XXVI 



OF SPECIALISED CONVERSATION AND 

 OF A DINNER 



HA VENDER has been here again, drinking 

 V-/ tea and killing my fishes. With him came 

 Wickham. 



My wife and I are lovers of good talk, and these 

 two men are notable talkers. We had both 

 promised ourselves much pleasure from their 

 whimsicalities, and had consoled ourselves for the 

 loss of their society, during the first day of their 

 visit, by the anticipation of that which they would 

 say to us, and to one another, when they should 

 finally be driven within doors by the darkness. 

 This first day, then, drew at length to a close, and 

 after the waders of Wickham and Chavender had 

 been removed, after Chavender 's first cup of tea 

 had been poured out that is to say, about quarter- 

 past ten at night we were, the four of us, seated 

 in the drawing-room, and 1 told the company 

 about the angling which I had done that day. 

 Now, I had not fished above two evening hours 



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