Fortunatelyforus-wehavingnodesiretobekepthangingaboutcoroners\'courts-somemenonthebankhadseenthebodytoo,andnowtookchargeofitfromus。
Wefoundoutthewoman\'sstoryafterwards。Ofcourseitwastheold,oldvulgartragedy。Shehadlovedandbeendeceived-orhaddeceivedherself。Anyhow,shehadsinned-someofusdonowandthen-andherfamilyandfriends,naturallyshockedandindignant,hadclosedtheirdoorsagainsther。
Lefttofighttheworldalone,withthemillstoneofhershamearoundherneck,shehadsunkeverlowerandlower。Forawhileshehadkeptbothherselfandthechildonthetwelveshillingsaweekthattwelvehours\'
drudgeryadayprocuredher,payingsixshillingsoutofitforthechild,andkeepingherownbodyandsoultogetherontheremainder。
Sixshillingsaweekdoesnotkeepbodyandsoultogetherveryunitedly。
Theywanttogetawayfromeachotherwhenthereisonlysuchaveryslightbondasthatbetweenthem;andoneday,Isuppose,thepainandthedullmonotonyofitallhadstoodbeforehereyesplainerthanusual,andthemockingspectrehadfrightenedher。Shehadmadeonelastappealtofriends,but,againstthechillwalloftheirrespectability,thevoiceoftheerringoutcastfellunheeded;andthenshehadgonetoseeherchild-hadhelditinherarmsandkissedit,inaweary,dullsortofway,andwithoutbetrayinganyparticularemotionofanykind,andhadleftit,afterputtingintoitshandapennyboxofchocolateshehadboughtit,andafterwards,withherlastfewshillings,hadtakenaticketandcomedowntoGoring。
ItseemedthatthebitterestthoughtsofherlifemusthavecentredaboutthewoodedreachesandthebrightgreenmeadowsaroundGoring;butwomenstrangelyhugtheknifethatstabsthem,and,perhaps,amidstthegall,theremayhavemingledalsosunnymemoriesofsweetesthours,spentuponthoseshadoweddeepsoverwhichthegreattreesbendtheirbranchesdownsolow。
Shehadwanderedaboutthewoodsbytheriver\'sbrinkallday,andthen,wheneveningfellandthegreytwilightspreaditsduskyrobeuponthewaters,shestretchedherarmsouttothesilentriverthathadknownhersorrowandherjoy。Andtheoldriverhadtakenherintoitsgentlearms,andhadlaidherwearyheaduponitsbosom,andhadhushedawaythepain。
Thushadshesinnedinallthings-sinnedinlivingandindying。Godhelpher!andallothersinners,ifanymoretherebe。
GoringontheleftbankandStreatleyontherightarebothoreithercharmingplacestostayatforafewdays。ThereachesdowntoPangbournewoooneforasunnysailorforamoonlightrow,andthecountryroundaboutisfullofbeauty。WehadintendedtopushontoWallingfordthatday,butthesweetsmilingfaceoftheriverhereluredustolingerforawhile;andsoweleftourboatatthebridge,andwentupintoStreatley,andlunchedatthe\"Bull,\"muchtoMontmorency\'ssatisfaction。
TheysaythatthehillsoneachrideofthestreamhereoncejoinedandformedabarrieracrosswhatisnowtheThames,andthatthentheriverendedthereaboveGoringinonevastlake。Iamnotinapositioneithertocontradictoraffirmthisstatement。Isimplyofferit。
Itisanancientplace,Streatley,datingback,likemostriver-sidetownsandvillages,toBritishandSaxontimes。GoringisnotnearlysoprettyalittlespottostopatasStreatley,ifyouhaveyourchoice;
butitispassingfairenoughinitsway,andisnearertherailwayincaseyouwanttoslipoffwithoutpayingyourhotelbill。
CHAPTERXVII。
WASHINGDAY-FISHANDFISHERS-ONTHEARTOFANGLING-A
CONSCIENTIOUSFLY-FISHER-AFISHYSTORY。
WEstayedtwodaysatStreatley,andgotourclotheswashed。Wehadtriedwashingthemourselves,intheriver,underGeorge\'ssuperintendence,andithadbeenafailure。Indeed,ithadbeenmorethanafailure,becausewewereworseoffafterwehadwashedourclothesthanwewerebefore。Beforewehadwashedthem,theyhadbeenvery,verydirty,itistrue;buttheywerejustwearable。AFTERwehadwashedthem-well,theriverbetweenReadingandHenleywasmuchcleaner,afterwehadwashedourclothesinit,thanitwasbefore。AllthedirtcontainedintheriverbetweenReadingandHenley,wecollected,duringthatwash,andworkeditintoourclothes。
ThewasherwomanatStreatleysaidshefeltsheowedittoherselftochargeusjustthreetimestheusualpricesforthatwash。Shesaidithadnotbeenlikewashing,ithadbeenmoreinthenatureofexcavating。
Wepaidthebillwithoutamurmur。
TheneighbourhoodofStreatleyandGoringisagreatfishingcentre。
Thereissomeexcellentfishingtobehadhere。Theriveraboundsinpike,roach,dace,gudgeon,andeels,justhere;andyoucansitandfishforthemallday。
Somepeopledo。Theynevercatchthem。Ineverknewanybodycatchanything,uptheThames,exceptminnowsanddeadcats,butthathasnothingtodo,ofcourse,withfishing!Thelocalfisherman\'sguidedoesn\'tsayawordaboutcatchinganything。Allitsaysistheplaceis\"agoodstationforfishing;\"and,fromwhatIhaveseenofthedistrict,Iamquitepreparedtobearoutthisstatement。
Thereisnospotintheworldwhereyoucangetmorefishing,orwhereyoucanfishforalongerperiod。Somefishermencomehereandfishforaday,andothersstopandfishforamonth。Youcanhangonandfishforayear,ifyouwantto:itwillbeallthesame。
TheANGLER\'SGUIDETOTHETHAMESsaysthat\"jackandpercharealsotobehadabouthere,\"buttheretheANGLER\'SGUIDEiswrong。JackandperchmayBEaboutthere。Indeed,Iknowforafactthattheyare。YoucanSEEthemthereinshoals,whenyouareoutforawalkalongthebanks:
theycomeandstandhalfoutofthewaterwiththeirmouthsopenforbiscuits。And,ifyougoforabathe,theycrowdround,andgetinyourway,andirritateyou。Buttheyarenottobe\"had\"byabitofwormontheendofahook,noranythinglikeit-notthey!
