three men in a boat-第18章

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tell　the　tale。　　I　thought　it　might　have　been　the　same　inn。〃



We　turned　in　at　ten　that　night；　and　I　thought　I　should　sleep　well；　being　

tired；　but　I　didn't。　　As　a　rule；　I　undress　and　put　my　head　on　the　pillow；　

and　then　somebody　bangs　at　the　door；　and　says　it　is　half…past　eight：　but；　

to…night；　everything　seemed　against　me；　the　novelty　of　it　all；　the　

hardness　of　the　boat；　the　cramped　position　（I　was　lying　with　my　feet　

under　one　seat；　and　my　head　on　another）；　the　sound　of　the　lapping　water　

round　the　boat；　and　the　wind　among　the　branches；　kept　me　restless　and　

disturbed。



I　did　get　to　sleep　for　a　few　hours；　and　then　some　part　of　the　boat　which　

seemed　to　have　grown　up　in　the　night　…　for　it　certainly　was　not　there　

when　we　started；　and　it　had　disappeared　by　the　morning　…　kept　digging　

into　my　spine。　　I　slept　through　it　for　a　while；　dreaming　that　I　had　

swallowed　a　sovereign；　and　that　they　were　cutting　a　hole　in　my　back　with　

a　gimlet；　so　as　to　try　and　get　it　out。　　I　thought　it　very　unkind　of　them；　

and　I　told　them　I　would　owe　them　the　money；　and　they　should　have　it　at　

the　end　of　the　month。　　But　they　would　not　hear　of　that；　and　said　it　would　

be　much　better　if　they　had　it　then；　because　otherwise　the　interest　would　

accumulate　so。　　I　got　quite　cross　with　them　after　a　bit；　and　told　them　

what　I　thought　of　them；　and　then　they　gave　the　gimlet　such　an　

excruciating　wrench　that　I　woke　up。



The　boat　seemed　stuffy；　and　my　head　ached；　so　I　thought　I　would　step　out　

into　the　cool　night…air。　　I　slipped　on　what　clothes　I　could　find　about　…　

some　of　my　own；　and　some　of　George's　and　Harris's　…　and　crept　under　the　

canvas　on　to　the　bank。



It　was　a　glorious　night。　　The　moon　had　sunk；　and　left　the　quiet　earth　

alone　with　the　stars。　　It　seemed　as　if；　in　the　silence　and　the　hush；　

while　we　her　children　slept；　they　were　talking　with　her；　their　sister　…　

conversing　of　mighty　mysteries　in　voices　too　vast　and　deep　for　childish　

human　ears　to　catch　the　sound。



They　awe　us；　these　strange　stars；　so　cold；　so　clear。　　We　are　as　children　

whose　small　feet　have　strayed　into　some　dim…lit　temple　of　the　god　they　

have　been　taught　to　worship　but　know　not；　and；　standing　where　the　echoing　

dome　spans　the　long　vista　of　the　shadowy　light；　glance　up；　half　hoping；　

half　afraid　to　see　some　awful　vision　hovering　there。



And　yet　it　seems　so　full　of　comfort　and　of　strength；　the　night。　　In　its　

great　presence；　our　small　sorrows　creep　away；　ashamed。　　The　day　has　been　

so　full　of　fret　and　care；　and　our　hearts　have　been　so　full　of　evil　and　of　

bitter　thoughts；　and　the　world　has　seemed　so　hard　and　wrong　to　us。　　Then　

Night；　like　some　great　loving　mother；　gently　lays　her　hand　upon　our　

fevered　head；　and　turns　our　little　tear…stained　faces　up　to　hers；　and　

smiles；　and；　though　she　does　not　speak；　we　know　what　she　would　say；　and　

lay　our　hot　flushed　cheek　against　her　bosom；　and　the　pain　is　gone。



Sometimes；　our　pain　is　very　deep　and　real；　and　we　stand　before　her　very　

silent；　because　there　is　no　language　for　our　pain；　only　a　moan。　　Night's　

heart　is　full　of　pity　for　us：　she　cannot　ease　our　aching；　she　takes　our　

hand　in　hers；　and　the　little　world　grows　very　small　and　very　far　away　

beneath　us；　and；　borne　on　her　dark　wings；　we　pass　for　a　moment　into　a　

mightier　Presence　than　her　own；　and　in　the　wondrous　light　of　that　great　

Presence；　all　human　life　lies　like　a　book　before　us；　and　we　know　that　

Pain　and　Sorrow　are　but　the　angels　of　God。



Only　those　who　have　worn　the　crown　of　suffering　can　look　upon　that　

wondrous　light；　and　they；　when　they　return；　may　not　speak　of　it；　or　tell　

the　mystery　they　know。



Once　upon　a　time；　through　a　strange　country；　there　rode　some　goodly　

knights；　and　their　path　lay　by　a　deep　wood；　where　tangled　briars　grew　

very　thick　and　strong；　and　tore　the　flesh　of　them　that　lost　their　way　

therein。　　And　the　leaves　of　the　trees　that　grew　in　the　wood　were　very　

dark　and　thick；　so　that　no　ray　of　light　came　through　the　branches　to　

lighten　the　gloom　and　sadness。



And；　as　they　passed　by　that　dark　wood；　one　knight　of　those　that　rode；　

missing　his　comrades；　wandered　far　away；　and　returned　to　them　no　more；　

and　they；　sorely　grieving；　rode　on　without　him；　mourning　him　as　one　dead。



Now；　when　they　reached　the　fair　castle　towards　which　they　had　been　

journeying；　they　stayed　there　many　days；　and　made　merry；　and　one　night；　

as　they　sat　in　cheerful　ease　around　the　logs　that　burned　in　the　great　

hall；　and　drank　a　loving　measure；　there　came　the　comrade　they　had　lost；　

and　greeted　them。　　His　clothes　were　ragged；　like　a　beggar's；　and　many　sad　

wounds　were　on　his　sweet　flesh；　but　upon　his　face　there　shone　a　great　

radiance　of　deep　joy。



And　they　questioned　him；　asking　him　what　had　befallen　him：　and　he　told　

them　how　in　the　dark　wood　he　had　lost　his　way；　and　had　wandered　many　days　

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　wakefu