CLEAR WATERS 



master ought to be ashamed to take advantage. As 

 for the marquis, it was a private matter entirely 

 between that great man and myself. 



The miller's henchman having listened with dumb 

 amazement to this outburst, departed muttering I 

 should hear more of this. I never did, not likely, save 

 occasionally from that misguided rustic himself. 

 Looking back on it I think it would have been a very 

 nice point of law between the marquis and my in- 

 significant and immature self, had that great man, 

 who possessed some miles of fine fishing down lower 

 upon which in after years I had many a pleasant day, 

 troubled his head about a bow shot's length of water 

 where the fish were not supposed to rise to the fly, and 

 that an outsider could legally net. For our place was 

 on a thirty-years' leasehold under the said marquis, 

 and I used to compose imaginary letters in bed in 

 defence of my practices, which in regard to an ancient 

 superstition were regarded by some as a trifle audacious. 

 My compositions ran something like this, though 

 possibly not so stylish ! 



My dear Marquis, — The miller is a common enemy 

 though a licensed freebooter. This bit of water is 

 obviously useless to you since you could not fish it 

 without coming into our private grounds, which would 

 be impossible without permission. Reciprocity of 

 treatment of course would be the only possible terms 

 of admission. A mere dog-in-the-manger policy, on 

 the other hand, even within your Lordship's rights 

 on a long leasehold demesne so small that the sporting 

 privileges could hardly have been considered, would 

 6 