Iamnotagoodfishermanmyself。Idevotedaconsiderableamountofattentiontothesubjectatonetime,andwasgettingon,asIthought,fairlywell;buttheoldhandstoldmethatIshouldneverbeanyrealgoodatit,andadvisedmetogiveitup。TheysaidthatIwasanextremelyneatthrower,andthatIseemedtohaveplentyofgumptionforthething,andquiteenoughconstitutionallaziness。ButtheyweresureIshouldnevermakeanythingofafisherman。Ihadnotgotsufficientimagination。
Theysaidthatasapoet,orashillingshocker,orareporter,oranythingofthatkind,Imightbesatisfactory,butthat,togainanypositionasaThamesangler,wouldrequiremoreplayoffancy,morepowerofinventionthanIappearedtopossess。
Somepeopleareundertheimpressionthatallthatisrequiredtomakeagoodfishermanistheabilitytotelllieseasilyandwithoutblushing;
butthisisamistake。Merebaldfabricationisuseless;theveriesttyrocanmanagethat。Itisinthecircumstantialdetail,theembellishingtouchesofprobability,thegeneralairofscrupulous-
almostofpedantic-veracity,thattheexperiencedanglerisseen。
Anybodycancomeinandsay,\"Oh,Icaughtfifteendozenperchyesterdayevening;\"or\"LastMondayIlandedagudgeon,weighingeighteenpounds,andmeasuringthreefeetfromthetiptothetail。\"
Thereisnoart,noskill,requiredforthatsortofthing。Itshowspluck,butthatisall。
No;youraccomplishedanglerwouldscorntotellalie,thatway。Hismethodisastudyinitself。
Hecomesinquietlywithhishaton,appropriatesthemostcomfortablechair,lightshispipe,andcommencestopuffinsilence。Heletstheyoungstersbragawayforawhile,andthen,duringamomentarylull,heremovesthepipefromhismouth,andremarks,asheknockstheashesoutagainstthebars:
\"Well,IhadahaulonTuesdayeveningthatit\'snotmuchgoodmytellinganybodyabout。\"
\"Oh!why\'sthat?\"theyask。
\"BecauseIdon\'texpectanybodywouldbelievemeifIdid,\"repliestheoldfellowcalmly,andwithoutevenatingeofbitternessinhistone,asherefillshispipe,andrequeststhelandlordtobringhimthreeofScotch,cold。
Thereisapauseafterthis,nobodyfeelingsufficientlysureofhimselftocontradicttheoldgentleman。Sohehastogoonbyhimselfwithoutanyencouragement。
\"No,\"hecontinuesthoughtfully;\"Ishouldn\'tbelieveitmyselfifanybodytoldittome,butit\'safact,forallthat。Ihadbeensittingtherealltheafternoonandhadcaughtliterallynothing-exceptafewdozendaceandascoreofjack;andIwasjustaboutgivingitupasabadjobwhenIsuddenlyfeltarathersmartpullattheline。Ithoughtitwasanotherlittleone,andIwenttojerkitup。Hangme,ifIcouldmovetherod!Ittookmehalf-an-hour-half-an-hour,sir!-tolandthatfish;andeverymomentIthoughtthelinewasgoingtosnap!I
reachedhimatlast,andwhatdoyouthinkitwas?Asturgeon!afortypoundsturgeon!takenonaline,sir!Yes,youmaywelllooksurprised-
I\'llhaveanotherthreeofScotch,landlord,please。\"
Andthenhegoesontotelloftheastonishmentofeverybodywhosawit;
andwhathiswifesaid,whenhegothome,andofwhatJoeBugglesthoughtaboutit。
Iaskedthelandlordofaninnuptheriveronce,ifitdidnotinjurehim,sometimes,listeningtothetalesthatthefishermenabouttheretoldhim;andhesaid:
\"Oh,no;notnow,sir。Itdidusedtoknockmeoverabitatfirst,but,lorloveyou!meandthemissuswelistensto`emalldaynow。It\'swhatyou\'reusedto,youknow。It\'swhatyou\'reusedto。\"
Iknewayoungmanonce,hewasamostconscientiousfellow,and,whenhetooktofly-fishing,hedeterminednevertoexaggeratehishaulsbymorethantwenty-fivepercent。
\"WhenIhavecaughtfortyfish,\"saidhe,\"thenIwilltellpeoplethatI
havecaughtfifty,andsoon。ButIwillnotlieanymorethanthat,becauseitissinfultolie。\"
Butthetwenty-fivepercent。plandidnotworkwellatall。Heneverwasabletouseit。Thegreatestnumberoffishheevercaughtinonedaywasthree,andyoucan\'taddtwenty-fivepercent。tothree-atleast,notinfish。
Soheincreasedhispercentagetothirty-three-and-a-third;butthat,again,wasawkward,whenhehadonlycaughtoneortwo;so,tosimplifymatters,hemadeuphismindtojustdoublethequantity。
Hestucktothisarrangementforacoupleofmonths,andthenhegrewdissatisfiedwithit。Nobodybelievedhimwhenhetoldthemthatheonlydoubled,andhe,therefore,gainednocreditthatwaywhatever,whilehismoderationputhimatadisadvantageamongtheotheranglers。Whenhehadreallycaughtthreesmallfish,andsaidhehadcaughtsix,itusedtomakehimquitejealoustohearaman,whomheknewforafacthadonlycaughtone,goingabouttellingpeoplehehadlandedtwodozen。
So,eventually,hemadeonefinalarrangementwithhimself,whichhehasreligiouslyheldtoeversince,andthatwastocounteachfishthathecaughtasten,andtoassumetentobeginwith。Forexample,ifhedidnotcatchanyfishatall,thenhesaidhehadcaughttenfish-youcouldnevercatchlessthantenfishbyhissystem;thatwasthefoundationofit。Then,ifbyanychancehereallydidcatchonefish,hecalledittwenty,whiletwofishwouldcountthirty,threeforty,andsoon。
Itisasimpleandeasilyworkedplan,andtherehasbeensometalklatelyofitsbeingmadeuseofbytheanglingfraternityingeneral。
Indeed,theCommitteeoftheThamesAngler\'sAssociationdidrecommenditsadoptionabouttwoyearsago,butsomeoftheoldermembersopposedit。Theysaidtheywouldconsidertheideaifthenumberweredoubled,andeachfishcountedastwenty。
Ifeveryouhaveaneveningtospare,uptheriver,Ishouldadviseyoutodropintooneofthelittlevillageinns,andtakeaseatinthetap-
