The Modern Thames 



in 



In time I did discover a skiff moored in a little- 

 visited creek, which the boatman got out for me. 

 The sculls were rough and shapeless it is a remark- 

 able fact that sculls always are, unless you have them 

 made and keep them for your own use. I paddled 

 up the river; I paused by an osier-grown islet; I 

 slipped past the barges, and avoided an unskilful 

 party ; it was the morning, and none of the uproarious 

 as yet were about. Certainly, it was very pleasant. 

 The sunshine gleamed on the water, broad shadows 

 of trees fell across ; swans floated in the by-channels. 

 A peacefulness which peculiarly belongs to water 

 hovered above the river. A house-boat was moored 

 near the willow-grown shore, and it was evidently 

 inhabited, for there was a fire smouldering on the 

 bank, and some linen that had been washed spread 

 on the bushes to bleach. All the windows of this 

 gipsy-van of the river were wide open, and the air 

 and light entered freely into every part of the dwelling- 

 house under which flowed the stream. A lady was 

 dressing herself before one of these open windows, 

 twining up large braids of dark hair, her large arms 

 bare to the shoulder, and somewhat farther. I 

 immediately steered out into the channel to avoid 

 intrusion; but I felt that she was regarding me with 

 all a matron's contempt for an unknown man a 

 mere member of the opposite sex, not introduced, 

 or of her " set." I was merely a man no more than 

 a horse on the bank, and had she been in her smock 

 she would have been just as indifferent. 



Certainly it was a lovely morning; the old red 

 palace of the Cardinal seemed to slumber amid its 

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