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Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

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— 56 —<br />

and complicated oaths. They were upraised <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> days “when<br />

men knew how to build.” The hard red bricks have <strong>on</strong>ly grown<br />

more firmly set with time, and <strong>the</strong>ir oak stairs do not creak<br />

and grunt when you try to go down <strong>the</strong>m quietly.<br />

Speak<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of oak staircases rem<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ds me that <strong>the</strong>re is a magnificent<br />

carved oak staircase <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong>e of <strong>the</strong> houses <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> K<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gst<strong>on</strong>.<br />

It is a shop now, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> market-place, but it was evidently <strong>on</strong>ce<br />

<strong>the</strong> mansi<strong>on</strong> of some great pers<strong>on</strong>age. A friend of m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e, who<br />

lives at K<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gst<strong>on</strong>, went <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong>re to buy a hat <strong>on</strong>e day, and, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a<br />

thoughtless moment, put his hand <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> his pocket and paid for<br />

it <strong>the</strong>n and <strong>the</strong>re.<br />

The shopman (he knows my friend) was naturally a little<br />

staggered at first; but, quickly recover<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g himself, and feel<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />

that someth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g ought to be d<strong>on</strong>e to encourage this sort<br />

of th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, asked our hero if he would like to see some f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e old<br />

carved oak. My friend said he would, and <strong>the</strong> shopman, <strong>the</strong>reup<strong>on</strong>,<br />

took him through <strong>the</strong> shop, and up <strong>the</strong> staircase of <strong>the</strong><br />

house. The balusters were a superb piece of workmanship, and<br />

<strong>the</strong> wall all <strong>the</strong> way up was oak-panelled, with carv<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g that<br />

would have d<strong>on</strong>e credit to a palace.<br />

From <strong>the</strong> stairs, <strong>the</strong>y went <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>the</strong> draw<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g-room, which<br />

was a large, bright room, decorated with a somewhat startl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />

though cheerful paper of a blue ground. There was noth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g,<br />

however, remarkable about <strong>the</strong> apartment, and my friend w<strong>on</strong>dered<br />

why he had been brought <strong>the</strong>re. The proprietor went up<br />

to <strong>the</strong> paper, and tapped it. It gave forth a wooden sound.<br />

“Oak,” he expla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed. “All carved oak, right up to <strong>the</strong> ceil<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g,<br />

just <strong>the</strong> same as you saw <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> staircase.”<br />

“But, great Cæsar! man,” expostulated my friend; “you d<strong>on</strong>’t<br />

mean to say you have covered over carved oak with blue wallpaper?”<br />

“Yes,” was <strong>the</strong> reply: “it was expensive work. Had to matchboard<br />

it all over first, of course. But <strong>the</strong> room looks cheerful<br />

now. It was awful gloomy before.”<br />

I can’t say I altoge<strong>the</strong>r blame <strong>the</strong> man (which is doubtless a<br />

great relief to his m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d). From his po<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>t of view, which would

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