. I carried the strict
necessary before me in a small waterproof bicycling valise; but I sent
on the portmanteau containing my whole estate, real or personal, to some
point in advance which I hoped to reach from time to time in a day or
two. My first day's journey was along a pleasant road from Frankfort to
Heidelberg, some fifty-four miles in all, skirting the mountains the
greater part of the way; the Manitou took the ups and downs so easily
that I diverged at intervals, to choose side-paths over the wooded
hills. I arrived at Heidelberg as fresh as a daisy, my mount not having
turned a hair meanwhile--a favourite expression of cyclists which
carries all the more conviction to an impartial mind because of the
machine being obviously hairless. Thence I journeyed on by easy stages
to Karlsruhe, Baden, Appenweier, and Offenburg; where I set my front
wheel resolutely for the Black Forest. It is the prettiest and most
picturesque route to Switzerland; and, being also the hilliest, it would
afford me, I thought, the best opportunity for showing off the Manitou's
paces, and trying my prentice hand as an amateur cycle-agent.

From the quaint little Black Eagle at Offenburg, however, before I
dashed into the Forest, I sent off a letter to Elsie Petheridge, setting
forth my lovely scheme for her summer holidays. She was delicate, poor
child, and the London winters sorely tried her; I was now a millionaire,
with the better part of fifty pounds in pocket, so I felt I could afford
to be royal in my hospitality. As I was leaving Frankfort, I had called
at a tourist agency and bought a second-class circular ticket from
London to Lucerne and back-- I made it second-class because I am opposed
on principle to excessive luxury, and also because it was three guineas
cheaper. Even fifty pounds will not last for ever, though I could scarce
believe it. (You see, I am not wholly free, after all, from the
besetting British vice of prudence.) It was a mighty joy to me to be
able to send this ticket to Elsie, at her lodgings in Bayswater,
pointing out to her that now the whole mischief was done, and that if
she would not come out as soon as her summer vacation began--'twas a
point of honour with Elsie to say _vacation_, instead of _holidays_--to
join me at Lucerne, and stop with me as my guest at a mountain
_pension_, the ticket would be wasted. I love burning my boats; 'tis the
only safe way for securing prompt action.

Then I turned my flyin