The canoe is as light as a feather,' he
said. 'There's Rupert!--Rupert!'
Birkin turned from his social duties and came towards them.
'What have you done to it?' asked Ursula, who had been aching to put
the question for the last half hour.
'To my hand?' said Gerald. 'I trapped it in some machinery.'
'Ugh!' said Ursula. 'And did it hurt much?'
'Yes,' he said. 'It did at the time. It's getting better now. It
crushed the fingers.'
'Oh,' cried Ursula, as if in pain, 'I hate people who hurt themselves.
I can FEEL it.' And she shook her hand.
'What do you want?' said Birkin.
The two men carried down the slim brown boat, and set it on the water.
'You're quite sure you'll be safe in it?' Gerald asked.
'Quite sure,' said Gudrun. 'I wouldn't be so mean as to take it, if
there was the slightest doubt. But I've had a canoe at Arundel, and I
assure you I'm perfectly safe.'
So saying, having given her word like a man, she and Ursula entered the
frail craft, and pushed gently off.
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