room。Youwillbenearlysuretomeetoneortwooldrod-men,sippingtheirtoddythere,andtheywilltellyouenoughfishystories,inhalfanhour,togiveyouindigestionforamonth。
GeorgeandI-Idon\'tknowwhathadbecomeofHarris;hehadgoneoutandhadashave,earlyintheafternoon,andhadthencomebackandspentfullfortyminutesinpipeclayinghisshoes,wehadnotseenhimsince-
GeorgeandI,therefore,andthedog,lefttoourselves,wentforawalktoWallingfordonthesecondevening,and,cominghome,wecalledinatalittleriver-sideinn,forarest,andotherthings。
Wewentintotheparlourandsatdown。Therewasanoldfellowthere,smokingalongclaypipe,andwenaturallybeganchatting。
Hetoldusthatithadbeenafinedayto-day,andwetoldhimthatithadbeenafinedayyesterday,andthenwealltoldeachotherthatwethoughtitwouldbeafinedayto-morrow;andGeorgesaidthecropsseemedtobecomingupnicely。
Afterthatitcameout,somehoworother,thatwewerestrangersintheneighbourhood,andthatweweregoingawaythenextmorning。
Thenapauseensuedintheconversation,duringwhichoureyeswanderedroundtheroom。Theyfinallyresteduponadustyoldglass-case,fixedveryhighupabovethechimney-piece,andcontainingatrout。Itratherfascinatedme,thattrout;itwassuchamonstrousfish。Infact,atfirstglance,Ithoughtitwasacod。
\"Ah!\"saidtheoldgentleman,followingthedirectionofmygaze,\"finefellowthat,ain\'the?\"
\"Quiteuncommon,\"Imurmured;andGeorgeaskedtheoldmanhowmuchhethoughtitweighed。
\"Eighteenpoundssixounces,\"saidourfriend,risingandtakingdownhiscoat。\"Yes,\"hecontinued,\"itwursixteenyearago,comethethirdo\'
nextmonth,thatIlandedhim。Icaughthimjustbelowthebridgewithaminnow。Theytoldmehewurintheriver,andIsaidI\'dhavehim,andsoIdid。Youdon\'tseemanyfishthatsizeaboutherenow,I\'mthinking。Good-night,gentlemen,good-night。\"
Andouthewent,andleftusalone。
Wecouldnottakeoureyesoffthefishafterthat。Itreallywasaremarkablyfinefish。Wewerestilllookingatit,whenthelocalcarrier,whohadjuststoppedattheinn,cametothedooroftheroomwithapotofbeerinhishand,andhealsolookedatthefish。
\"Good-sizedtrout,that,\"saidGeorge,turningroundtohim。
\"Ah!youmaywellsaythat,sir,\"repliedtheman;andthen,afterapullathisbeer,headded,\"Maybeyouwasn\'there,sir,whenthatfishwascaught?\"
\"No,\"wetoldhim。Wewerestrangersintheneighbourhood。
\"Ah!\"saidthecarrier,\"then,ofcourse,howshouldyou?ItwasnearlyfiveyearsagothatIcaughtthattrout。\"
\"Oh!wasityouwhocaughtit,then?\"saidI。
\"Yes,sir,\"repliedthegenialoldfellow。\"Icaughthimjustbelowthelock-leastways,whatwasthelockthen-oneFridayafternoon;andtheremarkablethingaboutitisthatIcaughthimwithafly。I\'dgoneoutpikefishing,blessyou,neverthinkingofatrout,andwhenIsawthatwhopperontheendofmyline,blestifitdidn\'tquitetakemeaback。
Well,yousee,heweighedtwenty-sixpound。Good-night,gentlemen,good-
night。\"
Fiveminutesafterwards,athirdmancamein,anddescribedhowhehadcaughtitearlyonemorning,withbleak;andthenheleft,andastolid,solemn-looking,middle-agedindividualcamein,andsatdownoverbythewindow。
Noneofusspokeforawhile;but,atlength,Georgeturnedtothenewcomer,andsaid:
\"Ibegyourpardon,Ihopeyouwillforgivethelibertythatwe-perfectstrangersintheneighbourhood-aretaking,butmyfriendhereandmyselfwouldbesomuchobligedifyouwouldtellushowyoucaughtthattroutupthere。\"
\"Why,whotoldyouIcaughtthattrout!\"wasthesurprisedquery。
Wesaidthatnobodyhadtoldusso,butsomehoworotherwefeltinstinctivelythatitwashewhohaddoneit。
\"Well,it\'samostremarkablething-mostremarkable,\"answeredthestolidstranger,laughing;\"because,asamatteroffact,youarequiteright。Ididcatchit。Butfancyyourguessingitlikethat。Dearme,it\'sreallyamostremarkablething。\"
Andthenhewenton,andtoldushowithadtakenhimhalfanhourtolandit,andhowithadbrokenhisrod。Hesaidhehadweigheditcarefullywhenhereachedhome,andithadturnedthescaleatthirty-
fourpounds。
Hewentinhisturn,andwhenhewasgone,thelandlordcameintous。
Wetoldhimthevarioushistorieswehadheardabouthistrout,andhewasimmenselyamused,andwealllaughedveryheartily。
\"FancyJimBatesandJoeMugglesandMr。JonesandoldBillyMaundersalltellingyouthattheyhadcaughtit。Ha!ha!ha!Well,thatisgood,\"
saidthehonestoldfellow,laughingheartily。\"Yes,theyarethesorttogiveitME,toputupinMYparlour,ifTHEYhadcaughtit,theyare!
Ha!ha!ha!\"
Andthenhetoldustherealhistoryofthefish。Itseemedthathehadcaughtithimself,yearsago,whenhewasquitealad;notbyanyartorskill,butbythatunaccountableluckthatappearstoalwayswaituponaboywhenheplaysthewagfromschool,andgoesoutfishingonasunnyafternoon,withabitofstringtiedontotheendofatree。
Hesaidthatbringinghomethattrouthadsavedhimfromawhacking,andthatevenhisschool-masterhadsaiditwasworththerule-of-threeandpracticeputtogether。
Hewascalledoutoftheroomatthispoint,andGeorgeandIagainturnedourgazeuponthefish。
Itreallywasamostastonishingtrout。Themorewelookedatit,themorewemarvelledatit。
ItexcitedGeorgesomuchthatheclimbeduponthebackofachairtogetabetterviewofit。
Andthenthechairslipped,andGeorgeclutchedwildlyatthetrout-casetosavehimself,anddownitcamewithacrash,Georgeandthechairontopofit。
\"Youhaven\'tinjuredthefish,haveyou?\"Icriedinalarm,rushingup。
\"Ihopenot,\"saidGeorge,risingcautiouslyandlookingabout。
