2 22 WATERSIDE SKETCHES. 



observed the young lady who had been addressed as 

 •Sarah. 



" 'P'wapth not, Tharah,' he rejoined, with a greenish tinge 

 in his eye ; ' but, ath you thay, the great point ith that your 

 fith ith hooked thomehow.' 



"What possessed me, unless the thing called Fate, to 

 take part in a dialogue which had most evidently assumed a 

 meaning personal to the speakers, I know not, but I must 

 needs fix my eye upon the young man, and observe — 



"'Well, that depends on circumstances, you know. A 

 fish hooked foul, you should remember, has a very good 

 chance of shaking itself free.' 



"This was but a random shot, but, like many another bow 

 at a venture, it went home. The lisper changed to the 

 colour of tallow, while the nut-brown maid's face was 

 suddenly warmed from within by a crimson flush. However, 

 the mischief was done, and we separated in constraint. The 

 evening drew on apace, and at dusk we found ourselves 

 together again at the lodge, weighing the prize. 



" It was sunset. The woods were crowned with the golden 

 glow of the west; the lady stood in the reflection, its queen. 

 The boobiest of fellows sulked at the garden gate ; we could 

 afford to dispense with his company. 



" It is best to be particular : that fish weighed twenty-nine 

 pounds five ounces and one quarter, by the keeper's steel- 

 yard. 



" ' A very fine fish, sir. Good night,' the lady said. 



" ' Yes, very fine ; good night,' I answered, doffing my 

 deerstalker, of course ; the lout at the gate scowling covertly 

 the while. 



" And was that all ? What more would you wish ? 



