152 A DISCOMFITURE. 



" No, he wont take it no how. Give him a frog ; he 

 seems a difficult fish." 



Piscator did tender him a very lively one in vain ; in 

 short, he offered him every bait he could possibly think 

 of, running through all the devices and temptations he 

 was master of. Cautious in his approaches, that the 

 supposed fish might not see him, he always advanced to 

 make his cast upon his knees, to the no small merriment 

 of his friends, who were looking at him through a 

 telescope from the windows of the mansion. 



Well, thus he spent the whole morning ; waiting, 

 however, at times, for a cloud to intercept the sun- 

 beams, and a breath of air to ruffle the surface of the 

 water. When these came, he would set to work again 

 with renovated hopes ; till at last, tired and discomfited, 

 he bent his steps homewards. On his arrival there, he 

 was accosted on the very threshold by some of the 

 guests. 



" Oh ! you have been fishing all the morning, I see ; 

 but what could make you stay out so long, and get 

 away so cunningly with the keeper ? " 



" Why, to tell you the truth, Barnes (you know 

 what a good creature he is) told me of an immense pike 

 that was lying amongst the weeds at the end of the 

 lake ; he must be the same that swallowed the cygnets. 

 I never saw so enormous a monster in fresh Avater." 



Omnes. — "Well, where is he — where is he? let us 

 look at him." 



Host. — " John, tell the cook we will have him for 

 dinner to-day. — Dutch sauce, remember." 



Piscator. — " You need not be in such a hurry to 