Buthehad。Thattroutlayshatteredintoathousandfragments-Isayathousand,buttheymayhaveonlybeenninehundred。Ididnotcountthem。
Wethoughtitstrangeandunaccountablethatastuffedtroutshouldbreakupintolittlepieceslikethat。
Andsoitwouldhavebeenstrangeandunaccountable,ifithadbeenastuffedtrout,butitwasnot。
Thattroutwasplaster-of-Paris。
CHAPTERXVIII。
LOCKS-GEORGEANDIAREPHOTOGRAPHED-WALLINGFORD-DORCHESTER-
ABINGDON-AFAMILYMAN-AGOODSPOTFORDROWNING-ADIFFICULTBIT
OFWATER-DEMORALIZINGEFFECTOFRIVERAIR。
WEleftStreatleyearlythenextmorning,andpulleduptoCulham,andsleptunderthecanvas,inthebackwaterthere。
TheriverisnotextraordinarilyinterestingbetweenStreatleyandWallingford。FromCleveyougetastretchofsixandahalfmileswithoutalock。IbelievethisisthelongestuninterruptedstretchanywhereaboveTeddington,andtheOxfordClubmakeuseofitfortheirtrialeights。
Buthoweversatisfactorythisabsenceoflocksmaybetorowing-men,itistoberegrettedbythemerepleasure-seeker。
Formyself,Iamfondoflocks。Theypleasantlybreakthemonotonyofthepull。Ilikesittingintheboatandslowlyrisingoutofthecooldepthsupintonewreachesandfreshviews;orsinkingdown,asitwere,outoftheworld,andthenwaiting,whilethegloomygatescreak,andthenarrowstripofday-lightbetweenthemwidenstillthefairsmilingriverliesfullbeforeyou,andyoupushyourlittleboatoutfromitsbriefprisonontothewelcomingwatersonceagain。
Theyarepicturesquelittlespots,theselocks。Thestoutoldlock-
keeper,orhischeerful-lookingwife,orbright-eyeddaughter,arepleasantfolktohaveapassingchatwith。*Youmeetotherboatsthere,andrivergossipisexchanged。TheThameswouldnotbethefairylanditiswithoutitsflower-deckedlocks。
*OrratherWERE。TheConservancyoflateseemstohaveconstituteditselfintoasocietyfortheemploymentofidiots。Agoodmanyofthenewlock-keepers,especiallyinthemorecrowdedportionsoftheriver,areexcitable,nervousoldmen,quiteunfittedfortheirpost。
TalkingoflocksremindsmeofanaccidentGeorgeandIverynearlyhadonesummer\'smorningatHamptonCourt。
Itwasagloriousday,andthelockwascrowded;and,asisacommonpracticeuptheriver,aspeculativephotographerwastakingapictureofusallaswelayupontherisingwaters。
Ididnotcatchwhatwasgoingonatfirst,andwas,therefore,extremelysurprisedatnoticingGeorgehurriedlysmoothouthistrousers,ruffleuphishair,andstickhiscaponinarakishmanneratthebackofhishead,andthen,assuminganexpressionofmingledaffabilityandsadness,sitdowninagracefulattitude,andtrytohidehisfeet。
Myfirstideawasthathehadsuddenlycaughtsightofsomegirlheknew,andIlookedabouttoseewhoitwas。Everybodyinthelockseemedtohavebeensuddenlystruckwooden。TheywereallstandingorsittingaboutinthemostquaintandcuriousattitudesIhaveeverseenoffaJapanesefan。Allthegirlsweresmiling。Oh,theydidlooksosweet!
Andallthefellowswerefrowning,andlookingsternandnoble。
Andthen,atlast,thetruthflashedacrossme,andIwonderedifI
shouldbeintime。Ourswasthefirstboat,anditwouldbeunkindofmetospoiltheman\'spicture,Ithought。
SoIfacedroundquickly,andtookupapositionintheprow,whereI
leantwithcarelessgraceuponthehitcher,inanattitudesuggestiveofagilityandstrength。Iarrangedmyhairwithacurlovertheforehead,andthrewanairoftenderwistfulnessintomyexpression,mingledwithatouchofcynicism,whichIamtoldsuitsme。
Aswestood,waitingfortheeventfulmoment,Iheardsomeonebehindcallout:
\"Hi!lookatyournose。\"
Icouldnotturnroundtoseewhatwasthematter,andwhosenoseitwasthatwastobelookedat。Istoleaside-glanceatGeorge\'snose!Itwasallright-atallevents,therewasnothingwrongwithitthatcouldbealtered。Isquinteddownatmyown,andthatseemedallthatcouldbeexpectedalso。
\"Lookatyournose,youstupidass!\"camethesamevoiceagain,louder。
Andthenanothervoicecried:
\"Pushyournoseout,can\'tyou,you-youtwowiththedog!\"
NeitherGeorgenorIdaredtoturnround。Theman\'shandwasonthecap,andthepicturemightbetakenanymoment。Wasitustheywerecallingto?Whatwasthematterwithournoses?Whyweretheytobepushedout!
Butnowthewholelockstartedyelling,andastentorianvoicefromthebackshouted:
\"Lookatyourboat,sir;youintheredandblackcaps。It\'syourtwocorpsesthatwillgettakeninthatphoto,ifyouain\'tquick。\"
Welookedthen,andsawthatthenoseofourboathadgotfixedunderthewoodworkofthelock,whilethein-comingwaterwasrisingallaroundit,andtiltingitup。Inanothermomentweshouldbeover。Quickasthought,weeachseizedanoar,andavigorousblowagainstthesideofthelockwiththebutt-endsreleasedtheboat,andsentussprawlingonourbacks。
Wedidnotcomeoutwellinthatphotograph,GeorgeandI。Ofcourse,aswastobeexpected,ourluckordainedit,thatthemanshouldsethiswretchedmachineinmotionattheprecisemomentthatwewerebothlyingonourbackswithawildexpressionof\"WhereamI?andwhatisit?\"onourfaces,andourfourfeetwavingmadlyintheair。
Ourfeetwereundoubtedlytheleadingarticleinthatphotograph。
Indeed,verylittleelsewastobeseen。Theyfilleduptheforegroundentirely。Behindthem,youcaughtglimpsesoftheotherboats,andbitsofthesurroundingscenery;buteverythingandeverybodyelseinthelocklookedsoutterlyinsignificantandpaltrycomparedwithourfeet,thatalltheotherpeoplefeltquiteashamedofthemselves,andrefusedtosubscribetothepicture。
