ort."

"They fish with the lines set at night, baited with a small fish, and
catch, not only trout, but eels," said Karl. "You might try that. But
they do not catch many."

Helga had brought her father a large porcelain pipe with a long stem,
and the Pastor was smoking slowly and vigorously. Coffee was brought
in, and Helga offered Hardy a large pipe like her father's. This he
declined.

"Do you not smoke?" said the Pastor.

"Yes," replied Hardy; "but we are not accustomed to do so in a lady's
presence in England; and what an English gentleman would do in England
he should do in Denmark."

"Good," said the Pastor, "very good. But it is our custom to smoke.
The practice is habitual with us. Helga, will you speak?"

"I should be sorry you did not smoke, Herr Hardy," said Helga. "My
father likes to have some one smoking at the same time. It will be a
comfort to him."

So John lit a cigar with some misgiving; and he sent Karl up to his
room for a courier-bag, in which he had some fishing-books with
trout-flies. Karl and Axel looked at the English trout-flies with
interest.

"Those feathered things," said Karl, "I have seen used, but they only
catch small trout, and now and then a bleak. I have seen Englishmen
use them here from Randers."

John Hardy selected three flies and put them on a casting-line, and
wound it round his hat, and he said, "Now, will you two boys go with
me to fish at six o'clock to-morrow morning?"

"Yes, that will we," said Karl. "Kirstin will call us, and will have
coffee ready an hour earlier than usual, if you wish it."

"Am I disturbing your house, Herr Pastor," said Hardy, "by suggesting
this to your boys?"

"By no means," said the Pastor. "It is now Thursday, and we shall not
expect you to begin to teach them English until Monday, and the boys
can have a free time until then. We have breakfast at ten to eleven,
and you would have time to fish a little; and Kirstin will give you
some bread and butter and coffee at six."

"There is nothing unusual in this, Herr Hardy," said Froken Helga, in
reply to a look of surprise from Hardy. "It will put us to no
inconvenience."

"That may be," said the Pastor; "but I think you should clearly
understand that you are not likely to catch any trout."

"That," said Hardy, "we must leave to the trout to decide."

CHAPTER II.

"_Piscator._ Good morrow, sir! What, up and dressed
so early!
"_Viator._ Yes, sir. I have been dr