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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— 297 —<br />
reach<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g almost to his heels. His white helmet was ornamented<br />
with a green veil; a pair of opera-glasses hung at his side, and <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
his lavender-gloved hand he carried an alpenstock a little taller<br />
than himself. His daughter was l<strong>on</strong>g and angular. Her dress<br />
I cannot describe: my grandfa<strong>the</strong>r, poor gentleman, might<br />
have been able to do so; it would have been more familiar to<br />
him. I can <strong>on</strong>ly say that it appeared to me unnecessarily short,<br />
exhibit<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a pair of ankles — if I may be permitted to refer to<br />
such po<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ts — that, from an artistic po<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>t of view, called ra<strong>the</strong>r<br />
for c<strong>on</strong>cealment. Her hat made me th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k of Mrs. Hemans; but<br />
why I cannot expla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>. She wore side-spr<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g boots — “prunella,”<br />
I believe, used to be <strong>the</strong> trade name — mittens, and p<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ce-nez.<br />
She also carried an alpenstock (<strong>the</strong>re is not a mounta<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> with<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
a hundred miles of Dresden) and a black bag strapped to her<br />
waist. Her teeth stuck out like a rabbit’s, and her figure was that<br />
of a bolster <strong>on</strong> stilts.<br />
Harris rushed for his camera, and of course could not f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d<br />
it; he never can when he wants it. Whenever we see Harris<br />
scuttl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g up and down like a lost dog, shout<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, “Where’s my<br />
camera? What <strong>the</strong> dickens have I d<strong>on</strong>e with my camera? D<strong>on</strong>’t<br />
ei<strong>the</strong>r of you remember where I put my camera?” — <strong>the</strong>n we<br />
know that for <strong>the</strong> first time that day he has come across someth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
worth photograph<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. Later <strong>on</strong>, he remembered it was <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
his bag; that is where it would be <strong>on</strong> an occasi<strong>on</strong> like this.<br />
They were not c<strong>on</strong>tent with appearance; <strong>the</strong>y acted <strong>the</strong><br />
th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to <strong>the</strong> letter. They walked gap<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g round <strong>the</strong>m at every<br />
step. The gentleman had an open Baedeker <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> his hand, and <strong>the</strong><br />
lady carried a phrase book. They talked French that nobody<br />
could understand, and German that <strong>the</strong>y could not translate<br />
<strong>the</strong>mselves! The man poked at officials with his alpenstock to<br />
attract <strong>the</strong>ir attenti<strong>on</strong>, and <strong>the</strong> lady, her eye catch<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g sight of<br />
an advertisement of somebody’s cocoa, said “Shock<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g!” and<br />
turned <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r way.<br />
Really, <strong>the</strong>re was some excuse for her. One notices, even <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
England, <strong>the</strong> home of <strong>the</strong> proprieties, that <strong>the</strong> lady who dr<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ks<br />
cocoa appears, accord<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to <strong>the</strong> poster, to require very little