184 AN ANGLER AT LARGE 



They still amaze me. I can even now hardly 

 believe that these things really took place. 



Now, I still tried to love Derry. The memory 

 of what he had been was not yet totally effaced. 

 Besides, I had promised him a dinner five years 

 ago, and as a man of honour I must carry out my 

 engagement. Therefore, near the end of the 

 performance, I asked him if he would dine with 

 me at my club on the following evening, for I 

 knew that he was to be but two nights in London 

 on this occasion. He answered that he had already 

 promised to dine that night with Thorns. There 

 followed a constrained silence, which Thorns at 

 length broke by saying that he hoped I would 

 dine with him and Derry. To this I replied that 

 I had an engagement for to-morrow night to dine 

 with some old friends out of which I could not 

 possibly escape. Then there was another con- 

 strained silence. 



I have never seen either Derry or Thorns again. 



That is why I am able so heartily to sympathise 

 with my wife when she found the fishing talk of 

 Wickham and Chavender insupportable. That is 

 why I insisted upon their talking about the drama. 



