It looked far from safe, but it
was all they could do. So they got in. Bruce meant to show his powers as
an oarsman. He said Madame Frabelle must steer and asked her to trim
the boat.
In obedience to his order she sat down with a bang, so heavily that
Bruce was nearly shot up into the air. Amiable as she always was, and
respectfully devoted as Bruce was to her, he found that being on the
river has a mysterious power of bringing out any defects of temper that
people have concealed when on dry ground. He said to her:
'Don't do that again. Do you mind?' as politely as he could.
She looked up, surprised.
'I beg your pardon, Mr Ottley?'
'Don't do that again.'
'Don't do what? What did I do?'
'Why, I asked you to trim the boat.'
'What did I do? I merely sat down.'
He didn't like to say that she shouldn't sit down with a bump, and took
his place.
'If you like,' she said graciously, 'I'll relieve you there, presently.'
'How do you mean--relieve me?'
'I mean I'll row--I'll sit in the stern--row!'
'Perhaps you've forgotten the names of the different parts of a boat.
Madame Frabelle?'
'Oh, I think not, Mr Ottley.
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