which, having nothing else to do, they did, as a matter of course.

"No," said Macey; "been too busy over our books."

The churchwarden laughed.

"Oh, yes, I suppose so, sir. You look just the sort of boy who would
work himself to death over his learning. Tired of fishing?"

"I'm not," said Vane. "Have there been many up here lately?"

"Swarms," said the miller. "Pool's alive with roach and chub sometimes,
and up in the dam for hundreds of yards you may hear the big tench
sucking and smacking their lips among the weeds, as if they was waiting
for a bit of paste or a fat worm."

"You'll give us a day's fishing any time we like to come then, Mr
Rounds?" said Vane.

"Two, if you like, my lads. Sorry I can't fit you up with tackle, or
you might have a turn now."

"Oh, I shan't come and fish that way," cried Macey. "I've tried too
often. You make all kinds of preparations, and then you come, and the
fish won't bite. They never will when I try."

"Don't try enough, do he, Master Lee?"

"Yes, I do," cried Macey. "I like fishing with a net, or I should like
to have a try if you ran all the water out of the dam, so that we could
see what fish were in."

"Yes, I suppose you'd like that."

"Hi! Look there, Vane," cried Macey, pointing to a newly-painted boat
fastened by its chain to one of the willows. "I'm ready for a row if
Mr Rounds would lend us the boat."

"Nay, you'd go and drown yourself and Master Vane too."

"Pooh! as if we couldn't row. I say, Mr Rounds, do lend us the boat."

"Oh, well, I don't mind, my lads, if you'll promise to be steady, and
not get playing any games."

"Oh, I'll promise, and there's no need to ask Lee. He's as steady as
you are."

"All right, lads; you can have her. Oars is inside the mill. I'll show
you. Want to go up or down?"

"I don't care," said Macey.

"If you want to go down stream, I shall have to slide the boat down the
overshoot. Better go up, and then you'll have the stream with you
coming back. Hello, here's some more of you."

This was on his seeing Distin and Gilmore coming in the other direction,
and Macey shouted directly:

"Hi! We've got the boat. Come and have a row."

Gilmore was willing at once, but Distin held off for a few moments, but
the sight of the newly-painted boat, the clear water of the sunlit
river, and the glowing tints of the trees up where the stream wound
along near the edge of the wood, were too much for him, and he