The Girl on the Boat - Penn State University
The Girl on the Boat - Penn State University
The Girl on the Boat - Penn State University
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<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> unfortunate Bream, whose sense of <strong>the</strong> humorous<br />
was simple and childlike, was not proof against <strong>the</strong><br />
picture thus c<strong>on</strong>jured up.<br />
“C’k!” giggled Bream helplessly. “C’k, c’k, c’k!”<br />
Mr. Bennett turned <strong>on</strong> him. “Oh, it strikes you as<br />
funny, does it? Well, let me tell you that if you think<br />
you can laugh at me with—with—er—with <strong>on</strong>e hand and—<br />
and—marry my daughter with <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r, you’re wr<strong>on</strong>g!<br />
You can c<strong>on</strong>sider your engagement at an end.”<br />
“Oh, I say!” ejaculated Bream, abruptly sobered.<br />
“Mortimer!” bawled Mr. Bennett, <strong>on</strong>ce more arresting<br />
<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r as he was about to mount <strong>the</strong> stairs. “Do<br />
you or do you not intend to destroy that dog?”<br />
“I do not.”<br />
“I insist <strong>on</strong> your doing so. He is a menace.”<br />
“He is nothing of <strong>the</strong> kind. On your own showing he<br />
didn’t even bite you <strong>on</strong>ce. And every dog is allowed<br />
<strong>on</strong>e bite by law. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> case of Wilberforce v. Bayliss covers<br />
that point thoroughly.”<br />
“I d<strong>on</strong>’t care about <strong>the</strong> case of Wilberforce and<br />
Bayliss ….”<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Girl</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Boat</strong><br />
112<br />
“You will find that you have to. It is a legal precedent.”<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is something about a legal precedent which<br />
gives pause to <strong>the</strong> angriest man. Mr. Bennett felt, as<br />
every layman feels when arguing with a lawyer, as if<br />
he were in <strong>the</strong> coils of a pyth<strong>on</strong>.<br />
“Say, Mr. Bennett ….” began Bream at his elbow.<br />
“Get out!” snarled Mr. Bennett.<br />
“Yes, but, say …!”<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> green baize door at <strong>the</strong> end of <strong>the</strong> hall opened,<br />
and Webster appeared.<br />
“I beg your pard<strong>on</strong>, sir,” said Webster, “but lunche<strong>on</strong><br />
will be served within <strong>the</strong> next few minutes. Possibly<br />
you may wish to make some change of costume.”<br />
“Bring me my lunch <strong>on</strong> a tray in my room,” said Mr.<br />
Bennett. “I am going to bed.”<br />
“Very good, sir.”<br />
“But, say, Mr. Bennett ….” resumed Bream.<br />
“Grrh!” replied his ex-prospective-fa<strong>the</strong>r-in-law, and<br />
bounded up <strong>the</strong> stairs like a porti<strong>on</strong> of <strong>the</strong> sunset which<br />
had become detached from <strong>the</strong> main body.