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just take that chateau。 You will bring your auntI will see to that；and
we will have a month of it。 The children are all fond of you； J。 and I will
be nowhere。 You've promised to teach Edgar fishing； and it is you who
will have to play wild beasts。 Since last Sunday Dick and Muriel have
talked of nothing else but your hippopotamus。 We will picnic in the
woodsthere will only be eleven of us；and in the evenings we will have
music and recitations。 Muriel is master of six pieces already； as perhaps
you know； and all the other children are quick studies。〃
George climbed downhe has no real couragebut he did not do it
gracefully。 He said that if we were mean and cowardly and false… hearted
enough to stoop to such a shabby trick； he supposed he couldn't help it；
and that if I didn't intend to finish the whole bottle of claret myself； he
would trouble me to spare him a glass。 He also added； somewhat
illogically； that it really did not matter； seeing both Ethelbertha and Mrs。
Harris were women of sense who would judge him better than to believe
for a moment that the suggestion emanated from him。
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This little point settled； the question was： What sort of a change？
Harris； as usual； was for the sea。 He said he knew a yacht； just the
very thingone that we could manage by ourselves； no skulking lot of
lubbers loafing about； adding to the expense and taking away from the
romance。 Give him a handy boy； he would sail it himself。 We knew that
yacht； and we told him so； we had been on it with Harris before。 It
smells of bilge…water and greens to the exclusion of all other scents； no
ordinary sea air can hope to head against it。 So far as sense of smell is
concerned； one might be spending a week in Limehouse Hole。 There is
no place to get out of the rain； the saloon is ten feet by four； and half of
that is taken up by a stove； which falls to pieces when you go to light it。
You have to take your bath on deck； and the towel blows overboard just as
you step out of the tub。 Harris and the boy do all the interesting work
the lugging and the reefing； the letting her go and the heeling her over； and
all that sort of thing；leaving George and myself to do the peeling of the
potatoes and the washing up。
〃Very well； then；〃 said Harris； 〃let's take a proper yacht； with a skipper；
and do the thing in style。〃
That also I objected to。 I know that skipper； his notion of yachting is
to lie in what he calls the 〃offing；〃 where he can be well in touch with his
wife and family； to say nothing of his favourite public…house。
Years ago； when I was young and inexperienced； I hired a yacht
myself。 Three things had combined to lead me into this foolishness： I
had had a stroke of unexpected luck； Ethelbertha had expressed a yearning
for sea air； and the very next morning； in taking up casually at the club a
copy of the Sportsman； I had come across the following advertisement：…
TO YACHTSMEN。Unique Opportunity。〃Rogue；〃 28…ton Yawl。
Owner； called away suddenly on business； is willing to let this superbly…
fitted 〃greyhound of the sea〃 for any period short or long。 Two cabins
and saloon； pianette； by Woffenkoff； new copper。 Terms； 10 guineas a
week。Apply Pertwee and Co。； 3A Bucklersbury。
It had seemed to me like the answer to a prayer。 〃The new copper〃
did not interest me； what little washing we might want could wait； I
thought。 But the 〃pianette by Woffenkoff〃 sounded alluring。 I pictured
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THREE MEN ON THE BUMMEL
Ethelbertha playing in the eveningsomething with a chorus； in which；
perhaps； the crew； with a little training； might joinwhile our moving
home bounded； 〃greyhound…like；〃 over the silvery billows。
I took a cab and drove direct to 3A Bucklersbury。 Mr。 Pertwee was
an unpretentious…looking gentleman； who had an unostentatious office on
the third floor。 He showed me a picture in water…colours of the Rogue
flying before the wind。 The deck was at an angle of 95 to the ocean。 In
the picture no human beings were represented on the deck； I suppose they
had slipped off。 Indeed； I do not see how anyone could have kept on；
unless nailed。 I pointed out this disadvantage to the agent； who； however；
explained to me that the picture represented the Rogue doubling
something or other on the well…known occasion of her winning the
Medway Challenge Shield。 Mr。 Pertwee assumed that I knew all about the
event； so that I did not like to ask any questions。 Two specks near the
frame of the picture； which at first I had taken for moths； represented； it
appeared； the second and third winners in this celebrated race。 A
photograph of the yacht at anchor off Gravesend was less impressive； but
suggested more stability。 All answers to my inquiries being satisfactory；
I took the thing for a fortnight。 Mr。 Pertwee said it was fortunate I wanted
it only for a fortnight… …later on I came to agree with him；the time fitting
in exactly with another hiring。 Had I required it for three weeks he
would have been compelled to refuse me。
The letting being thus arranged； Mr。 Pertwee asked me if I had a
skipper in my eye。 That I had not was also fortunatethings seemed to
be turning out luckily for me all round；because Mr。 Pertwee felt sure I
could not do better than keep on Mr。 Goyles； at present in chargean
excellent skipper； so Mr。 Pertwee assured me； a man who knew the sea as
a man knows his own wife； and who had never lost a life。
It was still early in the day； and the yacht was lying off Harwich。 I
caught the ten forty…five from Liverpool Street； and by one o'clock was
talking to Mr。 Goyles on deck。 He was a stout man； and had a fatherly
way with him。 I told him my idea； which was to take the outlying Dutch
islands and then creep up to Norway。 He said； 〃Aye； aye； sir；〃 and
appeared quite enthusiastic about the trip； said he sh