12 EASY-CHAIR MEMORIES 



was the end of my first day's fishing. I was 

 not a bit disheartened. On the contrary, I 

 mean to have another go at the river to- 

 morrow. 



FIRE 



To-morrow has now arrived, and this is 

 what happened. I was preparing for the 

 start, when a lady rushed into my room, pale 

 and distracted, crying out, " A terrible thing 

 has happened. Mr. G.'s man (being the 

 new old friend I mentioned at first) has just 

 come in to say that his country residence, a 

 couple of miles away, has been burnt to the 

 ground, all his valuables destroyed, and he 

 had not paid his insurance ! It means a loss 

 of thousands to him. 7 ' This terrible affair 

 upset my fishing arrangements for this day. 

 I determined to walk over and have a look 

 at the wreck of the old mansion myself. I 

 had a pleasant ramble through the fields till 

 I came near the spot, when the smoke from 

 the burning edifice coming full in my face 

 had a very peculiar smell, not at all like 

 what one would expect from the ancient 

 timbers of an old house, and then I came in 



