220 AN ANGLER AT LARGE 



plain. But if you will leave these fish with Mrs. 

 Pescod from me I shall be very grateful. It will 

 save me ten minutes." I agreed to distribute 

 his favours for him. I did not see why Mrs. Pescod 

 should go without trout because I resented his 

 monstrous request. You will recollect, perhaps, 

 that I had missed the rise by which he had pro- 

 fited. No decent man in his position could have 

 suggested to a man in mine the cartage of his 

 successes. But I hope^^i do not need to labour 

 this point. 



Purfling went away, leaving in my creel two 

 noble trout of about 2 Ib. each. The fellow can 

 surely fish. 



Mrs. Pescod's supper was provided, but the 

 dinner of my wife, two hungry fellows, and my- 

 self (and I had had no tea) still consisted of 

 a meagre chicken. It behoved me to bestir my- 

 self. 



I bestirred myself accordingly as far as the 

 run below the mill pool, which I reached by half- 

 past six. At this time, I knew, Cha vender and 

 Wickham must be already in the house, or at 

 any rate approaching it with frightful velocity. 

 On my way I had risen and failed to catch one 

 young grayling. The surface of the run below 

 the mill pool remained unbroken during the 

 five anxious minutes which I spent in scanning 



