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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— 40 —<br />
<strong>the</strong> table up aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>st <strong>the</strong> w<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dow, piled everyth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a heap <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<strong>the</strong> middle of <strong>the</strong> floor, and sat round and looked at it.<br />
I said I’d pack.<br />
I ra<strong>the</strong>r pride myself <strong>on</strong> my pack<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. Pack<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g is <strong>on</strong>e of those<br />
many th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs that I feel I know more about than any o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
pers<strong>on</strong> liv<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. (It surprises me myself, sometimes, how many<br />
of <strong>the</strong>se subjects <strong>the</strong>re are.) I impressed <strong>the</strong> fact up<strong>on</strong> George<br />
and Harris, and told <strong>the</strong>m that <strong>the</strong>y had better leave <strong>the</strong> whole<br />
matter entirely to me. They fell <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>the</strong> suggesti<strong>on</strong> with a<br />
read<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ess that had someth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g uncanny about it. George put<br />
<strong>on</strong> a pipe and spread himself over <strong>the</strong> easy-chair, and Harris<br />
cocked his legs <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> table and lit a cigar.<br />
This was hardly what I <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>tended. What I had meant, of<br />
course, was, that I should boss <strong>the</strong> job, and that Harris and<br />
George should potter about under my directi<strong>on</strong>s, I push<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
<strong>the</strong>m aside every now and <strong>the</strong>n with, “Oh, you — !” “Here, let<br />
me do it.” “There you are, simple enough!” — really teach<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
<strong>the</strong>m, as you might say. Their tak<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g it <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> way <strong>the</strong>y did irritated<br />
me. There is noth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g does irritate me more than see<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r people sitt<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g about do<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g noth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g when I’m work<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g.<br />
I lived with a man <strong>on</strong>ce who used to make me mad that<br />
way. He would loll <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> sofa and watch me do<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs by<br />
<strong>the</strong> hour toge<strong>the</strong>r, follow<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g me round <strong>the</strong> room with his eyes,<br />
wherever I went. He said it did him real good to look <strong>on</strong> at me,<br />
mess<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g about. He said it made him feel that life was not an<br />
idle dream to be gaped and yawned through, but a noble task,<br />
full of duty and stern work. He said he often w<strong>on</strong>dered now<br />
how he could have g<strong>on</strong>e <strong>on</strong> before he met me, never hav<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
anybody to look at while <strong>the</strong>y worked.<br />
Now, I’m not like that. I can’t sit still and see ano<strong>the</strong>r man<br />
slav<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g and work<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. I want to get up and super<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>tend, and<br />
walk round with my hands <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> my pockets, and tell him what to<br />
do. It is my energetic nature. I can’t help it.<br />
However, I did not say anyth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, but started <strong>the</strong> pack<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. It<br />
seemed a l<strong>on</strong>ger job than I had thought it was go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to be; but<br />
I got <strong>the</strong> bag f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ished at last, and I sat <strong>on</strong> it and strapped it.