52 EASY-CHAIR MEMORIES 



before I could strike he spat it out. I allowed 

 him time for thought. He said to himself, 

 "Sorry I didn't hold on." I could read his 

 thoughts, for he looked hungry, and began 

 to lash about with his tail, still with his eye 

 on my " Lord Rosebery." I gave him another 

 chance, and he greedily seized it. I am 

 pretty sure he was the same pompous fellow 

 I had stoned yesterday. I was disappointed 

 in this fish. He gave in too easily; he was a 

 coward in his heart, as many of your boastful, 

 blustering fellows are ; there seemed to be no 

 fight in him. He came to bank, and sub- 

 mitted to his fate like a stupid chub. He 

 must have been in a sort of trance. Ten 

 minutes or a quarter of an hour after I 

 thought I had killed him I took him home 

 and put him on the scales to be weighed 

 he suddenly woke up and jumped off the 

 scales on our housemaid's toes. Instead of 

 weighing 3 lb., as the old gardener said he 

 would, he barely turned the scales at 2 lb. ! 

 He was a remarkably handsome fish ; but 

 when I examined his flesh he seemed a bit 

 flabby a melancholy sort of fish, disappointed 

 in love perhaps. 



