PresentlywerecognisethefellowoftheearthlyDevil'sBridge, stillintactasafootway, spanningthegorge, , forallthatithasalreadylitandwarmedandventilatedandcleanedseveralthousandsofhousesinthedaleabove, andforallthatitdrivesthoseeasytramsinthegalleryoverhead, , wildasonecouldwish, anddescend, discoursinghowgoodandfairanorderedworldmaybe, butwithacertainunformulatedqualificationinourmindsaboutthosethumbmarkswehaveleftbehind.
"DoyourecalltheZermattvalley?" saysmyfriend, "andhowonearthitreeksandstinkswithsmoke?"
"Peoplemakethatanargumentforobstructingchange, insteadofhelpingitforward!"
.
Heovertakesusandbeginstalkingforthwithinafluty, butnotunamiable, , thisman, andafairlyrespectablegesticulator, andtohimitiswemakeourfirstineffectualtentativesatexplainingwhoindeedweare; , knobbytypeIhaveheardanindignantmineralogistspeakofasbotryoidal, , , whicharelargeandhandsome, butbrightpinkwiththekeenmorningair, arebare, exceptforsandalsofleather.(ItwastheonlytimethatwesawanyoneinUtopiawithbarefeet.) Hesalutesuswithascroll-likewavingofhisstick, andfallsinwithourslowerpaces.
"Climbers, Ipresume?" hesays, "andyouscornthesetramsoftheirs? ! Whyamanshouldconsenttobedealtwithasabaleofgoodsholdinganindistinctiveticket—whenGodgavehimlegsandaface—passesmyunderstanding."
