138 WITHIN AN HOUR OF LONDON TOWN. 



have been living with since you came about this 

 part of the country are related to me. You have 

 kept the old couple pretty cheerful since they have 

 had you in the house, they tell me." 



Presently he said, " If you see master when you 

 come round again, don't say anything to him about 

 trout." 



" Very well. But why ? " 



"I'll tell you. Did you notice the foot-bridge 

 below the wheel ? Well, just above that, close to 

 the wall, there was a big trout. He used to play 

 in a hole, and master used to feed him ; so did I. 

 He would come for it. He was a size, and no 

 mistake ! He would have weighed something by 

 this time if he had lived. Master was right down 

 proud of him, and no mistake ! He give us all 

 strict orders not to meddle with him. We let him 

 alone, but some one else come and interfered with 

 him a bit. It was like this : A young chap come 

 down here for his health and to study ; they said he 

 was going to be a parson. Well, our people go to 

 chapel regular; so did he. After a bit they got 

 acquainted like ; he used to come to tea, and so 

 on. I used to think he moved about middlin' 



