u know," said the Bishop, when we had cast our flies, "if I were a
whole-hearted angler, I should not have brought three such restless spirits
on this expedition but truly I am--

'No fisher,
But a well-wisher
To the game!'

So, now that you are here, suppose I give you a lesson in manipulating your
tackling. If you proceed as you have begun, there will very soon not be so
much as a minnow within a mile of us. Easy now, Angel; just move your fly
gently on top of the water so that his bright wings may attract the eye of
the most wanton trout. Easy, John--by the lord, I've caught a Greyling! And
come and sniff him, and you'll find he smells of water-thyme."

How aptly we took to this sort of teaching, given in the fresh outdoors,
the air pleasant with honeysuckle, and a lark carolling high above us! We
could scarcely restrain our shouts when Angel's first trout was landed with
the aid of a net, and lay golden and white as a daffodil on the grass. So
absorbed were we that no one gave any heed to The Seraph, stationed farther
down stream, till a roar of rage discovered him, dancing empty-handed on
the bank, his rod sailing smartly down the stream, leaving only a wake of
tiny ripples.

"It was a 'normous lusty trout," he wailed, "as big as a whale, an' he
swallowed my grasshopper, an' hook, an' gave me _such_ a look! And I'd
pwomised him to Mary Ellen for her tea!"

"We may as well give up for a while," said the Bishop, mildly, "and have
some lunch. Bring The Seraph to me, boys, and I shall comfort him, whilst
you unpack the hamper."

What hearty, wholesome appetites we brought to the cold beef and radishes!
And how much more satisfying such fare than the milky messes served to us
by Mrs. Handsomebody! Harry had buried a bottle of ale under the cool sod,
and we had tastes of that to wash our victuals down. Even Charles Augustus
had a little of it poured into his cell to comfort him.

When we were satisfied, the Bishop retired to the shade of a hedge with his
pipe; The Seraph wandered off by himself to hunt for birds' nests; and
Angel and I took fresh flies and tried our luck anew. But the sun was high;
the south breeze was fallen; and the trout had sought their farthest
chambers in the pool.

Angel soon tired when sport flagged.

"Let's go find the kid," he said, throwing down the rod, "he'll be getting
himself drowned if we don't keep an eye on him. I'll race you to that
nearest apple tree!"

With nimble