three men in a boat-第25章

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and　nights；　till；　torn　and　bleeding；　he　had　lain　him　down　to　die。



Then；　when　he　was　nigh　unto　death；　lo！　through　the　savage　gloom　there　

came　to　him　a　stately　maiden；　and　took　him　by　the　hand　and　led　him　on　

through　devious　paths；　unknown　to　any　man；　until　upon　the　darkness　of　the　

wood　there　dawned　a　light　such　as　the　light　of　day　was　unto　but　as　a　

little　lamp　unto　the　sun；　and；　in　that　wondrous　light；　our　way…worn　

knight　saw　as　in　a　dream　a　vision；　and　so　glorious；　so　fair　the　vision　

seemed；　that　of　his　bleeding　wounds　he　thought　no　more；　but　stood　as　one　

entranced；　whose　joy　is　deep　as　is　the　sea；　whereof　no　man　can　tell　the　

depth。



And　the　vision　faded；　and　the　knight；　kneeling　upon　the　ground；　thanked　

the　good　saint　who　into　that　sad　wood　had　strayed　his　steps；　so　he　had　

seen　the　vision　that　lay　there　hid。



And　the　name　of　the　dark　forest　was　Sorrow；　but　of　the　vision　that　the　

good　knight　saw　therein　we　may　not　speak　nor　tell。









CHAPTER　XI。





HOW　GEORGE；　ONCE　UPON　A　TIME；　GOT　UP　EARLY　IN　THE　MORNING。　…　GEORGE；　

HARRIS；　AND　MONTMORENCY　DO　NOT　LIKE　THE　LOOK　OF　THE　COLD　WATER。　…　HEROISM　

AND　DETERMINATION　ON　THE　PART　OF　J。　…　GEORGE　AND　HIS　SHIRT：　STORY　WITH　A　

MORAL。　…　HARRIS　AS　COOK。　…　HISTORICAL　RETROSPECT；　SPECIALLY　INSERTED　FOR　

THE　USE　OF　SCHOOLS。



I　WOKE　at　six　the　next　morning；　and　found　George　awake　too。　　We　both　

turned　round；　and　tried　to　go　to　sleep　again；　but　we　could　not。　　Had　

there　been　any　particular　reason　why　we　should　not　have　gone　to　sleep　

again；　but　have　got　up　and　dressed　then　and　there；　we　should　have　dropped　

off　while　we　were　looking　at　our　watches；　and　have　slept　till　ten。　　As　

there　was　no　earthly　necessity　for　our　getting　up　under　another　two　hours　

at　the　very　least；　and　our　getting　up　at　that　time　was　an　utter　

absurdity；　it　was　only　in　keeping　with　the　natural　cussedness　of　things　

in　general　that　we　should　both　feel　that　lying　down　for　five　minutes　more　

would　be　death　to　us。



George　said　that　the　same　kind　of　thing；　only　worse；　had　happened　to　him　

some　eighteen　months　ago；　when　he　was　lodging　by　himself　in　the　house　of　

a　certain　Mrs。　Gippings。　　He　said　his　watch　went　wrong　one　evening；　and　

stopped　at　a　quarter…past　eight。　　He　did　not　know　this　at　the　time　

because；　for　some　reason　or　other；　he　forgot　to　wind　it　up　when　he　went　

to　bed　（an　unusual　occurrence　with　him）；　and　hung　it　up　over　his　pillow　

without　ever　looking　at　the　thing。



It　was　in　the　winter　when　this　happened；　very　near　the　shortest　day；　and　

a　week　of　fog　into　the　bargain；　so　the　fact　that　it　was　still　very　dark　

when　George　woke　in　the　morning　was　no　guide　to　him　as　to　the　time。　　He　

reached　up；　and　hauled　down　his　watch。　　It　was　a　quarter…past　eight。



〃Angels　and　ministers　of　grace　defend　us！〃　exclaimed　George；　〃and　here　

have　I　got　to　be　in　the　City　by　nine。　　Why　didn't　somebody　call　me？　　Oh；　

this　is　a　shame！〃　　And　he　flung　the　watch　down；　and　sprang　out　of　bed；　

and　had　a　cold　bath；　and　washed　himself；　and　dressed　himself；　and　shaved　

himself　in　cold　water　because　there　was　not　time　to　wait　for　the　hot；　and　

then　rushed　and　had　another　look　at　the　watch。



Whether　the　shaking　it　had　received　in　being　thrown　down　on　the　bed　had　

started　it；　or　how　it　was；　George　could　not　say；　but　certain　it　was　that　

from　a　quarter…past　eight　it　had　begun　to　go；　and　now　pointed　to　twenty　

minutes　to　nine。



George　snatched　it　up；　and　rushed　downstairs。　　In　the　sitting…room；　all　

was　dark　and　silent：　there　was　no　fire；　no　breakfast。　　George　said　it　was　

a　wicked　shame　of　Mrs。　G。；　and　he　made　up　his　mind　to　tell　her　what　he　

thought　of　her　when　he　came　home　in　the　evening。　　Then　he　dashed　on　his　

great…coat　and　hat；　and；　seizing　his　umbrella；　made　for　the　front　door。　　

The　door　was　not　even　unbolted。　　George　anathematized　Mrs。　G。　for　a　lazy　

old　woman；　and　thought　it　was　very　strange　that　people　could　not　get　up　

