APRIL 87 



This, happily, was understood. The 

 stablemen turned, went to the other side 

 of the road, and looked over the parapet ; 

 then one of them sauntered off; and 

 very soon Lord Stanley, his quizzical 

 countenance in a state of interrogation, 

 came to a halt beside me. 



What should I say ? To own that I 

 had forgotten what I was to do if 

 I hooked a fish would not be the right 

 way out. It would be tactless, unkind, a 

 confession putting him to disappointment 

 and me to shame. I hastily wondered, 

 Could I lay the fault on the stablemen 

 without doing them any harm ? Think- 

 ing I might venture on this tack, I 

 said, wearily, that these yokels dem 'em 

 didn't understand the English of the 

 King God bless him ! 



This speech, which in a vague way I 

 felt to be not at random, but somehow 

 inspired, was exactly what the circum- 

 stances demanded. Instantly it brought 

 a look of understanding to the counten- 

 ance of Lord Stanley, who, turning upon 



