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Second, although the existing building is of compara- 

 tively modern date. Two or three of the pensioners 

 as usual are leaning over the parapet of the bridge 

 by which the road crosses the mill-stream, watching 

 the trout in the broad shallow reach above. Possibly 

 I might catch one there it has occasionally happened 

 but I am not fond of fishing before a gallery ; so, 

 passing them and making my way between the alms- 

 house and the mill-stream, I cross the hatch above 

 the mill and find myself in a narrow strip of garden 

 bounded on my right by the deep slow-flowing stretch 

 of water which forms the mill-lead, and upon the left 

 by a small water-meadow. Here I can already see 

 two or three fish quietly rising ; but, as I cannot 

 detect any fly coming down the stream, I suspect that 

 they are taking " curses," so decide that the medium- 

 sized Wickham which is attached to the fine point at 

 the end of my cast is as likely to do as any other fly, 

 or, at any rate, that I am too lazy to change it at 

 present. It is by no means an easy place from which 

 to approach a rising fish, as the bank is high, there is 

 a garden below me, and an apple-tree has been planted 

 at the outer edge of the gravel-path upon which I am 

 standing ; still I can sometimes manage to switch a 

 long line over a rise without catching the boughs behind 

 me, and this time fortunately, by the help of a favour- 

 able up-stream wind, the first cast goes very near the 

 right place without scaring the fish and at the second 

 offer the Wickham floats over him nicely cocked, and 

 he takes it gallantly. A short struggle ensues ; but 

 there is no refuge here, except a little riband-weed, 

 which is as useless for shelter as it is for holding food, 

 so in spite of his gallant efforts my fish is soon in the 



