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Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

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— 221 —<br />

expla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed to <strong>the</strong>m our wishes <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> subject, and — <strong>the</strong>re’s an<br />

end of <strong>the</strong> matter.”<br />

George said, “Forgive me; I did not understand. I am <strong>on</strong>ly a<br />

bachelor. People tell me this, that, and <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r, and I listen.”<br />

I said, “That is where you do wr<strong>on</strong>g. When you want <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>formati<strong>on</strong><br />

come to Harris or myself; we will tell you <strong>the</strong> truth<br />

about <strong>the</strong>se questi<strong>on</strong>s.”<br />

George thanked us, and we proceeded with <strong>the</strong> bus<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ess <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

hand.<br />

“When shall we start?” said George.<br />

“So far as I am c<strong>on</strong>cerned,” replied Harris, “<strong>the</strong> so<strong>on</strong>er <strong>the</strong><br />

better.”<br />

His idea, I fancy, was to get away before Mrs. H. thought of<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs. We fixed <strong>the</strong> follow<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g Wednesday.<br />

“What about route?” said Harris.<br />

“I have an idea,” said George. “I take it you fellows are naturally<br />

anxious to improve your m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ds?”<br />

I said, “We d<strong>on</strong>’t want to become m<strong>on</strong>strosities. To a reas<strong>on</strong>able<br />

degree, yes, if it can be d<strong>on</strong>e without much expense and<br />

with little pers<strong>on</strong>al trouble.”<br />

“It can,” said George. “We know Holland and <strong>the</strong> Rh<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e.<br />

Very well, my suggesti<strong>on</strong> is that we take <strong>the</strong> boat to Hamburg,<br />

see Berl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> and Dresden, and work our way to <strong>the</strong> Schwarzwald,<br />

through Nuremberg and Stuttgart.”<br />

“There are some pretty bits <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Mesopotamia, so I’ve been<br />

told,” murmured Harris.<br />

George said Mesopotamia was too much out of our way, but<br />

that <strong>the</strong> Berl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>-Dresden route was quite practicable. For good<br />

or evil, he persuaded us <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to it.<br />

“The mach<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>es, I suppose,” said George, “as before. Harris<br />

and I <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> tandem, J. —”<br />

“I th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k not,” <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terrupted Harris, firmly. “You and J. <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

tandem, I <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> s<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gle.”<br />

“All <strong>the</strong> same to me,” agreed George. “J. and I <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> tandem,<br />

Harris —”<br />

“I do not m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d tak<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g my turn,” I <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terrupted, “but I am

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