Theownerofonesteamlaunch,whohadbespokesixcopies,rescindedtheorderonseeingthenegative。Hesaidhewouldtakethemifanybodycouldshowhimhislaunch,butnobodycould。ItwassomewherebehindGeorge\'srightfoot。
Therewasagooddealofunpleasantnessoverthebusiness。Thephotographerthoughtweoughttotakeadozencopieseach,seeingthatthephotowasaboutnine-tenthsus,butwedeclined。Wesaidwehadnoobjectiontobeingphoto\'dfull-length,butwepreferredbeingtakentherightwayup。
Wallingford,sixmilesaboveStreatley,isaveryancienttown,andhasbeenanactivecentreforthemakingofEnglishhistory。Itwasarude,mud-builttowninthetimeoftheBritons,whosquattedthere,untiltheRomanlegionsevictedthem;andreplacedtheirclay-bakedwallsbymightyfortifications,thetraceofwhichTimehasnotyetsucceededinsweepingaway,sowellthoseold-worldmasonsknewhowtobuild。
ButTime,thoughhehaltedatRomanwalls,sooncrumbledRomanstodust;
andontheground,inlateryears,foughtsavageSaxonsandhugeDanes,untiltheNormanscame。
ItwasawalledandfortifiedtownuptothetimeoftheParliamentaryWar,whenitsufferedalongandbittersiegefromFairfax。Itfellatlast,andthenthewallswererazed。
FromWallingforduptoDorchestertheneighbourhoodoftherivergrowsmorehilly,varied,andpicturesque。Dorchesterstandshalfamilefromtheriver。ItcanbereachedbypaddlinguptheThame,ifyouhaveasmallboat;butthebestwayistoleavetheriveratDay\'sLock,andtakeawalkacrossthefields。Dorchesterisadelightfullypeacefuloldplace,nestlinginstillnessandsilenceanddrowsiness。
Dorchester,likeWallingford,wasacityinancientBritishtimes;itwasthencalledCaerDoren,\"thecityonthewater。\"InmorerecenttimestheRomansformedagreatcamphere,thefortificationssurroundingwhichnowseemlikelow,evenhills。InSaxondaysitwasthecapitalofWessex。Itisveryold,anditwasverystrongandgreatonce。Nowitsitsasidefromthestirringworld,andnodsanddreams。
RoundCliftonHampden,itselfawonderfullyprettyvillage,old-
fashioned,peaceful,anddaintywithflowers,theriversceneryisrichandbeautiful。IfyoustaythenightonlandatClifton,youcannotdobetterthanputupatthe\"BarleyMow。\"Itis,withoutexception,I
shouldsay,thequaintest,mostold-worldinnuptheriver。Itstandsontherightofthebridge,quiteawayfromthevillage。Itslow-pitchedgablesandthatchedroofandlatticedwindowsgiveitquiteastory-bookappearance,whileinsideitisevenstillmoreonce-upon-a-timeyfied。
Itwouldnotbeagoodplacefortheheroineofamodernnoveltostayat。Theheroineofamodernnovelisalways\"divinelytall,\"andsheisever\"drawingherselfuptoherfullheight。\"Atthe\"BarleyMow\"shewouldbumpherheadagainsttheceilingeachtimeshedidthis。
Itwouldalsobeabadhouseforadrunkenmantoputupat。Therearetoomanysurprisesinthewayofunexpectedstepsdownintothisroomandupintothat;andasforgettingupstairstohisbedroom,oreverfindinghisbedwhenhegotup,eitheroperationwouldbeanutterimpossibilitytohim。
Wewereupearlythenextmorning,aswewantedtobeinOxfordbytheafternoon。Itissurprisinghowearlyonecangetup,whencampingout。
Onedoesnotyearnfor\"justanotherfiveminutes\"nearlysomuch,lyingwrappedupinarugontheboardsofaboat,withaGladstonebagforapillow,asonedoesinafeatherbed。Wehadfinishedbreakfast,andwerethroughCliftonLockbyhalf-pasteight。
FromCliftontoCulhamtheriverbanksareflat,monotonous,anduninteresting,but,afteryougetthroughCulhalmLock-thecoldestanddeepestlockontheriver-thelandscapeimproves。
AtAbingdon,theriverpassesbythestreets。Abingdonisatypicalcountrytownofthesmallerorder-quiet,eminentlyrespectable,clean,anddesperatelydull。Itpridesitselfonbeingold,butwhetheritcancompareinthisrespectwithWallingfordandDorchesterseemsdoubtful。
Afamousabbeystoodhereonce,andwithinwhatisleftofitssanctifiedwallstheybrewbitteralenowadays。
InSt。NicholasChurch,atAbingdon,thereisamonumenttoJohnBlackwallandhiswifeJane,whoboth,afterleadingahappymarriedlife,diedontheverysameday,August21,1625;andinSt。Helen\'sChurch,itisrecordedthatW。Lee,whodiedin1637,\"hadinhislifetimeissuefromhisloinstwohundredlackingbutthree。\"IfyouworkthisoutyouwillfindthatMr。W。Lee\'sfamilynumberedonehundredandninety-seven。Mr。W。Lee-fivetimesMayorofAbingdon-was,nodoubt,abenefactortohisgeneration,butIhopetherearenotmanyofhiskindaboutinthisovercrowdednineteenthcentury。
FromAbingdontoNunehamCourteneyisalovelystretch。NunehamParkiswellworthavisit。ItcanbeviewedonTuesdaysandThursdays。Thehousecontainsafinecollectionofpicturesandcuriosities,andthegroundsareverybeautiful。
ThepoolunderSandfordlasher,justbehindthelock,isaverygoodplacetodrownyourselfin。Theundercurrentisterriblystrong,andifyouoncegetdownintoityouareallright。Anobeliskmarksthespotwheretwomenhavealreadybeendrowned,whilebathingthere;andthestepsoftheobeliskaregenerallyusedasadiving-boardbyyoungmennowwhowishtoseeiftheplacereallyISdangerous。
IffleyLockandMill,amilebeforeyoureachOxford,isafavouritesubjectwiththeriver-lovingbrethrenofthebrush。Therealarticle,however,isratherdisappointing,afterthepictures。Fewthings,Ihavenoticed,comequiteuptothepicturesofthem,inthisworld。
WepassedthroughIffleyLockatabouthalf-pasttwelve,andthen,havingtidieduptheboatandmadeallreadyforlanding,wesettoworkonourlastmile。
BetweenIffleyandOxfordisthemostdifficultbitoftheriverIknow。
