BEFORE THE FLOOD. 15 



and claret bottles in the inn-cellar. The 

 bottle which my hostess brought me was one 

 of these, with the label still damp ; but it 

 was none the worse for that. The oldest 

 inhabitant has no recollection of such a 

 terrible flood as that of last May ; indeed, it 

 is supposed to be over a hundred years since 

 one like it occurred. Many a time, as a boy, 

 have I seen the old river come down in its 

 fury, covering acres of meadow-land, and 

 carrying on its expanded breast stacks of 

 hay and huge timber-trees ; but never had 

 there been, in my early recollection, anything 

 like the destruction wrought by the floods of 

 last May. 



After lunch I was sufficiently infatuated to 

 try again at the river. I was told by the 

 landlady that a veteran in the neighbourhood 

 had, only a few days before, brought in 

 seventeen fine trout and why not I ? It is 

 true, he had everything in his favour : he 

 knew the water, he had a personal acquain- 

 tance with all the flies, he had a full river and 

 charming weather ; while I had the worst 

 possible weather a sleety day with a cold 

 north wind and water which, in spite of the 

 rain, was bright and low. 



My few hours' fishing in the Lugg was 

 a failure. I am certain that no one could 

 c 



