THE LADY OR THE SALMON .^ 115 



' " No, sir,'' said Robins, affably. " Wish you 

 joy, sir, and Miss Olive, too. It's a pity, though ! 

 Master Dick, he throws a fine fly, but he gets 

 flurried with a big fish, being young. And this 

 one is a topper." 



'With that he gave me good-night, and I went 

 to bed, but not to sleep. I was fevered with happi- 

 ness ; the past and future reeled before my wake- 

 ful vision. I heard every clock strike ; the sounds 

 of morning were astir, and still I could not sleep. 

 The ceremony, for reasons connected with our 

 long journey to my father's place in Hampshire, 

 was to be early — half-past ten was the hour. I 

 looked at my watch ; it was seven of the clock, and 

 then I looked out of the window : it was a fine, 

 soft, grey morning, with a south wind tossing the 

 yellowing boughs. I got up, dressed in a hasty 

 way, and thought I would just take a look at the 

 river. It was, indeed, in glorious order, lapping 

 over the top of the sharp stone which we regarded 

 as a measure of the due size of water. 



' The morning was young, sleep was out of the 

 question ; I could not settle my mind to read. 



