three men in a boat-第14章

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and　the　deep　woods　well　enough：　but　in　the　night；　when　our　Mother　Earth　

has　gone　to　sleep；　and　left　us　waking；　oh！　the　world　seems　so　lonesome；　

and　we　get　frightened；　like　children　in　a　silent　house。　　Then　we　sit　and　

sob；　and　long　for　the　gas…lit　streets；　and　the　sound　of　human　voices；　and　

the　answering　throb　of　human　life。　　We　feel　so　helpless　and　so　little　in　

the　great　stillness；　when　the　dark　trees　rustle　in　the　night…wind。　　There　

are　so　many　ghosts　about；　and　their　silent　sighs　make　us　feel　so　sad。　　

Let　us　gather　together　in　the　great　cities；　and　light　huge　bonfires　of　a　

million　gas…jets；　and　shout　and　sing　together；　and　feel　brave。



Harris　asked　me　if　I'd　ever　been　in　the　maze　at　Hampton　Court。　　He　said　

he　went　in　once　to　show　somebody　else　the　way。　　He　had　studied　it　up　in　a　

map；　and　it　was　so　simple　that　it　seemed　foolish　…　hardly　worth　the　

twopence　charged　for　admission。　　Harris　said　he　thought　that　map　must　

have　been　got　up　as　a　practical　joke；　because　it　wasn't　a　bit　like　the　

real　thing；　and　only　misleading。　　It　was　a　country　cousin　that　Harris　

took　in。　　He　said：



〃We'll　just　go　in　here；　so　that　you　can　say　you've　been；　but　it's　very　

simple。　　It's　absurd　to　call　it　a　maze。　　You　keep　on　taking　the　first　

turning　to　the　right。　　We'll　just　walk　round　for　ten　minutes；　and　then　go　

and　get　some　lunch。〃



They　met　some　people　soon　after　they　had　got　inside；　who　said　they　had　

been　there　for　three…quarters　of　an　hour；　and　had　had　about　enough　of　it。　　

Harris　told　them　they　could　follow　him；　if　they　liked；　he　was　just　going　

in；　and　then　should　turn　round　and　come　out　again。　　They　said　it　was　very　

kind　of　him；　and　fell　behind；　and　followed。



They　picked　up　various　other　people　who　wanted　to　get　it　over；　as　they　

went　along；　until　they　had　absorbed　all　the　persons　in　the　maze。　　People　

who　had　given　up　all　hopes　of　ever　getting　either　in　or　out；　or　of　ever　

seeing　their　home　and　friends　again；　plucked　up　courage　at　the　sight　of　

Harris　and　his　party；　and　joined　the　procession；　blessing　him。　　Harris　

said　he　should　judge　there　must　have　been　twenty　people；　following　him；　

in　all；　and　one　woman　with　a　baby；　who　had　been　there　all　the　morning；　

insisted　on　taking　his　arm；　for　fear　of　losing　him。



Harris　kept　on　turning　to　the　right；　but　it　seemed　a　long　way；　and　his　

cousin　said　he　supposed　it　was　a　very　big　maze。



〃Oh；　one　of　the　largest　in　Europe；〃　said　Harris。



〃Yes；　it　must　be；〃　replied　the　cousin；　〃because　we've　walked　a　good　two　

miles　already。〃



Harris　began　to　think　it　rather　strange　himself；　but　he　held　on　until；　at　

last；　they　passed　the　half　of　a　penny　bun　on　the　ground　that　Harris's　

cousin　swore　he　had　noticed　there　seven　minutes　ago。　　Harris　said：　〃Oh；　

impossible！〃　but　the　woman　with　the　baby　said；　〃Not　at　all；〃　as　she　

herself　had　taken　it　from　the　child；　and　thrown　it　down　there；　just　

before　she　met　Harris。　　She　also　added　that　she　wished　she　never　had　met　

Harris；　and　expressed　an　opinion　that　he　was　an　impostor。　　That　made　

Harris　mad；　and　he　produced　his　map；　and　explained　his　theory。



〃The　map　may　be　all　right　enough；〃　said　one　of　the　party；　〃if　you　know　

whereabouts　in　it　we　are　now。〃



Harris　didn't　know；　and　suggested　that　the　best　thing　to　do　would　be　to　

go　back　to　the　entrance；　and　begin　again。　　For　the　beginning　again　part　

of　it　there　was　not　much　enthusiasm；　but　with　regard　to　the　advisability　

of　going　back　to　the　entrance　there　was　complete　unanimity；　and　so　they　

turned；　and　trailed　after　Harris　again；　in　the　opposite　direction。　　About　

ten　minutes　more　passed；　and　then　they　found　themselves　in　the　centre。



Harris　thought　at　first　of　pretending　that　that　was　what　he　had　been　

aiming　at；　but　the　crowd　looked　dangerous；　and　he　decided　to　treat　it　as　

an　accident。



Anyhow；　they　had　got　something　to　start　from　then。　　They　did　know　where　

they　were；　and　the　map　was　once　more　consulted；　and　the　thing　seemed　

