Thesheepgrazeinthevalleysatsomepoints;inmanyalittlepocketofthedunesIfoundapotato—patchofaboutthebignessofacitylot，andonweek—daysIsawwooden—shodmenslowly，slowlygatheringinthecrop.
OnSundaysIsawthepleasantnooksandcornersofthesesandyhillocksdevoted，asthedunesofLongIslandwere，towhisperinglovers，whoarehereasfreelyandfearlesslyaffectionateasathome.Rockingthereisnot，andcannotbe，inthenatureofthings，asthereusedtobeatMountDesert;butwhatiscalledTwoingatYorkHarborisperfectlypracticable.
Itispracticablenotonlyinthenooksandcornersofthedunes，butondiscreetertermsinthosehoodedwillowchairs，socharacteristicoftheDutchsea—side.These，iffacedinpairstowardseachother，mustbeasfavorabletotheexchangeofvowsasofopinions，andifthecrowdiseververygreat，perhapsonechaircouldbemadetoholdtwopersons.
Itwasdistinctlyapang，theotherday，toseemencarryingthemupfromthebeach，andputtingthemawaytohibernateinthebasementofthehotel.Notall，butmostofthem，weretaken;thoughIdaresaythatonfinedaysthroughoutOctobertheywillgotroopingbacktothesandsontheheadsofthesamemen，likeaprocessionofmonstrous，two—leggedcrabs.SuchadaywaslastSunday，andthenthebeachofferedalivelyimageofitssummergayety.Itwasdottedwithhundredsofhoodedchairs，whichforegatheredingossipinggroupsorconfidentialcouples;
andasthesunshonequitewarmtheflapsofthelittletentsnexttheduneswereletdownagainstit，andladiesinsummerwhitesavedthemselvesfromsunstrokeintheirshelter.Thewoodenboothsforthesaleofcandiesandmineralwaters，andbeerandsandwiches，wereflushedwithasuddenprosperity，sothatwhenIwenttobuymypoundofgrapesfromthegoodwomanwhounderstandsmyDutch，Idreadedanindifferenceinherwhichbynomeansappeared.ShewelcomedmeaswarmlyasifIhadbeenhersolecustomer，anddidnotputupthepriceonme;perhapsbecauseitwasalreadysoveryhighthatherimaginationcouldnotriseaboveit.
Thehotelshowedthesameadmirableconstancy.Therestaurantwasthrongedwithnew—comers，whospreadoutevenoverthemany—tabledesplanadebeforeit;butitwasinnowisedemoralized.Thatnightwesatdowninmultipliednumberstoatabled\'hoteofserenelyunconsciousperfection;andwepermanentguests——alas！wearenowbecomingtransient，too——wereusedwithunfalteringrecognitionofoursuperiorworth.Wesharedtherespectwhich，alloverEurope，attachestoestablishment，andwhichsometimesmakesuspoorAmericanswishforahereditarynobility，sothatwecouldallmirrorourancestralvalueinthedeferenceofourinferiors.Whereweshouldgetourinferiorsisanotherthing，butI
supposewecouldimportthemforthepurpose，ifthedutieswerenottoogreatunderourtariff.
WehavenotyetimportedtheideaofaEuropeanhotelinanyrespect，thoughwelongagoimportedwhatwecalltheEuropeanplan.NotravelledAmericanknowsitintheextortionatepricesofroomswhenhegetshome，orthepreposterouschargesofourrestaurants，whereoneportionofroastbeefswimminginalakeoflukewarmjuicecostsasmuchasadiversifiedanddelicatedinnerinGermanyorHolland.ButeveniftherewereanyproportioninthesethingstheEuropeanhotelwillnotbewithustillwehavetheEuropeanportier，whoisitsspringandinspiration.
Hemustnot，dearhome—keepingreader，beatallimaginedinthemoralormaterialfigureofourhotelporter，whoappearsalwaysinhisshirt—
sleeves，andspeakswiththeaccentofCorkorofCongo.TheEuropeanportierwearsauniform，Idonotknowwhy，andagold—bandedcap，andheinhabitsalittleofficeattheentranceofthehotel.Hespeakseightortenlanguages，uptocertainlimit，ratherbetterthanpeopleborntothem，andhispresencecommandsaninstantreverencesofteningtoaffectionunderhisuniversalhelpfulness.Thereisnothinghecannottellyou，cannotdoforyou;andyoumaytrustyourselfimplicitlytohim.Hehasthepricelessgiftofmakingeachnationality，eachpersonality，believethatheisdevotedtoitsservicealone.Heturnslightlyfromonelanguagetoanother，asifhehadeachunderhistongue，andheanswerssimultaneouslyafussyFrenchwoman，anangryEnglishtourist，astiffPrussianmajor，andathin—voicedAmericangirlinbehalfofatimorousmother，andhenevermixesthereplies.Heisaninexhaustiblebottleofdialects;butthisistheleastofhismerits，ofhismiracles.
Ourportierhereisatall，slimDutchman（mostDutchmenaretallandslim），andinspiteofthewaningseasonhetreatsmeasifIweremultitude，whileatthesametimeheusesmewiththedistinctionduethelastofhisguests.Twentytimesinasmanyhourshewishesmegood—day，puttinghishandtohiscapforthepurpose;andtoobligemehewearssilverbraidinsteadofgiltonhiscapandcoat.Iapologizedyesterdayfortroublinghimsooftenforstamps，andsaidthatIsupposedhewasmuchmorebotheredintheseason.
\"BetweenthefirstofAugustandthefifteenth，\"heanswered，\"youcannotthink.Allthatyoucandoistosay，Yes，No;Yes，No.\"Andheleftmetoimaginehisresponsibilities.
Iamsurehewillholdouttotheend，andwillsmilemeafriendlyfarewellfromthedoorofhisoffice，whichisalsohisdining—room，asI
knowfromoftendisturbinghimathismealsthere.Ihavenofearofthewaiterseither，orofthelittleerrand—boyswhowearsuitsofsailorblue，andtouchtheirforeheadswhentheybringyouyourletterslikesomanyancientsea—dogs.Idonotknowwhytheelevator—boyprefersasuitofsnuff—color;butIknowthathewillsaluteusaswestepoutofhiselevatorforthelasttimeasunfalteringlyasifwehadjustarrivedatthebeginningofthesummer.
IV
ItisourlastdayinthehotelatScheveningen，andIwilltrytorecallintheirpatheticordertheeventsofthefinalweek.
Nothinghasbeenstrangerthroughoutthanthefluctuationoftheguests.
Attimestheyhavedwindledtososmallanumberthatonemustreckonchieflyupontheirqualityforconsolation;atothertimestheyswelledtosuchatideastooverflowthetable，longorshort，atdinner，andeddyroundasecondboardbesideit.TherehavebeennightswhenIhavewalkeddownthelongcorridortomyseawardroomthroughaharkingsolitudeofemptychambers;therehavebeenmorningswhenIhavecomeouttobreakfastpastdoor—matscheerfulwithbootsofbothsexes，anddoor—
posthookswheredanglingcoatsandtrouserspeopledtheplacewithalivelyifasomewhatflaccidsemblanceofhumanpresence.Theworstwasthat，whensomeonewent，welostafriend，andwhensomeonecameweonlywonastranger.
AmongthefirsttogowerethekindlyEnglishfolkwhoseacquaintancewemadeacrossthetablethefirstnight，andwhotookwiththemsolargeashareofourfacileaffectionsthatwequiteforgottheancestralenmities，andgrievedforthemasmuchasiftheyhadbeenAmericans.