He took occasion to speak to Herr Settembrini of his plan⁠—who for sheer joy could have embraced him. “ Si, si, si! Do so, do so, Engineer, do so with the blessing of God! Ask after nobody’s leave, but simply do it! Ah, your good angel must have whispered you the thought! Do it straightway, before the impulse leaves you. I’ll go along, I’ll go to the shop with you, and together we will acquire the instruments of this happy inspiration. I would go with you even into the mountains, I would be by your side, on winged feet, like Mercury’s⁠—but that I may not. May not! If that were all, how soon would I do it! That I cannot is the truth, I am a broken man.⁠—But you⁠—it will do you no harm, none at all, if you are sensible and do nothing rash. Even⁠—even if it did you harm⁠—just a little harm⁠—it will still have been your good angel roused you to it. I say no more. Ah, what an unsurpassable plan! Two years up here, and still capable of such projects⁠—ah, yes, your heart is sound, no need to despair of you. Bravo, bravo! By all means pull the wool over the eyes of your Prince of Shadows! Buy the snowshoes, have them sent to me or Lukaçek, or the chandler below-stairs. You fetch them from here to go and practise, you go off on them⁠—”