a habit
which has become second nature with us, as the saying is. Three years
ago this summer I discovered a place, oh! such a spot! There, in the
shade, were eight feet of water at least and perhaps ten, a hole with a
retour under the bank, a regular retreat for fish and a paradise for
any fisherman. I might look upon that hole as my property, Monsieur le
President, as I was its Christopher Columbus. Everybody in the
neighborhood knew it, without making any opposition. They used to say:
'That is Renard's place'; and nobody would have gone to it, not even
Monsieur Plumsay, who is renowned, be it said without any offense, for
appropriating other people's places.

"Well, I went as usual to that place, of which I felt as certain as if
I had owned it. I had scarcely got there on Saturday, when I got into
'Delila,' with my wife. 'Delila' is my Norwegian boat, which I had
built by Fourmaise, and which is light and safe. Well, as I said, we
got into the boat and we were going to bait, and for baiting there is
nobody to be compared with me, and they all know it. You want to know
with what I bait? I cannot answer that question; it has nothing to do
with the accident; I cannot answer, that is my secret. There are more
than three hundred people who have asked me; I have been offered
glasses of brandy and liquors, fried fish, matelots,[1] to make me
tell! But just go and try whether the chub will come. Ah! they have
patted my stomach to get at my secret, my recipe. Only my wife knows,
and she will not tell it, any more than I shall! Is not that so, Melie?"

The President of the Court interrupted him:

"Just get to the facts as soon as you can."

The accused continued: "I am getting to them; I am getting to them.
Well, on Saturday. July 8, we left by the five twenty-five train, and
before dinner we went to ground-bait as usual. The weather promised to
keep fine, and I said to Melie: 'All right for to-morrow!' And she
replied: 'It looks like it.' We never talk more than that together.

"And then we returned to dinner. I was happy and thirsty, and that was
the cause of everything. I said to Melie: 'Look here Melie, it is fine
weather, so suppose I drink a bottle of Casque a meche. That is a
little white wine which we have christened so, because if you drink too
much of it it prevents you from sleeping and is the opposite of a
nightcap. Do you understand me?

"She replied: 'You can do as you please, but you will be ill again, and