The girls did not complain, but they huddled up close together, and set their lips firm, and every time a drop touched them, they visibly shrank and shuddered. It was a noble sight to see them suffering thus in silence, but it unnerved me altogether. I am too sensitive. I got wild and fitful in my rowing, and splashed more and more, the harder I tried not to.

I gave it up at last; I said I'd row bow. Bow thought the arrangement would be better too, and we changed places. The ladies gave an involuntary sigh of relief when they saw me go, and quite brightened up for a moment. Poor girls! they had better have put up with me. The man they had got now was a jolly, light-hearted, thick-headed sort of a chap, with about as much sensitiveness in him as there might be in a Newfoundland puppy. You might look daggers at him for an hour and he would not notice it, and it would not trouble him if he did. He set a good, rollicking, dashing stroke that sent the spray playing all over the boat like a fountain, and made the whole crowd sit up straight in no time. When he spread more than pint of water over one of those dresses, he would give a pleasant little laugh, and say:

"I beg your pardon, I'm sure (прошу прощения, конечно);" and offer them his handkerchief to wipe it off with (и предлагал им свой носовой платок, чтобы вытереть им воду).

"Oh, it's of no consequence (о, это неважно/нестрашно; consequence — /по/следствие)," the poor girls would murmur in reply (бедные девушки шептали в ответ; to murmur — шептать; бормотать, ворчать), and covertly draw rugs and coats over themselves (и украдкой закрывались накидками и пальто; to draw over — натягивать поверх), and try and protect themselves with their lace parasols (и старались закрыться своими кружевными зонтиками; to protect — защищать, предохранять).