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Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

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— 293 —<br />

“D<strong>on</strong>’t get excited,” I replied. “I am not object<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g; I respect<br />

you for it.”<br />

He recovered his temper, and went <strong>on</strong>:<br />

“There were four <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> w<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dow, if you remember, all very<br />

much alike, and each <strong>on</strong>e labelled <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> pla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> figures twenty<br />

marks. I d<strong>on</strong>’t pretend to speak German fluently, but I can generally<br />

make myself understood with a little effort, and ga<strong>the</strong>r<br />

<strong>the</strong> sense of what is said to me, provided <strong>the</strong>y d<strong>on</strong>’t gabble.<br />

I went <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>the</strong> shop. A young girl came up to me; she was a<br />

pretty, quiet little soul, <strong>on</strong>e might almost say, demure; not at<br />

all <strong>the</strong> sort of girl from whom you would have expected such a<br />

th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. I was never more surprised <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> all my life.”<br />

“Surprised about what?” I said.<br />

George always assumes you know <strong>the</strong> end of <strong>the</strong> story while<br />

he is tell<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g you <strong>the</strong> beg<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>n<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g; it is an annoy<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g method.<br />

“At what happened,” replied George; “at what I am tell<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />

you. She smiled and asked me what I wanted. I understood that<br />

all right; <strong>the</strong>re could have been no mistake about that. I put<br />

down a twenty mark piece <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> counter and said:<br />

“‘Please give me a cushi<strong>on</strong>.’”<br />

“She stared at me as if I had asked for a fea<strong>the</strong>r bed. I<br />

thought, maybe, she had not heard, so I repeated it louder. If<br />

I had chucked her under <strong>the</strong> ch<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> she could not have looked<br />

more surprised or <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dignant.<br />

“She said she thought I must be mak<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a mistake.<br />

“I did not want to beg<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a l<strong>on</strong>g c<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong> and f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d myself<br />

stranded. I said <strong>the</strong>re was no mistake. I po<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ted to my twenty<br />

mark piece, and repeated for <strong>the</strong> third time that I wanted a<br />

cushi<strong>on</strong>, ‘a twenty mark cushi<strong>on</strong>.’<br />

“Ano<strong>the</strong>r girl came up, an elder girl; and <strong>the</strong> first girl repeated<br />

to her what I had just said: she seemed quite excited about<br />

it. The sec<strong>on</strong>d girl did not believe her — did not th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k I looked<br />

<strong>the</strong> sort of man who would want a cushi<strong>on</strong>. To make sure, she<br />

put <strong>the</strong> questi<strong>on</strong> to me herself.<br />

“‘Did you say you wanted a cushi<strong>on</strong>?’ she asked.

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