A Day in a Punt. ' 19 



have rubbed shoulders with him in a crowd haply without knowing it. 

 Pleasant idea, that ! 



Soon we left the river and were striding up Wandsworth-street, now quiet 

 enough. Anon we turned off up the hill towards Wimbledon Common ; and 

 how delicious the Common was, bathed in the broad moonlight ! With 

 many a joke and quip we wended on stoutly in the highest spirits. Now 

 we raised our voices in a chanson, and woke the echoes of the neighbouring 

 plantation ; and thus with laugh and jest we trundled on, leaving a late 

 nightingale whom we had awakened from his first snooze " du du du-ing " 

 away in the shrubbery. Kingston Hill rose before us, and we faced it 

 manfully ; then down into the fine old town, with only one sleepy policeman 

 in the market-place, who blinked at us as we went past the grand, simple 

 old stone on which many a monarch was crowned ; and now we strike the 

 river again, and set our faces for Ditton. Another mile or two, and the night 

 begins to wane; over the water splash, and in ten minutes more we sight 

 Moleseye. Soon a handful of gravel wakes Bill, and a gruff " Who's 

 there ? " comes from the open window. 



" Get up, Bill ; light the fire, put the kettle on and boil the coffee, and 

 then we'll go up to the weir." 



" Lor, sir ! Be that you ? Why, who'd a thought o' seeing you at this 

 hour ? " 



" Hour, you old sculpin ! why, it's daybreak." 



" Why, so it be ! 'Old hard, sir, I'll be down in a jiffey." 



Ten minutes later the fire was alight and the kettle on, and in due time 

 the steams of fragrant coffee arose, and, with a thick slice of bread and 

 butter, we hastened to enjoy it. 



" Well, you be lucky, Mr. F, ! I baited the weir barbel-swim night afore 

 last wi' eight quarts o' lobs. Didn't do much yesterday. 'Ad them 

 Synigogues down " — it was thus WiUiam designated some notorious Jew 

 quack doctors whom he hated — " but I specs we'U be among 'em to-day. 

 We'll have to fish fine, though, and with float tackle ;" and collecting his 

 rods, baits, chairs, &c., he preceded us to the boat, first calling up-stairs to 

 his wife : 



" Missus, you send us up a nice piece of br'iled rump steak, wi' plenty o' 