Youwanttobebornonthatbitofwater,tounderstandit。Ihavebeenoveritafairishnumberoftimes,butIhaveneverbeenabletogetthehangofit。ThemanwhocouldrowastraightcoursefromOxfordtoIffleyoughttobeabletolivecomfortably,underoneroof,withhiswife,hismother-in-law,hiseldersister,andtheoldservantwhowasinthefamilywhenhewasababy。
Firstthecurrentdrivesyouontotherightbank,andthenontotheleft,thenittakesyououtintothemiddle,turnsyouroundthreetimes,andcarriesyouupstreamagain,andalwaysendsbytryingtosmashyouupagainstacollegebarge。
Ofcourse,asaconsequenceofthis,wegotinthewayofagoodmanyotherboats,duringthemile,andtheyinours,and,ofcourse,asaconsequenceofthat,agooddealofbadlanguageoccurred。
Idon\'tknowwhyitshouldbe,buteverybodyisalwayssoexceptionallyirritableontheriver。Littlemishaps,thatyouwouldhardlynoticeondryland,driveyounearlyfranticwithrage,whentheyoccuronthewater。WhenHarrisorGeorgemakesanassofhimselfondryland,I
smileindulgently;whentheybehaveinachuckle-headwayontheriver,I
usethemostblood-curdlinglanguagetothem。Whenanotherboatgetsinmyway,IfeelIwanttotakeanoarandkillallthepeopleinit。
Themildesttemperedpeople,whenonland,becomeviolentandblood-
thirstywheninaboat。Ididalittleboatingoncewithayounglady。
Shewasnaturallyofthesweetestandgentlestdispositionimaginable,butontheriveritwasquiteawfultohearher。
\"Oh,drattheman!\"shewouldexclaim,whensomeunfortunatescullerwouldgetinherway;\"whydon\'thelookwherehe\'sgoing?\"
And,\"Oh,botherthesillyoldthing!\"shewouldsayindignantly,whenthesailwouldnotgoupproperly。Andshewouldcatchholdofit,andshakeitquitebrutally。
Yet,asIhavesaid,whenonshoreshewaskind-heartedandamiableenough。
Theairoftheriverhasademoralisingeffectuponone\'stemper,andthisitis,Isuppose,whichcausesevenbargementobesometimesrudetooneanother,andtouselanguagewhich,nodoubt,intheircalmermomentstheyregret。
CHAPTERXIX。
OXFORD-MONTMORENCY\'SIDEAOFHEAVEN-THEHIREDUP-RIVERBOAT,ITS
BEAUTIESANDADVANTAGES-THE\"PRIDEOFTHETHAMES。\"-THEWEATHER
CHANGES-THERIVERUNDERDIFFERENTASPECTS-NOTACHEERFULEVENING-
YEARNINGSFORTHEUNATTAINABLE-THECHEERYCHATGOESROUND-GEORGE
PERFORMSUPONTHEBANJO-AMOURNFULMELODY-ANOTHERWETDAY-
FLIGHT-ALITTLESUPPERANDATOAST。
WEspenttwoverypleasantdaysatOxford。ThereareplentyofdogsinthetownofOxford。Montmorencyhadelevenfightsonthefirstday,andfourteenonthesecond,andevidentlythoughthehadgottoheaven。
Amongfolktooconstitutionallyweak,ortooconstitutionallylazy,whicheveritmaybe,torelishup-streamwork,itisacommonpracticetogetaboatatOxford,androwdown。Fortheenergetic,however,theup-
streamjourneyiscertainlytobepreferred。Itdoesnotseemgoodtobealwaysgoingwiththecurrent。Thereismoresatisfactioninsquaringone\'sback,andfightingagainstit,andwinningone\'swayforwardinspiteofit-atleast,soIfeel,whenHarrisandGeorgearescullingandIamsteering。
TothosewhodocontemplatemakingOxfordtheirstarting-place,Iwouldsay,takeyourownboat-unless,ofcourse,youcantakesomeoneelse\'swithoutanypossibledangerofbeingfoundout。Theboatsthat,asarule,areletforhireontheThamesaboveMarlow,areverygoodboats。
Theyarefairlywater-tight;andsolongastheyarehandledwithcare,theyrarelycometopieces,orsink。Thereareplacesinthemtositdownon,andtheyarecompletewithallthenecessaryarrangements-ornearlyall-toenableyoutorowthemandsteerthem。
Buttheyarenotornamental。TheboatyouhireuptheriveraboveMarlowisnotthesortofboatinwhichyoucanflashaboutandgiveyourselfairs。Thehiredup-riverboatverysoonputsastoptoanynonsenseofthatsortonthepartofitsoccupants。Thatisitschief-onemaysay,itsonlyrecommendation。
Themaninthehiredup-riverboatismodestandretiring。Helikestokeepontheshadyside,underneaththetrees,andtodomostofhistravellingearlyinthemorningorlateatnight,whentherearenotmanypeopleaboutontherivertolookathim。
Whenthemaninthehiredup-riverboatseesanyoneheknows,hegetsoutontothebank,andhidesbehindatree。
Iwasoneofapartywhohiredanup-riverboatonesummer,forafewdays\'trip。Wehadnoneofuseverseenthehiredup-riverboatbefore;
andwedidnotknowwhatitwaswhenwedidseeit。
Wehadwrittenforaboat-adoublescullingskiff;andwhenwewentdownwithourbagstotheyard,andgaveournames,themansaid:
\"Oh,yes;you\'rethepartythatwroteforadoublescullingskiff。It\'sallright。Jim,fetchroundTHEPRIDEOFTHETHAMES。\"
Theboywent,andre-appearedfiveminutesafterwards,strugglingwithanantediluvianchunkofwood,thatlookedasthoughithadbeenrecentlydugoutofsomewhere,anddugoutcarelessly,soastohavebeenunnecessarilydamagedintheprocess。
Myownidea,onfirstcatchingsightoftheobject,wasthatitwasaRomanrelicofsomesort,-relicofWHATIdonotknow,possiblyofacoffin。
TheneighbourhoodoftheupperThamesisrichinRomanrelics,andmysurmiseseemedtomeaveryprobableone;butourseriousyoungman,whoisabitofageologist,pooh-poohedmyRomanrelictheory,andsaiditwascleartothemeanestintellect(inwhichcategoryheseemedtobegrievedthathecouldnotconscientiouslyincludemine)thatthethingtheboyhadfoundwasthefossilofawhale;andhepointedouttousvariousevidencesprovingthatitmusthavebelongedtothepreglacialperiod。
Tosettlethedispute,weappealedtotheboy。Wetoldhimnottobeafraid,buttospeaktheplaintruth:Wasitthefossilofapre-Adamitewhale,orwasitanearlyRomancoffin?
