OF OBERHAUSEN ON A SEA-STREAM 257 

 him, for he said that in such a sun angling was 

 folly, and affected a reluctance to begin. But 

 when he dropped his flies on to the smooth, 

 gliding surface, a yard from the inner side of the 

 V, out from the foam came a great black fin, 

 inspected the butcher and the red-and-teal, swam 

 all round them, followed them down and across 

 the stream, thought better of it and returned 

 whence it had come. " Did you see that ? " cried 

 Oberhausen. Yes, we had undoubtedly seen that. 

 " It's far too bright," said Oberhausen. We en- 

 couraged him to continue. He cast into the broken 

 water, and a fish seized one of his flies with a rush. 

 Oberhausen drove the hook home, ran his fish 

 down into the calmer water, mastered him, netted 

 him, and came to land ; 4 Ib. 



"A fine fish," said Oberhausen. "Clean run." 

 He pointed with pride to the obscene sea-lice 

 which infested the trout. " I doubt it's too bright," 

 he went on. " Aren't my flies too big ? " " Go 

 into the water," said I, as I poleaxed the fish with 

 the handle of the net. " Go back into the water, 

 and don't waste your breath in such foolishness. 

 Heaven smiles on you. Deserve its smiles. To 

 work ! " The Adelphi now approached. " What 

 is this fish ? " asked Demea. " A pike ? " " Nay," 

 said Micio, " it is a John Dory." And they 

 laughed. They could jest like that in the presence 



