196 AN ANGLER AT LARGE 



I have seldom done a ruder thing, but I was not 

 myself. And this was nothing to what I could 

 have done had I not been resolved to show him 

 forbearance. I stared miserably at water which 

 nothing broke. The first spectral wreaths of the 

 river mists were lightening the darkness upon the 

 further bank. 



" Good master," unheard he had rejoined me 

 " prithee suffer a brother angler to make closer 

 acquaintance with that so-far-throwing wand." I 

 held out my split cane to him dumbly. He did 

 not take it, but he bent over it, peering at it 

 through the small square spectacles he wore. 

 "Aye," he said, " a pretty tool and a valiant. But 

 what device is this ? " " That," said I, in scorn of 

 him, " is the reel. You perceive, simple sir, that 

 the line, passing through these excellently con- 

 trived rings upon the so-valiant wand is retained 

 upon a central drum, and may be drawn off" (I 

 drew some off) " or rolled up at will by the miracu- 

 lous turning of this deft little pin." I wound up, 

 as ironically as I might. 



Again my humour failed to touch him. His 

 eyes were round with amazement and delight. " Is 

 it even so ? " he breathed reverently. I perceived 

 that I had to do with a lunatic or a supreme artist, 

 in either of which cases everything must be forgiven 

 him. Humouring him or playing up to him I 



