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Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

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— 67 —<br />

worn <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a boat, and not merely under a glass-case. It utterly<br />

spoils an excursi<strong>on</strong> if you have folk <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> boat who are th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />

all <strong>the</strong> time a good deal more of <strong>the</strong>ir dress than of <strong>the</strong> trip.<br />

It was my misfortune <strong>on</strong>ce to go for a water picnic with two<br />

ladies of this k<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d. We did have a lively time!<br />

They were both beautifully got up — all lace and silky stuff,<br />

and flowers, and ribb<strong>on</strong>s, and da<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ty shoes, and light gloves.<br />

But <strong>the</strong>y were dressed for a photographic studio, not for a river<br />

picnic. They were <strong>the</strong> “boat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g costumes” of a French fashi<strong>on</strong>plate.<br />

It was ridiculous, fool<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g about <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong>m anywhere near<br />

real earth, air, and water.<br />

The first th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g was that <strong>the</strong>y thought <strong>the</strong> boat was not clean.<br />

We dusted all <strong>the</strong> seats for <strong>the</strong>m, and <strong>the</strong>n assured <strong>the</strong>m that it<br />

was, but <strong>the</strong>y didn’t believe us. One of <strong>the</strong>m rubbed <strong>the</strong> cushi<strong>on</strong><br />

with <strong>the</strong> foref<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ger of her glove, and showed <strong>the</strong> result to<br />

<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r, and <strong>the</strong>y both sighed, and sat down, with <strong>the</strong> air of<br />

early Christian martyrs try<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to make <strong>the</strong>mselves comfortable<br />

up aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>st <strong>the</strong> stake. You are liable to occasi<strong>on</strong>ally splash<br />

a little when scull<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, and it appeared that a drop of water<br />

ru<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed those costumes. The mark never came out, and a sta<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

was left <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> dress for ever.<br />

I was stroke. I did my best. I fea<strong>the</strong>red some two feet high,<br />

and I paused at <strong>the</strong> end of each stroke to let <strong>the</strong> blades drip<br />

before return<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong>m, and I picked out a smooth bit of water<br />

to drop <strong>the</strong>m <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> each time. (Bow said, after a while,<br />

that he did not feel himself a sufficiently accomplished oarsman<br />

to pull with me, but that he would sit still, if I would allow<br />

him, and study my stroke. He said it <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terested him.) But,<br />

notwithstand<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g all this, and try as I would, I could not help an<br />

occasi<strong>on</strong>al flicker of water from go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g over those dresses.<br />

The girls did not compla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>, but <strong>the</strong>y huddled up close toge<strong>the</strong>r,<br />

and set <strong>the</strong>ir lips firm, and every time a drop touched<br />

<strong>the</strong>m, <strong>the</strong>y visibly shrank and shuddered. It was a noble sight<br />

to see <strong>the</strong>m suffer<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g thus <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> silence, but it unnerved me altoge<strong>the</strong>r.<br />

I am too sensitive. I got wild and fitful <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> my row<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g,<br />

and splashed more and more, <strong>the</strong> harder I tried not to.

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