SALMON ANGLING IN IRELAND. 277 



quite so heavy as liad been supposed, the fish proved to be the best 

 I ever landed at Gweedore, weighing a little over 13^1b. 



In high glee we bent our course steadily downward, landed another 

 in the wild and rocky lodge some half mile above the Parsonage, 

 and yet another in a brimming pool nearly opposite that snug 

 dwelling of our old friend. Then came a lull in the sport, and 

 pausing a few minutes to look at the fish pass, we came to the 

 village of Bunbeg. 



Here stands "the store," a huge omnium gathenmi kind of shop, 

 started many a year ago by his lordship as a depot whence his 

 poor tenants might procure all such articles as they could by any 

 possibility requu'e, at little more than cost price. Fame is hard to 

 win, and human praise is the last thing Lord George would desire, 

 but efforts such as his must at length succeed ; nor can I doubt that 

 even in this world his long patience will reap its reward, and a wild 

 tenantry will yet hail as their great benefactor the man whose long 

 suffering they have so cruelly tried, and whose love they have so 

 vainly laboured to extinguish. 



The early autumn evening fell before we had fished half our way 

 home ; but we had done our best, as our backs testified, whilst we 

 trudged wearily along the last two miles of road. Did we wish the 

 load lighter? You may swear we did not. How well I can still 

 see our host's quiet smile as he surveyed the spoils spread on the 

 floor. 



" Eight salmon and eleven trout. Youi' honour hasn't forgot the 

 way to do it." 



" Where is the fish I sent home in the morning ? I should like to 

 look at it before the cook has it." 



*' Do you mean the one the gentleman brought in ? " 



' Yes, exactly ; he kindly offered to take it." 



" Why, he ordered it to be boiled for his early dinner, before 

 starting for Deny, and the servants finished it. I hope you did not 

 want it." 



If ever I catch a curiosity again, see if I part with it on any 

 pretext whatsoever. 