TheboysaiditwasTHEPRIDEOFTHETHAMES。
Wethoughtthisaveryhumorousansweronthepartoftheboyatfirst,andsomebodygavehimtwopenceasarewardforhisreadywit;butwhenhepersistedinkeepingupthejoke,aswethought,toolong,wegotvexedwithhim。
\"Come,come,mylad!\"saidourcaptainsharply,\"don\'tletushaveanynonsense。Youtakeyourmother\'swashing-tubhomeagain,andbringusaboat。\"
Theboat-builderhimselfcameupthen,andassuredus,onhisword,asapracticalman,thatthethingreallywasaboat-was,infact,THEboat,the\"doublescullingskiff\"selectedtotakeusonourtripdowntheriver。
Wegrumbledagooddeal。Wethoughthemight,atleast,havehaditwhitewashedortarred-hadSOMETHINGdonetoittodistinguishitfromabitofawreck;buthecouldnotseeanyfaultinit。
Heevenseemedoffendedatourremarks。Hesaidhehadpickedusoutthebestboatinallhisstock,andhethoughtwemighthavebeenmoregrateful。
Hesaidit,THEPRIDEOFTHETHAMES,hadbeeninuse,justasitnowstood(orratherasitnowhungtogether),forthelastfortyyears,tohisknowledge,andnobodyhadcomplainedofitbefore,andhedidnotseewhyweshouldbethefirsttobegin。
Wearguednomore。
Wefastenedtheso-calledboattogetherwithsomepiecesofstring,gotabitofwall-paperandpastedovertheshabbierplaces,saidourprayers,andsteppedonboard。
Theychargedusthirty-fiveshillingsfortheloanoftheremnantforsixdays;andwecouldhaveboughtthethingout-and-outforfour-and-
sixpenceatanysaleofdrift-woodroundthecoast。
Theweatherchangedonthethirdday,-Oh!Iamtalkingaboutourpresenttripnow,-andwestartedfromOxforduponourhomewardjourneyinthemidstofasteadydrizzle。
Theriver-withthesunlightflashingfromitsdancingwavelets,gildinggoldthegrey-greenbeech-trunks,glintingthroughthedark,coolwoodpaths,chasingshadowso\'ertheshallows,flingingdiamondsfromthemill-wheels,throwingkissestothelilies,wantoningwiththeweirs\'
whitewaters,silveringmoss-grownwallsandbridges,brighteningeverytinytownlet,makingsweeteachlaneandmeadow,lyingtangledintherushes,peeping,laughing,fromeachinlet,gleaminggayonmanyafarsail,makingsofttheairwithglory-isagoldenfairystream。
Buttheriver-chillandweary,withtheceaselessrain-dropsfallingonitsbrownandsluggishwaters,withasoundasofawoman,weepinglowinsomedarkchamber;whilethewoods,alldarkandsilent,shroudedintheirmistsofvapour,standlikeghostsuponthemargin;silentghostswitheyesreproachful,liketheghostsofevilactions,liketheghostsoffriendsneglected-isaspirit-hauntedwaterthroughthelandofvainregrets。
Sunlightisthelife-bloodofNature。MotherEarthlooksatuswithsuchdull,soullesseyes,whenthesunlighthasdiedawayfromoutofher。Itmakesussadtobewithherthen;shedoesnotseemtoknowusortocareforus。Sheisasawidowwhohaslostthehusbandsheloved,andherchildrentouchherhand,andlookupintohereyes,butgainnosmilefromher。
Werowedonallthatdaythroughtherain,andverymelancholyworkitwas。Wepretended,atfirst,thatweenjoyedit。Wesaiditwasachange,andthatwelikedtoseetheriverunderallitsdifferentaspects。Wesaidwecouldnotexpecttohaveitallsunshine,norshouldwewishit。WetoldeachotherthatNaturewasbeautiful,eveninhertears。
Indeed,HarrisandIwerequiteenthusiasticaboutthebusiness,forthefirstfewhours。Andwesangasongaboutagipsy\'slife,andhowdelightfulagipsy\'sexistencewas!-freetostormandsunshine,andtoeverywindthatblew!-andhowheenjoyedtherain,andwhatalotofgooditdidhim;andhowhelaughedatpeoplewhodidn\'tlikeit。
Georgetookthefunmoresoberly,andstucktotheumbrella。
Wehoistedthecoverbeforewehadlunch,andkeptitupalltheafternoon,justleavingalittlespaceinthebow,fromwhichoneofuscouldpaddleandkeepalook-out。Inthiswaywemadeninemiles,andpulledupforthenightalittlebelowDay\'sLock。
Icannothonestlysaythatwehadamerryevening。Therainpoureddownwithquietpersistency。Everythingintheboatwasdampandclammy。
Supperwasnotasuccess。Coldvealpie,whenyoudon\'tfeelhungry,isapttocloy。IfeltIwantedwhitebaitandacutlet;Harrisbabbledofsolesandwhite-sauce,andpassedtheremainsofhispietoMontmorency,whodeclinedit,and,apparentlyinsultedbytheoffer,wentandsatoverattheotherendoftheboatbyhimself。
Georgerequestedthatwewouldnottalkaboutthesethings,atalleventsuntilhehadfinishedhiscoldboiledbeefwithoutmustard。
Weplayedpennynapaftersupper。Weplayedforaboutanhourandahalf,bytheendofwhichtimeGeorgehadwonfourpence-Georgealwaysisluckyatcards-andHarrisandIhadlostexactlytwopenceeach。
Wethoughtwewouldgiveupgamblingthen。AsHarrissaid,itbreedsanunhealthyexcitementwhencarriedtoofar。Georgeofferedtogoonandgiveusourrevenge;butHarrisandIdecidednottobattleanyfurtheragainstFate。
Afterthat,wemixedourselvessometoddy,andsatroundandtalked。
Georgetoldusaboutamanhehadknown,whohadcomeuptherivertwoyearsagoandwhohadsleptoutinadampboatonjustsuchanothernightasthatwas,andithadgivenhimrheumaticfever,andnothingwasabletosavehim,andhehaddiedingreatagonytendaysafterwards。Georgesaidhewasquiteayoungman,andwasengagedtobemarried。Hesaiditwasoneofthesaddestthingshehadeverknown。
AndthatputHarrisinmindofafriendofhis,whohadbeenintheVolunteers,andwhohadsleptoutundercanvasonewetnightdownatAldershot,\"onjustsuchanothernightasthis,\"saidHarris;andhehadwokeupinthemorningacrippleforlife。Harrissaidhewouldintroduceusbothtothemanwhenwegotbacktotown;itwouldmakeourheartsbleedtoseehim。
Thisnaturallyledtosomepleasantchataboutsciatica,fevers,chills,lungdiseases,andbronchitis;andHarrissaidhowveryawkwarditwouldbeifoneofusweretakenseriouslyillinthenight,seeinghowfarawaywewerefromadoctor。
Thereseemedtobeadesireforsomethingfrolicksometofollowuponthisconversation,andinaweakmomentIsuggestedthatGeorgeshouldgetouthisbanjo,andseeifhecouldnotgiveusacomicsong。
IwillsayforGeorgethathedidnotwantanypressing。Therewasnononsenseabouthavinglefthismusicathome,oranythingofthatsort。
Heatoncefishedouthisinstrument,andcommencedtoplay\"TwoLovelyBlackEyes。\"
Ihadalwaysregarded\"TwoLovelyBlackEyes\"asratheracommonplacetuneuntilthatevening。TherichveinofsadnessthatGeorgeextractedfromitquitesurprisedme。
ThedesirethatgrewuponHarrisandmyself,asthemournfulstrainsprogressed,wastofalluponeachother\'snecksandweep;butbygreateffortwekeptbacktherisingtears,andlistenedtothewildyearnfulmelodyinsilence。
Whenthechoruscameweevenmadeadesperateefforttobemerry。Were-
filledourglassesandjoinedin;Harris,inavoicetremblingwithemotion,leading,andGeorgeandIfollowingafewwordsbehind:
\"Twolovelyblackeyes;
Oh!whatasurprise!
