276 FISHES AND FISHING. 



the house, and heard the following related as having 

 actually occurred there. A poor man stationed him- 

 self so as to enjoy the savoury smell emanating from 

 the kitchen, and ate a piece of dry bread ; no doubt 

 knowing that M. B. was a humourist and a kind- 

 hearted man, and that he was then within hearing, 

 said, " "Well, I have now enjoyed my dry bread under 

 the smell of this cookery, as well as if I had gone 

 inside and had my dinner." M. B. told the man, 

 that as he was so satisfied, he (M. B.) thought he ought 

 to receive some payment for the advantage derived ; 

 to which the man demurred, saying he had had no 

 property of M. B.'s; that which he enjoyed cost M. 

 B. nothing, and he had no power over it. M. B., 

 seeing a gentleman coming down Nassau Street, pro- 

 posed to refer the case to him. The gentleman, on 

 being addressed, stopped, very civilly heard the state- 

 ment of both parties ; he then asked M. B. for two 

 clean plates, and the poor man for a piece of money ; 

 he turned one plate over the other, placing the money 

 between, and holding them near M. B.'s ear, caused 

 the money to rattle between the plates, asking if he 

 heard that ; on M. B. replying in the affirmative, he 

 returned the money to the poor man, and the plates 

 to M. B., saying, " This case having been referred 

 to me, I decide, that as the poor man has been satis- 

 fied with the smell of your meat, you must be satisfied 



