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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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— 243 —<br />

this natural disadvantage, she clutches it herself tightly <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong>e<br />

hand, and punches with <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r. He opens <strong>the</strong> door aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>,<br />

and cleverly uses her as a batter<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g-ram aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>st <strong>the</strong> wall of<br />

those without. You can hear <strong>the</strong> dull crash as her head enters<br />

am<strong>on</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m, and scatters <strong>the</strong>m. When <strong>the</strong> victory is complete,<br />

he comes back and resumes his seat <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> bed. There is no bitterness<br />

about him; he has forgotten <strong>the</strong> whole <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>cident.<br />

“I like <strong>the</strong> morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g,” he says, “d<strong>on</strong>’t you?”<br />

“Some morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs,” you agree, “are all right; o<strong>the</strong>rs are not so<br />

peaceful.”<br />

He takes no notice of your excepti<strong>on</strong>; a far-away look steals<br />

over his somewhat e<strong>the</strong>real face.<br />

“I should like to die <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g,” he says; “everyth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g is<br />

so beautiful <strong>the</strong>n.”<br />

“Well,” you answer, “perhaps you will, if your fa<strong>the</strong>r ever<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>vites an irritable man to come and sleep here, and doesn’t<br />

warn him beforehand.”<br />

He descends from his c<strong>on</strong>templative mood, and becomes<br />

himself aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>.<br />

“It’s jolly <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> garden,” he suggests; “you wouldn’t like to<br />

get up and have a game of cricket, would you?”<br />

It was not <strong>the</strong> idea with which you went to bed, but now, as<br />

th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs have turned out, it seems as good a plan as ly<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong>re<br />

hopelessly awake; and you agree.<br />

You learn, later <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> day, that <strong>the</strong> explanati<strong>on</strong> of <strong>the</strong><br />

proceed<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g is that you, unable to sleep, woke up early <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong><br />

morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, and thought you would like a game of cricket. The<br />

children, taught to be ever courteous to guests, felt it <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

duty to humour you. Mrs. Harris remarks at breakfast that at<br />

least you might have seen to it that <strong>the</strong> children were properly<br />

dressed before you took <strong>the</strong>m out; while Harris po<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ts out to<br />

you, pa<strong>the</strong>tically, how, by your <strong>on</strong>e morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g’s example and encouragement,<br />

you have und<strong>on</strong>e his labour of m<strong>on</strong>ths.<br />

On this Wednesday morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, George, it seems, clamoured<br />

to get up at a quarter-past five, and persuaded <strong>the</strong>m to let<br />

him teach <strong>the</strong>m cycl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g tricks round <strong>the</strong> cucumber frames <strong>on</strong>

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