simpler　than　ever；　and　off　they　started　for　the　third　time。



And　three　minutes　later　they　were　back　in　the　centre　again。



After　that；　they　simply　couldn't　get　anywhere　else。　　Whatever　way　they　

turned　brought　them　back　to　the　middle。　　It　became　so　regular　at　length；　

that　some　of　the　people　stopped　there；　and　waited　for　the　others　to　take　

a　walk　round；　and　come　back　to　them。　　Harris　drew　out　his　map　again；　

after　a　while；　but　the　sight　of　it　only　infuriated　the　mob；　and　they　told　

him　to　go　and　curl　his　hair　with　it。　　Harris　said　that　he　couldn't　help　

feeling　that；　to　a　certain　extent；　he　had　become　unpopular。



They　all　got　crazy　at　last；　and　sang　out　for　the　keeper；　and　the　man　came　

and　climbed　up　the　ladder　outside；　and　shouted　out　directions　to　them。　　

But　all　their　heads　were；　by　this　time；　in　such　a　confused　whirl　that　

they　were　incapable　of　grasping　anything；　and　so　the　man　told　them　to　

stop　where　they　were；　and　he　would　come　to　them。　　They　huddled　together；　

and　waited；　and　he　climbed　down；　and　came　in。



He　was　a　young　keeper；　as　luck　would　have　it；　and　new　to　the　business；　

and　when　he　got　in；　he　couldn't　find　them；　and　he　wandered　about；　trying　

to　get　to　them；　and　then　HE　got　lost。　　They　caught　sight　of　him；　every　

now　and　then；　rushing　about　the　other　side　of　the　hedge；　and　he　would　see　

them；　and　rush　to　get　to　them；　and　they　would　wait　there　for　about　five　

minutes；　and　then　he　would　reappear　again　in　exactly　the　same　spot；　and　

ask　them　where　they　had　been。



They　had　to　wait　till　one　of　the　old　keepers　came　back　from　his　dinner　

before　they　got　out。



Harris　said　he　thought　it　was　a　very　fine　maze；　so　far　as　he　was　a　judge；　

and　we　agreed　that　we　would　try　to　get　George　to　go　into　it；　on　our　way　

back。









CHAPTER　VII。





THE　RIVER　IN　ITS　SUNDAY　GARB。　…　DRESS　ON　THE　RIVER。　…　A　CHANCE　FOR　THE　

MEN。　…　ABSENCE　OF　TASTE　IN　HARRIS。　…　GEORGE'S　BLAZER。　…　A　DAY　WITH　THE　

FASHION…PLATE　YOUNG　LADY。　…　MRS。　THOMAS'S　TOMB。　…　THE　MAN　WHO　LOVES　NOT　

GRAVES　AND　COFFINS　AND　SKULLS。　…　HARRIS　MAD。　…　HIS　VIEWS　ON　GEORGE　AND　

BANKS　AND　LEMONADE。　…　HE　PERFORMS　TRICKS。



IT　was　while　passing　through　Moulsey　Lock　that　Harris　told　me　about　his　

maze　experience。　　It　took　us　some　time　to　pass　through；　as　we　were　the　

only　boat；　and　it　is　a　big　lock。　　I　don't　think　I　ever　remember　to　have　

seen　Moulsey　Lock；　before；　with　only　one　boat　in　it。　　It　is；　I　suppose；　

Boulter's　not　even　excepted；　the　busiest　lock　on　the　river。



I　have　stood　and　watched　it；　sometimes；　when　you　could　not　see　any　water　

at　all；　but　only　a　brilliant　tangle　of　bright　blazers；　and　gay　caps；　and　

saucy　hats；　and　many…coloured　parasols；　and　silken　rugs；　and　cloaks；　and　

streaming　ribbons；　and　dainty　whites；　when　looking　down　into　the　lock　

from　the　quay；　you　might　fancy　it　was　a　huge　box　into　which　flowers　of　

every　hue　and　shade　had　been　thrown　pell…mell；　and　lay　piled　up　in　a　

rainbow　heap；　that　covered　every　corner。



On　a　fine　Sunday　it　presents　this　appearance　nearly　all　day　long；　while；　

up　the　stream；　and　down　the　stream；　lie；　waiting　their　turn；　outside　the　

gates；　long　lines　of　still　more　boats；　and　boats　are　drawing　near　and　

passing　away；　so　that　the　sunny　river；　from　the　Palace　up　to　Hampton　

Church；　is　dotted　and　decked　with　yellow；　and　blue；　and　orange；　and　

white；　and　red；　and　pink。　　All　the　inhabitants　of　Hampton　and　Moulsey　

dress　themselves　up　in　boating　costume；　and　come　and　mouch　round　the　lock　

with　their　dogs；　and　flirt；　and　smoke；　and　watch　the　boats；　and；　

altogether；　what　with　the　caps　and　jackets　of　the　men；　the　pretty　

coloured　dresses　of　the　women；　the　excited　dogs；　the　moving　boats；　the　

white　sails；　the　pleasant　landscape；　and　the　sparkling　water；　it　is　one　

of　the　gayest　sights　I　know　of　near　this　dull　old　London　town。



The　river　affords　a　good　opportunity　for　dress。　　For　once　in　a　way；　we　

men　are　able　to　show　our　taste　in　colours；　and　I　think　we　come　out　very　

natty；　if　y