1 68 HIGHLAND SPORT 



chair with her face to the wall, while on hearing my remark she 

 said severely, "The lock will just be turning the wrong way, 

 Mr. Por-r-r-k." I then got the door open and fled to my room, 

 from whence I did not again venture till Miss Monyplies had 

 had ample time to make good her retreat. 



Now although this contretemps with the eldest Miss Mony- 

 plies caused Onions much amusement, it must be stated that it 

 led to a mutual shyness between the parties concerned which 

 did not pass away for some days, and this feeling of bashfulness 

 on the part of Miss Monyplies was only at last dispelled by the 

 carelessness of myself in one day leaving my glass eye lying 

 alongside my false teeth on the washing-stand. Miss Mony- 

 plies discovered these necessaries, and having placed them on a 

 black Japan tray, entered the breakfast-room just as we were 

 about to begin our meal, and without a word handed the same 

 to me. But as long as I was clothed I was not going to be 

 abashed, so I took my property and said, " Thank you, ever so 

 much ; I was just going to run upstairs to fetch them. You 

 see, an ass shot my eye out at a grouse drive, while a horse 

 knocked my teeth out in a hunting smash. Real bad luck, eh, 

 Miss Monyplies? for I'm barely thirty, and sound as a bell in 

 all other respects, as possibly you may have seen for yourself" 



Miss Monyplies said, " Indeed, sir, I'm nae doubting it," and 

 fled ; but from that day she took quite a motherly interest in 

 me and her shyness vanished. 



To return to the fishing, however. On the morning after 

 our arrival we were quickly under way, and parted from each 

 other full of great expectations. Now both of us were fairly 

 good men with the rod, for what we lacked in skill we made up 

 for by hard work combined with perseverance. Three days 

 passed, and not so much as a "rise" had rewarded our united 

 efforts, so that long faces returned each evening to partake of 

 Miss Monyplies' "collops," the while we heaped anathemas on 

 the head of the London agent who had let Onions the fishing, 

 while gaily assuring him we should easily average a fish a day 



