  he  showed  us  no  such  grace  as  he  showed  the  lady.  I
have  since  observed  that  sons  are  endlessly  grateful  for
courtesy  from  their  fathers.
The  lady  and  her  daughter  sat  down  in  the  stern  of  the
boat ;  and  therefore  Charley  and  I,  not  certainly  to  our  dis-
comfiture, had  to  go  before  the  mast.  The  men  rowed  out  into
the  lake,  and  then  hoisted  the  sail.  Away  we  went  careering
before  a  pleasant  breeze.  As  yet  it  blew  fog  and  mist,  but  the
hope  was  that  it  would  soon  blow  it  away.
