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Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

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— 375 —<br />

to get rid of that first. He and <strong>the</strong> cabman carried it upstairs,<br />

and rang <strong>the</strong> bell of <strong>the</strong> Pensi<strong>on</strong>. A sleepy porter answered it.<br />

They carried <strong>the</strong>ir burden <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>, and looked for a place to drop it.<br />

A bedroom door happened to be open; <strong>the</strong> room was empty;<br />

could anyth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g be better? — <strong>the</strong>y took it <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong>re. They relieved<br />

it of such th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs as came off easily, and laid it <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> bed. This<br />

d<strong>on</strong>e, both men, pleased with <strong>the</strong>mselves, returned to <strong>the</strong> cab.<br />

At <strong>the</strong> next address <strong>the</strong>y stopped aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>. This time, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> answer<br />

to <strong>the</strong>ir summ<strong>on</strong>s, a lady appeared, dressed <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a tea gown, with<br />

a book <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> her hand. The German student looked at <strong>the</strong> top <strong>on</strong>e<br />

of two cards rema<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> his hand, and enquired if he had <strong>the</strong><br />

pleasure of address<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g Frau Y. It happened that he had, though<br />

so far as any pleasure was c<strong>on</strong>cerned that appeared to be entirely<br />

<strong>on</strong> his side. He expla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed to Frau Y. that <strong>the</strong> gentleman<br />

at that moment asleep aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>st <strong>the</strong> wall was her husband. The<br />

reuni<strong>on</strong> moved her to no enthusiasm; she simply opened <strong>the</strong><br />

bedroom door, and <strong>the</strong>n walked away. The cabman and <strong>the</strong><br />

student took him <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>, and laid him <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> bed. They did not<br />

trouble to undress him, <strong>the</strong>y were feel<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g tired! They did not<br />

see <strong>the</strong> lady of <strong>the</strong> house aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>, and retired <strong>the</strong>refore without<br />

adieus.<br />

The last card was that of a bachelor stopp<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g at an hotel.<br />

They took <strong>the</strong>ir last man, <strong>the</strong>refore, to that hotel, passed him<br />

over to <strong>the</strong> night porter, and left him.<br />

To return to <strong>the</strong> address at which <strong>the</strong> first delivery was<br />

made, what had happened <strong>the</strong>re was this. Some eight hours<br />

previously had said Mr. X. to Mrs. X.: “I th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k I told you, my<br />

dear, that I had an <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>vitati<strong>on</strong> for this even<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to what, I believe,<br />

is called a Kneipe?”<br />

“You did menti<strong>on</strong> someth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of <strong>the</strong> sort,” replied Mrs. X.<br />

“What is a Kneipe?”<br />

“Well, it’s a sort of bachelor party, my dear, where <strong>the</strong> students<br />

meet to s<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g and talk and — and smoke, and all that sort<br />

of th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, you know.”<br />

“Oh, well, I hope you will enjoy yourself !” said Mrs. X., who<br />

was a nice woman and sensible.

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