21.03.2013 Views

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

— 252 —<br />

Tak<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> third sentence <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> chapter, George asked him<br />

what his fare would be.<br />

The questi<strong>on</strong>, as <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>troduc<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a sordid element <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>the</strong> c<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong>,<br />

seemed to hurt his feel<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs. He said he never took<br />

m<strong>on</strong>ey from dist<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>guished strangers; he suggested a souvenir<br />

— a diam<strong>on</strong>d scarf p<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>, a gold snuffbox, some little trifle of<br />

that sort by which he could remember us.<br />

As a small crowd had collected, and as <strong>the</strong> joke was drift<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />

ra<strong>the</strong>r too far <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> cabman’s directi<strong>on</strong>, we climbed <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> without<br />

fur<strong>the</strong>r parley, and were driven away amid cheers. We stopped<br />

<strong>the</strong> cab at a boot shop a little past Astley’s Theatre that looked<br />

<strong>the</strong> sort of place we wanted. It was <strong>on</strong>e of those overfed shops<br />

that <strong>the</strong> moment <strong>the</strong>ir shutters are taken down <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<br />

disgorge <strong>the</strong>ir goods all round <strong>the</strong>m. Boxes of boots stood<br />

piled <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> pavement or <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> gutter opposite. Boots hung<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> festo<strong>on</strong>s about its doors and w<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dows. Its sun-bl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d was as<br />

some grimy v<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e, bear<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g bunches of black and brown boots.<br />

Inside, <strong>the</strong> shop was a bower of boots. The man, when we entered,<br />

was busy with a chisel and hammer open<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a new crate<br />

full of boots.<br />

George raised his hat, and said “Good-morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g.”<br />

The man did not even turn round. He struck me from <strong>the</strong><br />

first as a disagreeable man. He grunted someth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g which<br />

might have been “Good-morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g,” or might not, and went <strong>on</strong><br />

with his work.<br />

George said: “I have been recommended to your shop by my<br />

friend, Mr. X.”<br />

In resp<strong>on</strong>se, <strong>the</strong> man should have said: “Mr. X. is a most<br />

worthy gentleman; it will give me <strong>the</strong> greatest pleasure to serve<br />

any friend of his.”<br />

What he did say was: “D<strong>on</strong>’t know him; never heard of<br />

him.”<br />

This was disc<strong>on</strong>cert<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. The book gave three or four methods<br />

of buy<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g boots; George had carefully selected <strong>the</strong> <strong>on</strong>e<br />

centred round “Mr. X,” as be<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of all <strong>the</strong> most courtly. You<br />

talked a good deal with <strong>the</strong> shopkeeper about this “Mr. X,” and

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!