g her in close ashore
and give the Fiddle-sand a wide berth while the tide flows."

"All right. Shove her off, Joe."

They had a glorious day. The sea had scarcely a ripple, and the sky
scarcely a cloud. The fish seemed to vie with one another in falling
upon the bait. The view of Templeton from the sea was perfect, and the
sharp outline of the Sprit Rock above them was grandeur itself.

Dick, as he lolled over the side of the boat, slowly hauling up his line
and speculating whether he had got two fish on each hook or only one,
felt supremely at peace with himself and all the world. The sandwiches
had been delicious, Cresswell and Freckleton had treated him like a
lord, the pile of fish on the floor of the boat was worthy of a
professional crew, the light breeze was just enough to keep the sun in
his place, and the sofa he had made for himself with Freckleton's ulster
in the bows was like a feather bed. Dick loved the world and everything
in it, and when Cresswell said, "Walk into those sandwiches, young 'un,"
he really thought life the sweetest task in which mortal can engage.

Cresswell and Freckleton were scarcely more proof against the luxury of
the morning. They chatted in a sort of sleepy undertone, as if they
knew all Nature was taking a nap and didn't want to be disturbed.

"How did you think old Jupiter got through levee?" asked Cresswell.

"Well, for those who wish him well," said the Hermit.

"Ah, he's an uphill job before him, and I fancy he knows it. If he ever
is down in the mouth, I think he was so last night after it was all
over."

"I thought so too," said Freckleton; "that is, I shouldn't call it down
in the mouth. He had headache; that's about the same thing."

"He's staked high. No one else would have dared to challenge the whole
school in the way he did," said Cresswell, dropping his voice, but
still, in the quiet air, not quite beyond Dick's hearing.

"It answered; it brought the right fellows to the front."

"And shut the wrong fellows hopelessly out?"

"I hope not. Many of them are only fools. They think it's plucky to
defy the powers that be, and quite forget it's pluckier to defy
themselves."

"That's a neat way of putting it, old man!"

"There's a big bite this time!" said the Hermit.

So there was--three fish on two hooks, and it was some time before the
diversion was disposed of.

"It's a pity every one can't be made to see he's his own worst enemy; it
would si