see us start, and perhaps that is
what made the Wallypug so nervous; as it was, as soon as we pushed
off, his Majesty fell backwards with his feet sticking up above the
seat, while the Rhymester stuck one oar deep down into the water and
pulled it with all his might, while the other flourished about in the
air.

[Illustration: HIS MAJESTY FELL BACKWARDS]

The Doctor-in-Law's idea of steering consisted in pulling first one
string and then the other, and so we did not get along very well just
at first.

When the Wallypug had picked himself up from the bottom of the boat,
however, and the Rhymester and he made another attempt, I think we
should have got along fairly well if the Doctor-in-Law, in trying
to get out of the way of a passing boat, had not steered us into the
bank, where we stuck fast in the mud till someone on the footpath very
kindly pushed us off again. After that I thought it best to take the
oars myself, and his Majesty steered under my direction. In this way
we managed to get a little way past Teddington Lock by luncheon time,
and having found an _eyot_ with no one on it we went ashore and
unpacked the hamper of good things which we had brought with us.

It was a beautiful day, and I think that we all enjoyed the picnic
immensely. I know that I did for one, and so, I think, did his
Majesty, for after the meal he laid aside his crown and royal robes
and made himself comfortable on the grass under the trees, and looked
thoroughly happy with a big cigar in his mouth.

[Illustration: HIS MAJESTY ENJOYS HIMSELF]

A. Fish, Esq., busied himself in preparing notes for his lecture on
the "Perhapness of the Improbable," and the Doctor-in-Law, having
piled all the cushions in the boat at one end, threw himself upon them
and read the newspaper.

In this way the afternoon passed very comfortably, and the Rhymester,
after scribbling upon several pieces of paper, came and read to me a
poem which had been inspired by our beautiful surroundings; he called
it

SOUL YEARNINGS.

The water's as wet as wet can be,
And the trees, and the grass, are green,
While the little birds sing and the fishes swim;
'Tis a most delightful scene.

It makes me yearn for I don't know what,
To come from I don't know where,
And take me away to the thingummybob
And the what-you-may-call-'ems there;

and he told me that beautiful scenery always affected him in that way.

[Illustration: A