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
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— 294 —<br />
“‘I have said it three times,’ I answered. ‘I will say it aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> — I<br />
want a cushi<strong>on</strong>.’<br />
“She said: ‘Then you can’t have <strong>on</strong>e.’<br />
“I was gett<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g angry by this time. If I hadn’t really wanted<br />
<strong>the</strong> th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g I should have walked out of <strong>the</strong> shop; but <strong>the</strong>re <strong>the</strong><br />
cushi<strong>on</strong>s were <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, evidently for sale. I didn’t see<br />
why I couldn’t have <strong>on</strong>e.<br />
“I said: ‘I will have <strong>on</strong>e!’ It is a simple sentence. I said it with<br />
determ<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
“A third girl came up at this po<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>t, <strong>the</strong> three represent<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g,<br />
I fancy, <strong>the</strong> whole force of <strong>the</strong> shop. She was a bright-eyed,<br />
saucy-look<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g little wench, this last <strong>on</strong>e. On any o<strong>the</strong>r occasi<strong>on</strong><br />
I might have been pleased to see her; now, her com<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
<strong>on</strong>ly irritated me. I didn’t see <strong>the</strong> need of three girls for this<br />
bus<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ess.<br />
“The first two girls started expla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to <strong>the</strong> third<br />
girl, and before <strong>the</strong>y were half-way through <strong>the</strong> third girl began<br />
to giggle — she was <strong>the</strong> sort of girl who would giggle at<br />
anyth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. That d<strong>on</strong>e, <strong>the</strong>y fell to chatter<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g like Jenny Wrens,<br />
all three toge<strong>the</strong>r; and between every half-dozen words <strong>the</strong>y<br />
looked across at me; and <strong>the</strong> more <strong>the</strong>y looked at me <strong>the</strong> more<br />
<strong>the</strong> third girl giggled; and before <strong>the</strong>y had f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ished <strong>the</strong>y were<br />
all three giggl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, <strong>the</strong> little idiots; you might have thought I<br />
was a clown, giv<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a private performance.<br />
“When she was steady enough to move, <strong>the</strong> third girl came<br />
up to me; she was still giggl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. She said:<br />
“‘If you get it, will you go?’<br />
“I did not quite understand her at first, and she repeated it.<br />
“‘This cushi<strong>on</strong>. When you’ve got it, will you go — away — at<br />
<strong>on</strong>ce?’<br />
“I was <strong>on</strong>ly too anxious to go. I told her so. But, I added I<br />
was not go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g without it. I had made up my m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d to have that<br />
cushi<strong>on</strong> now if I stopped <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> shop all night for it.<br />
“She rejo<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r two girls. I thought <strong>the</strong>y were go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
to get me <strong>the</strong> cushi<strong>on</strong> and have d<strong>on</strong>e with <strong>the</strong> bus<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ess. Instead<br />
of that, <strong>the</strong> strangest th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g possible happened. The two o<strong>the</strong>r