TOO ANGLERS' EVENINGS. 



come a-fishing ! It is poor, rough, common people like 

 ourselves who go fishing, not pomatumed and perfumed 

 tailors' models like these. Poor silly Selborne, we did 

 not take you for such an ignoramus; you might as 

 well ask if they have come butterfly-catching like 

 yourself. Selborne got no answer, — how was it to be 

 expected he would .'^ — but seeing a hesitancy in the 

 aspect of the darker swell, he asked, regardless of our 

 digs under the table and our winks and gestures above 

 it, if they were fond of fishing. " Yaas, vewy," said one, 

 and they sauntered out of the room as magnificently as 

 they had entered it. " I knew they had come here to 

 fish," said Selborne, triumphantly ; but we knew better, 

 and that they had only made this answer to get rid 

 of his importunity. " Well, you'll see to-morrow," 

 said Selborne, " who's right " ; and then we dismissed 

 the swells from our minds^ and fell into the pleasant 

 conversation that is only to be heard at an anglers' inn. 



Next day we were out early, as usual, but Selborne said 

 he would wait about a bit ; and wait he did, till the noble 

 swells descended, or condescended, I might say, to take 

 their breakfasts. Then Selborne, with his book, sat him 

 down on the low stone wall in front of the door, under the 

 shade of the trees which were just coming into leaf. At 

 about eleven, our velveteens appeared, arrayed as yester- 

 day, more gorgeous than Solomon in all his glory. Rods 

 were produced (they were really going fishing), all glit- 

 tering with brass and varnish, and Selborne says (and he 

 is to be believed) eighteen feet long at the least, and of 

 the description labelled in shop windows, " general rods." 



