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Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

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— 217 —<br />

I want to get up. Two people liv<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g toge<strong>the</strong>r are bound both to<br />

be c<strong>on</strong>t<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ually sacrific<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong>ir own desires to <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>on</strong>e. It<br />

is sometimes a good th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to slacken <strong>the</strong> stra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a bit.”<br />

On th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g over E<strong>the</strong>lbertha’s words afterwards, have come<br />

to see <strong>the</strong>ir wisdom; but at <strong>the</strong> time I admit I was hurt and<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dignant.<br />

“If your desire,” I said, “is to get rid of me —”<br />

“Now, d<strong>on</strong>’t be an old goose,” said E<strong>the</strong>lbertha; “I <strong>on</strong>ly want<br />

to get rid of you for a little while, just l<strong>on</strong>g enough to forget<br />

<strong>the</strong>re are <strong>on</strong>e or two corners about you that are not perfect, just<br />

l<strong>on</strong>g enough to let me remember what a dear fellow you are <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

o<strong>the</strong>r respects, and to look forward to your return, as I used to<br />

look forward to your com<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> old days when I did not see<br />

you so often as to become, perhaps, a little <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>different to you,<br />

as <strong>on</strong>e grows <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>different to <strong>the</strong> glory of <strong>the</strong> sun, just because<br />

he is <strong>the</strong>re every day.”<br />

I did not like <strong>the</strong> t<strong>on</strong>e that E<strong>the</strong>lbertha took. There seemed<br />

to be a frivolity about her, unsuited to <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>me <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to which we<br />

had drifted. That a woman should c<strong>on</strong>template cheerfully an<br />

absence of three or four weeks from her husband appeared to<br />

me to be not altoge<strong>the</strong>r nice, not what I call womanly; it was<br />

not like E<strong>the</strong>lbertha at all. I was worried, I felt I didn’t want<br />

to go this trip at all. If it had not been for George and Harris,<br />

I would have aband<strong>on</strong>ed it. As it was, I could not see how to<br />

change my m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d with dignity.<br />

“Very well, E<strong>the</strong>lbertha,” I replied, “it shall be as you wish. If<br />

you desire a holiday from my presence, you shall enjoy it; but<br />

if it be not impert<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ent curiosity <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> part of a husband, I<br />

should like to know what you propose do<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> my absence?”<br />

“We will take that house at Folkest<strong>on</strong>e,” answered E<strong>the</strong>lbertha,<br />

“and I’ll go down <strong>the</strong>re with Kate. And if you want to do<br />

Clara Harris a good turn,” added E<strong>the</strong>lbertha, “you’ll persuade<br />

Harris to go with you, and <strong>the</strong>n Clara can jo<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> us. We three<br />

used to have some very jolly times toge<strong>the</strong>r before you men<br />

ever came al<strong>on</strong>g, and it would be just delightful to renew <strong>the</strong>m.

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