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Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

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— 45 —<br />

CHAPTER V.<br />

Mrs. P. arouses us. — George, <strong>the</strong> sluggard. — The “wea<strong>the</strong>r forecast”<br />

sw<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dle. — Our luggage. — Depravity of <strong>the</strong> small boy. — The<br />

people ga<strong>the</strong>r round us. — We drive off <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> great style, and arrive at<br />

Waterloo. — Innocence of South Western officials c<strong>on</strong>cern<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g such<br />

worldly th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs as tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>s. — We are afloat, afloat <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> an open boat.<br />

IT was Mrs. Poppets that woke me up next morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g.<br />

She said:<br />

“Do you know that it’s nearly n<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e o’clock, sir?”<br />

“N<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e o’ what?” I cried, start<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g up.<br />

“N<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e o’clock,” she replied, through <strong>the</strong> keyhole. “I thought<br />

you was a-oversleep<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g yourselves.”<br />

I woke Harris, and told him. He said:<br />

“I thought you wanted to get up at six?”<br />

“So I did,” I answered; “why didn’t you wake me?”<br />

“How could I wake you, when you didn’t wake me?” he<br />

retorted. “Now we shan’t get <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> water till after twelve. I<br />

w<strong>on</strong>der you take <strong>the</strong> trouble to get up at all.”<br />

“Um,” I replied, “lucky for you that I do. If I hadn’t woke you,<br />

you’d have la<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong>re for <strong>the</strong> whole fortnight.”<br />

We snarled at <strong>on</strong>e ano<strong>the</strong>r <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> this stra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> for <strong>the</strong> next few<br />

m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>utes, when we were <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terrupted by a defiant snore from<br />

George.<br />

It rem<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ded us, for <strong>the</strong> first time s<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ce our be<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g called, of<br />

his existence.<br />

There he lay — <strong>the</strong> man who had wanted to know what time<br />

he should wake us — <strong>on</strong> his back, with his mouth wide open,<br />

and his knees stuck up.<br />

I d<strong>on</strong>’t know why it should be, I am sure; but <strong>the</strong> sight of<br />

ano<strong>the</strong>r man asleep <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> bed when I am up, maddens me. It<br />

seems to me so shock<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to see <strong>the</strong> precious hours of a man’s<br />

life — <strong>the</strong> priceless moments that will never come back to him<br />

aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> — be<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g wasted <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> mere brutish sleep.<br />

There was George, throw<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g away <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> hideous sloth <strong>the</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>estimable<br />

gift of time; his valuable life, every sec<strong>on</strong>d of which he<br />

would have to account for hereafter, pass<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g away from him,

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