becomes excessively affectionate in his
terms--"My dear fellow, you ought to go to Surrey to see the larches,
and the firs." Boodels observes in a chilly sort of way that he doesn't
care for larches, _or_ firs.

In order to divert the stream of their conversation, I remark that I
have no doubt there's some capital trout fishing about here. I say this
on crossing a bridge.

"Ah!" says Chilvern, "see the trout in Somersetshire. My! Why in some
places you could catch twenty, with as many flies, all at once."

Cazell tops this without a pause; he says, "Ah! if you want trout you
should go to Shropshire. I _never_ saw such a place for trout. You've
only got to put your hand down, and you can take them asleep in the
ditches."

Milburd exclaims incredulously, "Oh yes," meaning, "Oh no."

"My dear boy," says Cazell, emphatically, "I assure you it's a known
thing. Tell a Shropshire man about trout in any other county, and he'll
laugh in your face."

Except for politeness, we feel, all of us, a strong inclination to act
like the ideal Shropshire man, under the present circumstances.

We enter an avenue.

The driver tells us we are approaching the house. We pass a large pond
partially concealed by trees. In the centre there is an island with a
sort of small ruined castle on it. It is, as it were, a Castle for One.

_Happy Thought._--Sort of place where a Hermit could play Solitaire. And
get excited over it. Who invented Solitaire? If it was a Hermit, why
didn't the eminent ascetic continue the idea and write a book of games?

_Happy Thought._--To call it "Games for Hermits."

Milburd exclaims, "Stunning place for fireworks. We might do the
storming of the Fortress there."

_Happy Thought._--"Good place," say, "for a retired study."

Cazell says, "I tell you what we ought to do with that; make it into
spare rooms. A castle for single gentlemen. They could cross in a boat
at night."

Chilvern is of opinion it ought to be restored, and made a gem of
architectural design.

Boodels says, if anything, he should like it to be an observatory, or,
on second thoughts, a large aquarium.

Cazell says at once, "If you want to see an aquarium you should go to
Havre."

Chilvern returns that there's a better one at Boulogne.

Milburd caps this by quoting the one at the Crystal Palace.

Cazell observes quickly that _the_ place for curious marine specimens is
Bakstorf in Central Russia.

"_You've_ never been to Central Ru