78 SALMON FISHING IN THE TWEED 



Xantippe possessed ! her). She sallied forth like 

 another Ceres in quest of her lost child. Half 

 frightened, half pleased, I could see her toiling up 

 the hill. " Master Harry ! Master Harry ! " re- 

 sounded shrilly through the woods and valleys : 

 even now methinks her voice rings in my ears. In 

 vain 



" Nor at the lawn, nor at the wood, was he." 



But when at length she returned, "alia solinga 

 valle," I stood confessed within the range of her 

 animated optics. She declared her sentiments with- 

 out reserve in very fluent language. I was an 

 obstropolous brat ; a perfect damon (demon), as fond 

 of dabbling in water as a sallymander. I should 

 catch it when she got hold of me, that I should. 

 This being intelligibly explained, I thought I would 

 delay that period as long as possible. To all this 

 eloquence, therefore, answer made I none ; but I 

 believe I looked and felt rather oddly. At length, 

 seeing her amble to and fro upon the banks, and 

 perceiving that she had the hydrophobia strong 

 upon her, I told her if she wanted me she must 

 come and fetch me, as I was forbidden to go into 

 the water. " Hang your imperance, I says, Master 

 Harry, but I'll find one as shall fetch you in a 

 twinkling!" So saying, the eloquent Martha 

 suited the action to the word, and ran round the 

 turn of the river, where it seems she knew the 

 keeper was fishing, who, I believe, in village phrase, 

 " kept company with her." Down comes John, a 

 good-natured fellow ; tickles me with the point of 

 his fishing rod in gamesome mood ; makes two or 



