282 THE FALLS OF BALLYSHANNON. 



" I should not wonder," said the Captain. 

 " When I was on the Doon, some years ago, 

 the fishery was completely destroyed. The 

 late Marquess of Ailsa had established these 

 nets at the river's mouth, and the people 

 had left off preserving fish that they were 

 never to catch. But the present Marquess, 

 on coming to his title and property, and 

 seeing the injustice and impolicy of the 

 thing, ordered the obstruction to be re- 

 moved, and the river is as full of fish as 

 ever it was." 



" Why does not Parliament interfere, 

 and mend their own laws?" said the 

 Parson. 



" So they will, ultimately, when the effect 

 is felt on the markets. I do not suppose 

 that the public will be permanently injured ; 

 but, in the meantime, the present renters 

 are ruined, and, what is more to our purpose 

 now, whole hosts of water-keepers lose their 

 employment. Paddy is not the boy to sit 

 down quietly under that, while his trees 

 grow shillelaghs." 



" You expect another outbreak, then ?" 

 said the Squire. 



" I hope not," said the Parson. " Hector 



