afe in my boat--I need not stop to listen."

"But what did you mean?"

"By what?"

"All that."

"Short and comprehensive!" said Mr. Linden--"come up on the other side,
Faith, the current is less strong. All about seeking our fortune, do
you mean? Did you never hear of any other extraordinary prince and
princess who did the same?"

"If I am not adrift in the boat, I am in my wits!" said Faith,--"and
with no sail nor rudder either. Why are those fishermen interesting,
Endecott?"

"Why my child," he said, "in the supposititious case which I put, they
were interesting as having fish, while we had none. But in the
reality--they were picturesque in the distance,--what they are near by
we will see," he added with a smile at her, as the sail came round and
the little boat shot up alongside of her rough-looking relation. "Well
friends, what cheer?--besides a May morning and a fair wind?"

The fishermen slowly dragging their net, hoarsely speculating on its
probable weight of fish, paused both their oars and tongues and looked
at him. One of the men had the oars; the other at the end of the boat
was hauling in, hand over hand.

"That's about all the cheer you want, I guess,--aint it?" said this
man. It was said freely enough, but with no incivility.

"Not all _I_ want," said Mr. Linden,--while the oarsman, rolling his
tobacco in his mouth, came out with--

"Shouldn't wonder, now, if 'twan't much in your line o'
business!--guess likely you be one o' the mighty smart folks that don't
do nothin'."

"I've no objection to being 'mighty smart'," said Mr. Linden, belaying
his rope with a light hand, "but I shouldn't like to pay such a price
for it. Smartness will have to come down before I'm a purchaser."

The man looked at him with a queer little gleam crossing his face--

"Shouldn't wonder if you hadn't took it when it was down!" he said.

"It's a great thing to know the state of the market," said Mr. Linden.
"I suppose you find that with your fish."

"Gen'lly do, when we take 'em,"--said the man at the net, who never
took his eye off the overhauling boat and its crew. He was not a young
man, but a jovial-looking fellow. "What fish be _you_ arter, stranger?"

"Somewhat of a variety," Mr. Linden said with a smile. "What makes the
fish come into your net?"

"Haven't an idee!" said the man--"without it bees that fish is very
onintelligent creturs. I don't suppose fish has much brains, sir. And
so they goes further a