Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
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— 228 —<br />
every fool has thought of <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>necti<strong>on</strong> with cycl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g you have<br />
tried. Your guardian angel appears to be a capable and c<strong>on</strong>scientious<br />
spirit, and hi<strong>the</strong>rto she has seen you through; take my<br />
advice and d<strong>on</strong>’t try her too far. She must have had a busy time<br />
s<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ce you started cycl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. D<strong>on</strong>’t go <strong>on</strong> till you make her mad.”<br />
He said: “If every man talked like that <strong>the</strong>re would be no<br />
advancement made <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> any department of life. If nobody ever<br />
tried a new th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> world would come to a standstill. It is<br />
by —”<br />
“I know all that can be said <strong>on</strong> that side of <strong>the</strong> argument,” I<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terrupted. “I agree <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> try<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g new experiments up to thirtyfive;<br />
after thirty-five I c<strong>on</strong>sider a man is entitled to th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k of<br />
himself. You and I have d<strong>on</strong>e our duty <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> this directi<strong>on</strong>, you<br />
especially. You have been blown up by a patent gas lamp —”<br />
He said: “I really th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k, you know, that was my fault; I th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k<br />
I must have screwed it up too tight.”<br />
I said: “I am quite will<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to believe that if <strong>the</strong>re was a wr<strong>on</strong>g<br />
way of handl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g that is <strong>the</strong> way you handle it. You<br />
should take that tendency of yours <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong>; it bears<br />
up<strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> argument. Myself, I did not notice what you did; I<br />
<strong>on</strong>ly know we were rid<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g peacefully and pleasantly al<strong>on</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />
Whitby Road, discuss<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> Thirty Years’ War, when your<br />
lamp went off like a pistol-shot. The start sent me <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>the</strong><br />
ditch; and your wife’s face, when I told her <strong>the</strong>re was noth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
<strong>the</strong> matter and that she was not to worry, because <strong>the</strong> two<br />
men would carry you upstairs, and <strong>the</strong> doctor would be round<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ute br<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> nurse with him, still l<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gers <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> my<br />
memory.”<br />
He said: “I wish you had thought to pick up <strong>the</strong> lamp. I<br />
should like to have found out what was <strong>the</strong> cause of its go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
off like that.”<br />
I said: “There was not time to pick up <strong>the</strong> lamp. I calculate it<br />
would have taken two hours to have collected it. As to its ‘go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
off,’ <strong>the</strong> mere fact of its be<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g advertised as <strong>the</strong> safest lamp ever<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>vented would of itself, to any<strong>on</strong>e but you, have suggested accident.<br />
Then <strong>the</strong>re was that electric lamp,” I c<strong>on</strong>t<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ued.