dead? is he dead?' and still everybody
else cried--'No, no, no,' until such time as Mr. Leaver was replaced in a
sitting posture, and his oar (which had been going through all kinds of
wrong-headed performances on its own account) was once more put in his
hand, by the exertions of the two firemen-watermen. Mr. Leaver then
exclaimed, 'Augustus, my child, come to me;' and Mr. Leaver said,
'Augusta, my love, compose yourself, I am not injured.' But Mrs. Leaver
cried again more piteously than before, 'Augustus, my child, come to me;'
and now the company generally, who seemed to be apprehensive that if Mr.
Leaver remained where he was, he might contribute more than his proper
share towards the drowning of the party, disinterestedly took part with
Mrs. Leaver, and said he really ought to go, and that he was not strong
enough for such violent exercise, and ought never to have undertaken it.
Reluctantly, Mr. Leaver went, and laid himself down at Mrs. Leaver's
feet, and Mrs. Leaver stooping over him, said, 'Oh Augustus, how could
you terrify me so?' and Mr. Leaver said, 'Augusta, my sweet, I never
meant to terrify you;' and Mrs. Leaver said, 'You are faint, my dear;'
and Mr. Leaver said, 'I am rather so, my love;' and they were very loving
indeed under Mrs. Leaver's veil, until at length Mr. Leaver came forth
again, and pleasantly asked if he had not heard something said about
bottled stout and sandwiches.

Mrs. Starling, who was one of the party, was perfectly delighted with
this scene, and frequently murmured half-aside, 'What a loving couple you
are!' or 'How delightful it is to see man and wife so happy together!'
To us she was quite poetical, (for we are a kind of cousins,) observing
that hearts beating in unison like that made life a paradise of sweets;
and that when kindred creatures were drawn together by sympathies so fine
and delicate, what more than mortal happiness did not our souls partake!
To all this we answered 'Certainly,' or 'Very true,' or merely sighed, as
the case might be. At every new act of the loving couple, the widow's
admiration broke out afresh; and when Mrs. Leaver would not permit Mr.
Leaver to keep his hat off, lest the sun should strike to his head, and
give him a brain fever, Mrs. Starling actually shed tears, and said it
reminded her of Adam and Eve.

The loving couple were thus loving all the way to Twickenham, but when we
arrived there (by which time the amateur crew looked very thirsty an