Onlyfortellingamanhewaswrong,Two-\"
Therewebrokedown。TheunutterablepathosofGeorge\'saccompanimenttothat\"two\"wewere,inourthenstateofdepression,unabletobear。
Harrissobbedlikealittlechild,andthedoghowledtillIthoughthisheartorhisjawmustsurelybreak。
Georgewantedtogoonwithanotherverse。Hethoughtthatwhenhehadgotalittlemoreintothetune,andcouldthrowmore\"abandon,\"asitwere,intotherendering,itmightnotseemsosad。Thefeelingofthemajority,however,wasopposedtotheexperiment。
Therebeingnothingelsetodo,wewenttobed-thatis,weundressedourselves,andtossedaboutatthebottomoftheboatforsomethreeorfourhours。Afterwhich,wemanagedtogetsomefitfulslumberuntilfivea。m。,whenweallgotupandhadbreakfast。
Theseconddaywasexactlylikethefirst。Theraincontinuedtopourdown,andwesat,wrappedupinourmackintoshes,underneaththecanvas,anddriftedslowlydown。
Oneofus-Iforgetwhichonenow,butIratherthinkitwasmyself-
madeafewfeebleattemptsduringthecourseofthemorningtoworkuptheoldgipsyfoolishnessaboutbeingchildrenofNatureandenjoyingthewet;butitdidnotgodownwellatall。That-
\"Icarenotfortherain,notI!\"
wassopainfullyevident,asexpressingthesentimentsofeachofus,thattosingitseemedunnecessary。
Ononepointwewereallagreed,andthatwasthat,comewhatmight,wewouldgothroughwiththisjobtothebitterend。Wehadcomeoutforafortnight\'senjoymentontheriver,andafortnight\'senjoymentontheriverwemeanttohave。Ifitkilledus!well,thatwouldbeasadthingforourfriendsandrelations,butitcouldnotbehelped。Wefeltthattogiveintotheweatherinaclimatesuchasourswouldbeamostdisastrousprecedent。
\"It\'sonlytwodaysmore,\"saidHarris,\"andweareyoungandstrong。Wemaygetoveritallright,afterall。\"
Ataboutfouro\'clockwebegantodiscussourarrangementsfortheevening。WewerealittlepastGoringthen,andwedecidedtopaddleontoPangbourne,andputupthereforthenight。
\"Anotherjollyevening!\"murmuredGeorge。
Wesatandmusedontheprospect。WeshouldbeinatPangbournebyfive。
Weshouldfinishdinnerat,say,half-pastsix。Afterthatwecouldwalkaboutthevillageinthepouringrainuntilbed-time;orwecouldsitinadimly-litbar-parlourandreadthealmanac。
\"Why,theAlhambrawouldbealmostmorelively,\"saidHarris,venturinghisheadoutsidethecoverforamomentandtakingasurveyofthesky。
\"Withalittlesupperatthe-*tofollow,\"Iadded,halfunconsciously。
*Acapitallittleout-of-the-wayrestaurant,intheneighbourhoodof-,whereyoucangetoneofthebest-cookedandcheapestlittleFrenchdinnersorsuppersthatIknowof,withanexcellentbottleofBeaune,forthree-and-six;andwhichIamnotgoingtobeidiotenoughtoadvertise。
\"Yesit\'salmostapitywe\'vemadeupourmindstosticktothisboat,\"
answeredHarris;andthentherewassilenceforawhile。
\"IfweHADN\'Tmadeupourmindstocontractourcertaindeathsinthisballyoldcoffin,\"observedGeorge,castingaglanceofintensemalevolenceovertheboat,\"itmightbeworthwhiletomentionthatthere\'satrainleavesPangbourne,Iknow,soonafterfive,whichwouldjustlandusintownincomfortabletimetogetachop,andthengoontotheplaceyoumentionedafterwards。\"
Nobodyspoke。Welookedatoneanother,andeachoneseemedtoseehisownmeanandguiltythoughtsreflectedinthefacesoftheothers。Insilence,wedraggedoutandoverhauledtheGladstone。Welookeduptheriveranddowntheriver;notasoulwasinsight!
Twentyminuteslater,threefigures,followedbyashamed-lookingdog,mighthavebeenseencreepingstealthilyfromtheboat-houseatthe\"Swan\"towardstherailwaystation,dressedinthefollowingneitherneatnorgaudycostume:
Blackleathershoes,dirty;suitofboatingflannels,verydirty;brownfelthat,muchbattered;mackintosh,verywet;umbrella。
WehaddeceivedtheboatmanatPangbourne。Wehadnothadthefacetotellhimthatwewererunningawayfromtherain。Wehadlefttheboat,andallitcontained,inhischarge,withinstructionsthatitwastobereadyforusatninethenextmorning。If,wesaid-IFanythingunforeseenshouldhappen,preventingourreturn,wewouldwritetohim。
WereachedPaddingtonatseven,anddrovedirecttotherestaurantIhavebeforedescribed,wherewepartookofalightmeal,leftMontmorency,togetherwithsuggestionsforasuppertobereadyathalf-pastten,andthencontinuedourwaytoLeicesterSquare。
WeattractedagooddealofattentionattheAlhambra。OnourpresentingourselvesatthepayboxweweregrufflydirectedtogoroundtoCastleStreet,andwereinformedthatwewerehalf-an-hourbehindourtime。
Weconvincedtheman,withsomedifficulty,thatwewereNOT\"theworld-
renownedcontortionistsfromtheHimalayaMountains,\"andhetookourmoneyandletuspass。
Insidewewereastillgreatersuccess。Ourfinebronzedcountenancesandpicturesqueclotheswerefollowedroundtheplacewithadmiringgaze。
Wewerethecynosureofeveryeye。
Itwasaproudmomentforusall。
Weadjournedsoonafterthefirstballet,andwendedourwaybacktotherestaurant,wheresupperwasalreadyawaitingus。
Imustconfesstoenjoyingthatsupper。Forabouttendaysweseemedtohavebeenliving,moreorless,onnothingbutcoldmeat,cake,andbreadandjam。Ithadbeenasimple,anutritiousdiet;buttherehadbeennothingexcitingaboutit,andtheodourofBurgundy,andthesmellofFrenchsauces,andthesightofcleannapkinsandlongloaves,knockedasaverywelcomevisitoratthedoorofourinnerman。
Wepeggedandquaffedawayinsilenceforawhile,untilthetimecamewhen,insteadofsittingboltupright,andgraspingtheknifeandforkfirmly,weleantbackinourchairsandworkedslowlyandcarelessly-
whenwestretchedoutourlegsbeneaththetable,letournapkinsfall,unheeded,tothefloor,andfoundtimetomorecriticallyexaminethesmokyceilingthanwehadhithertobeenabletodo-whenwerestedourglassesatarm\'s-lengthuponthetable,andfeltgood,andthoughtful,andforgiving。
ThenHarris,whowassittingnextthewindow,drewasidethecurtainandlookedoutuponthestreet。
Itglisteneddarklyinthewet,thedimlampsflickeredwitheachgust,therainsplashedsteadilyintothepuddlesandtrickleddownthewater-
spoutsintotherunninggutters。Afewsoakedwayfarershurriedpast,crouchingbeneaththeirdrippingumbrellas,thewomenholdinguptheirskirts。
\"Well,\"saidHarris,reachinghishandoutforhisglass,\"wehavehadapleasanttrip,andmyheartythanksforittooldFatherThames-butI
thinkwedidwelltochuckitwhenwedid。Here\'stoThreeMenwelloutofaBoat!\"
AndMontmorency,standingonhishindlegs,beforethewindow,peeringoutintothenight,gaveashortbarkofdecidedconcurrencewiththetoast。