stored 'em hisself. Well, when they come to
make up (and o' coorse he'd chudged the men for the stores, ah! and
chudged 'em high!) they went t'rew the stores an' found as he'd weighted
up the sugar and such like wi' flagstone! Well, they made it sa hot for
him at Yarmouth that he had ta mewve ta Lowestoft, and he was allust
called Flagstone Smith arter that. I reckon as the Guv'nor heerd the
yarn and liked it. Ha! Ha! Ha!"

And it isn't a bad yarn for one which is actually true in every respect.

About the same time, or a little later (for it is impossible to fix the
date of these letters definitely), Fitzgerald wrote:--

"WOODBRIDGE, _Saturday_.

"MY DEAR LAD,

"I suppose the Lugger had returned, and that you had gone out in her
again before my last Note, with Newson's Paper, reached you. I have a
fancy that you will go home this evening. But whether you are not
[_sic_] do not _stay_ at home to answer me. I have felt, as I said,
pretty sure that the Boat was back from Harwich: and we have had no
such weather as to make me anxious about you. One night it blew; but
not a gale: only a strong Wind.

"I shall be expecting Newson up next week.

"I have thought of you while I have been walking out these fine
moonlight nights. But I doubt your fish must have gone off before
this.

"You see I have nothing to say to you; only I thought you might to
[_sic_] hear from me whenever you should come back.

"E. FG."

CHAPTER VIII
HOW FISHERS FISHED

The poor mackerel season ended in the second week of July. Why, when
mackerel were so scarce, the _Meum and Tuum_ did not give up the fishing
and try for "midsummer herring" it is difficult to understand, and Posh
does not remember the reason, if there was one. Possibly the change of
nets, etc., etc., was too much trouble. Anyhow, the season was
unprofitable for the mackerel boats. On Monday, July 13th, FitzGerald
was still on the _Scandal_ at Lowestoft, and wrote from there to Mr.
Spalding (_Two Suffolk Friends_, p. 113): "Posh made up and paid off on
Saturday. I have not yet asked him, but I suppose he has just paid his
way, I mean so far as Grub goes. . . . Last night it lightened to the
South, as we sat in the Suffolk Gardens--I, and Posh, and Mrs. Posh. . . ."

The "making up" may require some little explanation. The "drift"
fishing--i.e. the herring and mackerel fishing (for though sprats and
pi