to walk nearly half a mile before we get to the
landing of the boats."

"Is there much difference in the price?" asked Mrs. Parkman.

"Not enough to be of any consequence," replied her husband. "It will
make a difference of about one and a half crown; for by the boats it
would be only two or three pence, while by the cab it will be as many
shillings. But that is of no consequence. We will go whichever way you
think you would enjoy the most."

"You may decide for me," said Mrs. Parkman. "I'll leave it entirely to
you. It makes no difference to me."

"Then, on the whole, I think we will try the boat," said Mr. Parkman;
"it will be so much more amusing, and we shall see so much more of
London life. Besides, we shall often read and hear about the steamers on
the Thames when we return to America, and it will be well for us to have
made one voyage in them. And, Mr. George, will you go with us?"

"Yes," said Mr. George.

So they all left the hotel together, and commenced their walk towards
the bridge where the nearest landing stage for the Thames boats lay.

They had not gone but a very short distance before Mrs. Parkman began to
hang rather heavily upon her husband's arm, and asked him whether it was
much farther that they would have to walk.

"O, yes," said Mr. Parkman. "I told you that we should have to walk
about half a mile."

"Then we shall get all tired out," said his wife, "and we want our
strength for walking through the tunnel. It does not seem to be worth
while to take all this trouble just to save half a crown."

Mr. Parkman, though he had only been married a little more than a month,
felt something like a sense of indignation rising in his breast, that
his wife should attribute to him such a motive for choosing the river,
after what he had said on the subject. But he suppressed the feeling,
and only replied quietly,--

"O, let us take a cab then, by all means. I hope you don't suppose that
I was going to take you by the boat to save any money."

"I thought you said that you would save half a crown," rejoined his
wife.

"Yes," said Mr. Parkman, "I did, it is true."

Mr. Parkman was too proud to defend himself from such an imputation,
supported by such reasoning as this; so he only said, "We will go by a
cab. We will take a cab at the next stand."

Mr. George instantly perceived that by this change in the plan, he was
made one too many for the party, since only two can ride conveniently in
a Hans