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Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

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— 15 —<br />

I am told; and was eventually sold for eighteenpence to a bilious-look<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />

youth who had just been advised by his medical<br />

men to go to <strong>the</strong> sea-side, and take exercise.<br />

“Sea-side!” said my bro<strong>the</strong>r-<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>-law, press<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> ticket affecti<strong>on</strong>ately<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to his hand; “why, you’ll have enough to last you<br />

a lifetime; and as for exercise! why, you’ll get more exercise,<br />

sitt<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g down <strong>on</strong> that ship, than you would turn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g somersaults<br />

<strong>on</strong> dry land.”<br />

He himself — my bro<strong>the</strong>r-<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>-law — came back by tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>. He<br />

said <strong>the</strong> North-Western Railway was healthy enough for him.<br />

Ano<strong>the</strong>r fellow I knew went for a week’s voyage round <strong>the</strong><br />

coast, and, before <strong>the</strong>y started, <strong>the</strong> steward came to him to ask<br />

whe<strong>the</strong>r he would pay for each meal as he had it, or arrange<br />

beforehand for <strong>the</strong> whole series.<br />

The steward recommended <strong>the</strong> latter course, as it would<br />

come so much cheaper. He said <strong>the</strong>y would do him for <strong>the</strong><br />

whole week at two pounds five. He said for breakfast <strong>the</strong>re<br />

would be fish, followed by a grill. Lunch was at <strong>on</strong>e, and c<strong>on</strong>sisted<br />

of four courses. D<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ner at six — soup, fish, entree, jo<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>t,<br />

poultry, salad, sweets, cheese, and dessert. And a light meat<br />

supper at ten.<br />

My friend thought he would close <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> two-pound-five<br />

job (he is a hearty eater), and did so.<br />

Lunch came just as <strong>the</strong>y were off Sheerness. He didn’t feel<br />

so hungry as he thought he should, and so c<strong>on</strong>tented himself<br />

with a bit of boiled beef, and some strawberries and cream. He<br />

p<strong>on</strong>dered a good deal dur<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> afterno<strong>on</strong>, and at <strong>on</strong>e time it<br />

seemed to him that he had been eat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g noth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g but boiled beef<br />

for weeks, and at o<strong>the</strong>r times it seemed that he must have been<br />

liv<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>on</strong> strawberries and cream for years.<br />

Nei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> beef nor <strong>the</strong> strawberries and cream seemed<br />

happy, ei<strong>the</strong>r — seemed disc<strong>on</strong>tented like.<br />

At six, <strong>the</strong>y came and told him d<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ner was ready. The announcement<br />

aroused no enthusiasm with<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> him, but he felt<br />

that <strong>the</strong>re was some of that two-pound-five to be worked off,<br />

and he held <strong>on</strong> to ropes and th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs and went down. A pleas-

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