THE THAMES ANGLER. 7 



Jones. I treated my family and the governess to a dinner 

 when we were at Paris, at the what do yon call it — the Three 

 Provincial Brothers was the name. 



Brown. You mean, I think, the Trois Freres Provenceaux. 

 What did you pay ? 



Jones. Forty-two francs ahead; and I believed that was a 

 topping price. But I thought the flounders poor — very poor, 

 sir. Xo souchee. 



Robinson. It is a Dutch and English dish ; and we manage it 

 to perfection. I am to-day looking forward to the flounders. 



Piscator. Nay : rather the perch, about here, I think. 



Robinson. "Well, flounders or perch, the souchee is equally 

 good. 



Piscator. I spoke of taking them. 



Robinson. So did I— with brown bread and butter — any 

 quantity of brown bread and butter. 



Jones. "Well, give me a cut of salmon at Christmas, when it's 

 five shillings a pound, with a encumber at half-a -guinea. That 

 is my notion of fish. Any poor devil can eat it when it is cheap. 

 There is no fish like salmon. 



Brown. Fur my part 1 believe the cheap domestic sole is as 

 fine a fish as swims. We do not care about it because it costs 

 nothing. But it i- excellent fried ; and it is one of the very few 

 ] oints in which a private kitchen excels a tavern — to fry a sole 

 well; for I dislike the manner of the tavern, sir, or eating-house, 

 to send it up with its covering that all lifts off at once like a 

 piece of greasy brown paper. 



Robinson. It is equally good boiled, when fine, with shrimp 

 sauce; or broiled, with lemon and fresh butter, for breakfast. 



Brown. Or take it en gratin, <\ la Normande, en jHets, d la 

 Hollandaise — any how, what « 1 < > you think, sir? 



Piscator. Forsooth, the fish in which I do put most delight, 

 is that which is the most difficult to take. 



Jones. Just so; as Whitebait in December. 



Piscator. Pardon me, sir; I spoke as a lover of the rod. 



Robinson. A pedagogue, perhaps — from Eton it may be — of 

 the swish-tail slightlv ? 



Piscatou. Nay. Do you know Walton? 



Jones. I do : rather. There is an hotel at Oatlands adjoining, 

 used by the quality. My family stay there when we are painting 

 our house in Tyburnia. 



