32 AN EVENING AT BELLEEK. 



chattering, stumbling up the dark staircase, 

 and disencumbering themselves of their wet 

 macintoshes, the Parson and the Captain 

 entered the room. 



" What on earth have you been doing all 

 this time?" said the Squire: "you did not 

 expect that any salmon, who had the least 

 regard for his own health or respectability, 

 would be out on such a day as this ? " 



" Not a wise one, certainly," said the 

 Parson, diving, as he spoke, under the cur- 

 tain, to get at his dry clothes ; " but Pat 

 Gallagher says, philosophically, that there is 

 always a fool to be met with everywhere — 

 and we have met with a good many. Do 

 you smell nothing yet ? Anne and Sally are 

 cooking salmon-steaks enough to provision a 

 garrison." 



Indeed, the savoury smell of the broiling 

 salmon had already begun to ooze through 

 the ill-laid floor, the cracks in which were so 

 wide, that one could almost reconnoitre from 

 above the operations of the kitchen beneath. 

 And, in a shorter time than could be con- 

 ceived possible, the whole party, in their dry 

 fishing-jackets and trousers, were seated 

 round a table heaped with every variety of 

 mountain luxury, of which the pink flakes 



