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Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

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— 292 —<br />

some cushi<strong>on</strong>s for sale. The proper bus<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ess of <strong>the</strong> shop was<br />

handl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of glass and ch<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>a; <strong>the</strong> cushi<strong>on</strong>s appeared to be <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong><br />

nature of an experiment. They were very beautiful cushi<strong>on</strong>s,<br />

hand-embroidered <strong>on</strong> sat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>. We often passed <strong>the</strong> shop, and<br />

every time George paused and exam<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed those cushi<strong>on</strong>s. He<br />

said he thought his aunt would like <strong>on</strong>e.<br />

George has been very attentive to this aunt of his dur<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong><br />

journey. He has written her quite a l<strong>on</strong>g letter every day, and<br />

from every town we stop at he sends her off a present. To my<br />

m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d, he is overdo<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> bus<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ess, and more than <strong>on</strong>ce I have<br />

expostulated with him. His aunt will be meet<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g o<strong>the</strong>r aunts,<br />

and talk<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to <strong>the</strong>m; <strong>the</strong> whole class will become disorganised<br />

and unruly. As a nephew, I object to <strong>the</strong> impossible standard<br />

that George is sett<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g up. But he will not listen.<br />

Therefore it was that <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> Saturday he left us after lunch,<br />

say<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g he would go round to that shop and get <strong>on</strong>e of those<br />

cushi<strong>on</strong>s for his aunt. He said he would not be l<strong>on</strong>g, and suggested<br />

our wait<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g for him.<br />

We waited for what seemed to me ra<strong>the</strong>r a l<strong>on</strong>g time. When<br />

he rejo<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed us he was empty handed, and looked worried. We<br />

asked him where his cushi<strong>on</strong> was. He said he hadn’t got a cushi<strong>on</strong>,<br />

said he had changed his m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d, said he didn’t th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k his aunt<br />

would care for a cushi<strong>on</strong>. Evidently someth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g was amiss. We<br />

tried to get at <strong>the</strong> bottom of it, but he was not communicative.<br />

Indeed, his answers after our twentieth questi<strong>on</strong> or <strong>the</strong>reabouts<br />

became quite short.<br />

In <strong>the</strong> even<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, however, when he and I happened to be<br />

al<strong>on</strong>e, he broached <strong>the</strong> subject himself. He said:<br />

“They are somewhat peculiar <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> some th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs, <strong>the</strong>se Germans.”<br />

I said: “What has happened?”<br />

“Well,” he answered, “<strong>the</strong>re was that cushi<strong>on</strong> I wanted.”<br />

“For your aunt,” I remarked.<br />

“Why not?” he returned. He was huffy <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a moment; I never<br />

knew a man so touchy about an aunt. “Why shouldn’t I send a<br />

cushi<strong>on</strong> to my aunt?”

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