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Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

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— 295 —<br />

girls got beh<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d <strong>the</strong> first girl, all three still giggl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, Heaven<br />

knows what about, and pushed her towards me. They pushed<br />

her close up to me, and <strong>the</strong>n, before I knew what was happen<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g,<br />

she put her hands <strong>on</strong> my shoulders, stood up <strong>on</strong> tiptoe,<br />

and kissed me. After which, bury<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g her face <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> her apr<strong>on</strong>, she<br />

ran off, followed by <strong>the</strong> sec<strong>on</strong>d girl. The third girl opened <strong>the</strong><br />

door for me, and so evidently expected me to go, that <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> my<br />

c<strong>on</strong>fusi<strong>on</strong> I went, leav<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g my twenty marks beh<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d me. I d<strong>on</strong>’t<br />

say I m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ded <strong>the</strong> kiss, though I did not particularly want it,<br />

while I did want <strong>the</strong> cushi<strong>on</strong>. I d<strong>on</strong>’t like to go back to <strong>the</strong> shop.<br />

I cannot understand <strong>the</strong> th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g at all.”<br />

I said: “What did you ask for?”<br />

He said: “A cushi<strong>on</strong>”<br />

I said: “That is what you wanted, I know. What I mean is,<br />

what was <strong>the</strong> actual German word you said.”<br />

He replied: “A kuss.”<br />

I said: “You have noth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to compla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> of. It is somewhat<br />

c<strong>on</strong>fus<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. A ‘kuss’ sounds as if it ought to be a cushi<strong>on</strong>, but it<br />

is not; it is a kiss, while a ‘kissen’ is a cushi<strong>on</strong>. You muddled up<br />

<strong>the</strong> two words — people have d<strong>on</strong>e it before. I d<strong>on</strong>’t know much<br />

about this sort of th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g myself; but you asked for a twenty<br />

mark kiss, and from your descripti<strong>on</strong> of <strong>the</strong> girl some people<br />

might c<strong>on</strong>sider <strong>the</strong> price reas<strong>on</strong>able. Anyhow, I should not tell<br />

Harris. If I remember rightly, he also has an aunt.”<br />

George agreed with me it would be better not.

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