Троє в човні крім собаки

           Still,Ididnotwantthepeopletheretoguessmyignorance;soIhituponwhatIthoughttoberatheragoodidea. Ikeptmyeyeonthetwoyoungstudents,andfollowedthem. Whentheytittered,Itittered;whentheyroared,Iroared;andIalsothrewinalittlesniggerallbymyselfnowandthen,asifIhadseenabitofhumourthathadescapedtheothers. Iconsideredthisparticularlyartfulonmypart. 

           Inoticed,asthesongprogressed,thatagoodmanyotherpeopleseemedtohavetheireyefixedonthetwoyoungmen,aswellasmyself. Theseotherpeoplealsotitteredwhentheyoungmentittered,androaredwhentheyoungmenroared; and,asthetwoyoungmentitteredandroaredandexplodedwithlaughterprettycontinuouslyallthroughthesong,itwentexceedinglywell. 

           AndyetthatGermanProfessordidnotseemhappy. Atfirst,whenwebegantolaugh,theexpressionofhisfacewasoneofintensesurprise,asiflaughterweretheverylastthinghehadexpectedtobegreetedwith. Wethoughtthisveryfunny: wesaidhisearnestmannerwashalfthehumour. Theslightesthintonhispartthatheknewhowfunnyhewaswouldhavecompletelyruineditall. Aswecontinuedtolaugh,hissurprisegavewaytoanairofannoyanceandindignation,andhescowledfiercelyrounduponusall(exceptuponthetwoyoungmenwho,beingbehindhim,hecouldnotsee). Thatsentusintoconvulsions. Wetoldeachotherthatitwouldbethedeathofus,thisthing. Thewordsalone,wesaid,wereenoughtosendusintofits,butaddedtohismockseriousness—oh,itwastoomuch! 

           Inthelastverse,hesurpassedhimself. Hegloweredrounduponuswithalookofsuchconcentratedferocitythat,butforourbeingforewarnedastotheGermanmethodofcomicsinging,weshouldhavebeennervous; andhethrewsuchawailingnoteofagonyintotheweirdmusicthat,ifwehadnotknownitwasafunnysong,wemighthavewept.