Salmon Fishing". 229 



fear at all of our coming off second-best. We 

 had money enough to provide armaments on 

 such a scale that the world had never witnessed 

 the like before. And as to pluck and hardihood, 

 let him just look at "Young England" now, 

 and say, if they were not a match for any 

 nation in the world ? 



I am afraid, I said, you will get from our 

 present Government three or four millions, but 

 were the whole population of Great Britain 

 canvassed, not one farthing would a large 

 majority declare you should have. 



With a good-humoured smile, but in a most 

 confident manner, he knew from the best 

 authority, that at the very least ten millions 

 would be the amount we should have to pay ; 

 and any wager he was open to that his words 

 would prove true. 



He looked very hard at me, when I told 

 him I meant to stay where I was for a few 

 days more ; wondering, no doubt, what amuse- 

 ment I could find in rambling rod-in-hand, or 



