FISHES AND FISHING. 209 



Mitcham Common, and hastened to the shelter of a 

 cottage ; two young ladies, who had also availed 

 themselves of the same accommodation, were standing 

 just within the door, when one said to the other, not 

 intending I should hear it, " See this gentleman, I 

 suppose he has a new umbrella, and is afraid the rain 

 will spoil it" Another time, I had been angling in 

 'the Test, and on leaving, with my host and his wife, 

 in a post chaise, for the train, I asked my friend's 

 butler if he had put my fishing rod into the carriage, 

 when he replied, " No, Sir ; but I have put your um 

 brella in ;" and was running away to find the fishing- 

 rod, till I stopped him by saying, " it was all right." 

 I had a few weeks' leisure time, and having an 

 introduction to, and invitation by, a gentleman in 

 Somersetshire, I made his house in the way of my 

 tour. Mr. M. was most hospitable ; he had been a 

 surgeon, but had retired from practice several years, 

 having found a method of making a fortune more 

 rapidly. He was a highly talented and educated 

 man, and we became so well pleased with each other, 

 that he would not hear of my departure; in fact, 

 whenever I seriously talked of leaving, he would send 

 a servant down to the outer great gate of his demesne 

 to lock it, and then, laughing, toll me if I were deter 

 mined to go I must teach my horse to leap bis high 

 gate, with the chaise at Iris heels. A day 'or two 



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