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assembled, not for the purpose of eating fish (for they were all 

 led to believe that there had been no fish canght), but to give 

 my friend a severe chaffing ; and they did go at him and no 

 mistake for about twenty 'minutes, but he bore it with the 

 utmost magnanimity until the servant entered and announced 

 that supper was on the table. This announcement • rather 

 astonished and nonplussed them, and they looked at each other 

 in bewilderment. " Well," said my friend, " you have had a 

 good deal of fun at my expense, it is now my turn, but I 

 propose in the first place that we shall go and partake of the 

 supper that is waiting for us, then as a finisher I shall give you 

 an excellent dessert.' ' We aU sat down, about twenty in. number, 

 and every one seemed to enjoy himself, for the supper was 

 splendidly got up. After the supper was over and the cloth 

 drawn, the party began to discuss the merits of different kinds 

 of fish. One said he always thought Bream were the coarsest 

 of fresh water fish, and not worth the trouble of cooking. I 

 explained that there were two kiEds of Bream, and that the 

 white or silver Bream was certainly little worth, but the fish we 

 had just eaten were Carp Bream, and that I behoved them to be 

 very excellent fish. " O, yes," said one, " we have had ample 

 proof of that to-night ; for my part, I never eat anything in the 

 shape of fish that I liked half so weU." My friend now rose 

 and was about to deliver a tremendous broadside, when several 

 gentlemen got up and stopped him, one of them saying, " No 



Mr. , we are extremely obliged to you for the supper 



you promised and which we have aU enjoyed very much, and I 

 think I may say for every one in the room that we have had 

 quite sufficient without any dessert. We are willing to make 

 any sort of apology, or pay glasses round and round again, if 

 that will make things agreeable and pleasant, and atone for the 

 chaffing which we did wrong in giving you a short time ago." 

 " Well," said my friend, " I am satisfied ; but I must make one 

 remark : if any of you should come to understand the art of 

 Angling as I do, you will have the same confidence as I had, 

 and find no difficulty in providing a supper of fish when you 