at　a　decent；　respectable　time；　unlocked　and　unbolted　the　door；　and　ran　

out。



He　ran　hard　for　a　quarter　of　a　mile；　and　at　the　end　of　that　distance　it　

began　to　be　borne　in　upon　him　as　a　strange　and　curious　thing　that　there　

were　so　few　people　about；　and　that　there　were　no　shops　open。　　It　was　

certainly　a　very　dark　and　foggy　morning；　but　still　it　seemed　an　unusual　

course　to　stop　all　business　on　that　account。　　HE　had　to　go　to　business：　

why　should　other　people　stop　in　bed　merely　because　it　was　dark　and　foggy！



At　length　he　reached　Holborn。　　Not　a　shutter　was　down！　not　a　bus　was　

about！　　There　were　three　men　in　sight；　one　of　whom　was　a　policeman；　a　

market…cart　full　of　cabbages；　and　a　dilapidated　looking　cab。　　George　

pulled　out　his　watch　and　looked　at　it：　it　was　five　minutes　to　nine！　　He　

stood　still　and　counted　his　pulse。　　He　stooped　down　and　felt　his　legs。　　

Then；　with　his　watch　still　in　his　hand；　he　went　up　to　the　policeman；　and　

asked　him　if　he　knew　what　the　time　was。



〃What's　the　time？〃　said　the　man；　eyeing　George　up　and　down　with　evident　

suspicion；　〃why；　if　you　listen　you　will　hear　it　strike。〃



George　listened；　and　a　neighbouring　clock　immediately　obliged。



〃But　it's　only　gone　three！〃　said　George　in　an　injured　tone；　when　it　had　

finished。



〃Well；　and　how　many　did　you　want　it　to　go？〃　replied　the　constable。



〃Why；　nine；〃　said　George；　showing　his　watch。



〃Do　you　know　where　you　live？〃　said　the　guardian　of　public　order；　

severely。



George　thought；　and　gave　the　address。



〃Oh！　that's　where　it　is；　is　it？〃　replied　the　man；　〃well；　you　take　my　

advice　and　go　there　quietly；　and　take　that　watch　of　yours　with　you；　and　

don't　let's　have　any　more　of　it。〃



And　George　went　home　again；　musing　as　he　walked　along；　and　let　himself　

in。



At　first；　when　he　got　in；　he　determined　to　undress　and　go　to　bed　again；　

but　when　he　thought　of　the　redressing　and　re…washing；　and　the　having　of　

another　bath；　he　determined　he　would　not；　but　would　sit　up　and　go　to　

sleep　in　the　easy…chair。



But　he　could　not　get　to　sleep：　he　never　felt　more　wakeful　in　his　life；　so　

he　lit　the　lamp　and　got　out　the　chess…board；　and　played　himself　a　game　of　

chess。　　But　even　that　did　not　enliven　him：　it　seemed　slow　somehow；　so　he　

gave　chess　up　and　tried　to　read。　　He　did　not　seem　able　to　take　any　sort　

of　interest　in　reading　either；　so　he　put　on　his　coat　again　and　went　out　

for　a　walk。



It　was　horribly　lonesome　and　dismal；　and　all　the　policemen　he　met　

regarded　him　with　undisguised　suspicion；　and　turned　their　lanterns　on　him　

and　followed　him　about；　and　this　had　such　an　effect　upon　him　at　last　that　

he　began　to　feel　as　if　he　really　had　done　something；　and　he　got　to　

slinking　down　the　by…streets　and　hiding　in　dark　doorways　when　he　heard　

the　regulation　flip…flop　approaching。



Of　course；　this　conduct　made　the　force　only　more　distrustful　of　him　than　

ever；　and　they　would　come　and　rout　him　out　and　ask　him　what　he　was　doing　

there；　and　when　he　answered；　〃Nothing；〃　he　had　merely　come　out　for　a　

stroll　（it　was　then　four　o'clock　in　the　morning）；　they　looked　as　though　

they　did　not　believe　him；　and　two　plain…clothes　constables　came　home　with　

him　to　see　if　he　really　did　live　where　he　had　said　he　did。　　They　saw　him　

go　in　with　his　key；　and　then　they　took　up　a　position　opposite　and　watched　

the　house。



He　thought　he　would　light　the　fire　when　he　got　inside；　and　make　himself　

some　breakfast；　just　to　pass　away　the　time；　but　he　did　not　seem　able　to　

handle　anything　from　a　scuttleful　of　coals　to　a　teaspoon　without　dropping　

it　or　falling　over　it；　and　making　such　a　noise　that　he　was　in　mortal　fear　

that　it　would　wake　Mrs。　G。　up；　and　that　she　would　think　it　was　burglars　

and　open　the　window　and　call　〃Police！〃　and　then　these　two　detectives　

would　rush　in　and　handcuff　him；　and　march　him　off　to　the　police…court。



He　was　in　a　morbidly　nervous　state　by　this　time；　and　he　pictured　the　

trial；　and　his　trying　to　explain　the　circumstances　to　the　jury；　and