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Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

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— 237 —<br />

“You go away and leave <strong>the</strong> th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g al<strong>on</strong>e, or I will knock your<br />

silly head off.”<br />

And if you look determ<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed, and have a good stout cudgel <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

your hand, you can generally drive him off.<br />

George came <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> later <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> day. He said:<br />

“Well, do you th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k everyth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g will be ready?”<br />

I said: “Everyth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g will be ready by Wednesday, except, perhaps,<br />

you and Harris.”<br />

He said: “Is <strong>the</strong> tandem all right?”<br />

“The tandem,” I said, “is well.”<br />

He said: “You d<strong>on</strong>’t th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k it wants overhaul<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g?”<br />

I replied: “Age and experience have taught me that <strong>the</strong>re are<br />

few matters c<strong>on</strong>cern<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g which a man does well to be positive.<br />

C<strong>on</strong>sequently, <strong>the</strong>re rema<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> to me now but a limited number<br />

of questi<strong>on</strong>s up<strong>on</strong> which I feel any degree of certa<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ty. Am<strong>on</strong>g<br />

such still-unshaken beliefs, however, is <strong>the</strong> c<strong>on</strong>victi<strong>on</strong> that that<br />

tandem does not want overhaul<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. I also feel a presentiment<br />

that, provided my life is spared, no human be<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g between now<br />

and Wednesday morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g is go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to overhaul it.”<br />

George said: “I should not show temper over <strong>the</strong> matter, if I<br />

were you. There will come a day, perhaps not far distant, when<br />

that bicycle, with a couple of mounta<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>s between it and <strong>the</strong><br />

nearest repair<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g shop, will, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> spite of your chr<strong>on</strong>ic desire for<br />

rest, have to be overhauled. Then you will clamour for people<br />

to tell you where you put <strong>the</strong> oil-can, and what you have d<strong>on</strong>e<br />

with <strong>the</strong> screw-hammer. Then, while you exert yourself hold<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />

<strong>the</strong> th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g steady aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>st a tree, you will suggest that somebody<br />

else should clean <strong>the</strong> cha<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> and pump <strong>the</strong> back wheel.”<br />

I felt <strong>the</strong>re was justice <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> George’s rebuke — also a certa<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

amount of prophetic wisdom. I said:<br />

“Forgive me if I seemed unresp<strong>on</strong>sive. The truth is, Harris<br />

was round here this morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g —”<br />

George said: “Say no more; I understand. Besides, what I<br />

came to talk to you about was ano<strong>the</strong>r matter. Look at that.”<br />

He handed me a small book bound <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> red cloth. It was a<br />

guide to English c<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong> for <strong>the</strong> use of German travel-

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