eye, received the
distinguished guests in person. Wilkinson replied to her bow and curtsey
with a dignified salutation, but the lawyer shook hands with her,
saying: "I hope you're very well, Madame; it's a lovely place you have
here." Madame replied that it was lofely when the moustique was not, and
summoned Pierre to help the dominie off with his knapsack, saying
"permettit me," as she unfastened the straps of Coristine's, and removed
that burden, which she deposited upon a table in the sitting-room
adjoining the hall. Pierre, a bald-headed French-Canadian, hiding his
lack of hair under a red tuque, and sporting a white moustache of large
dimensions, arrived too late to help the schoolmaster, but he elevated
his eyebrows, grimaced, rubbed his hands, and slid his feet apart, in
pleased welcome.

"Ze chentlemans ave come to feesh lika many in ze springa monses?
Feeshing not so coot as zen, bot in ze cool place vare is oles onder ze
trees feesh lorrik. Is zat spoken correct, zat vord lorrik? I ave learn
it from Meestare Bulky. O, a ver great feesherman."

Wilkinson replied that lurk was an excellent word, and very expressive
of the conduct of fish in warm weather, explaining that he was no
fisherman himself, but that his friend was attached to that kind of
sport.

"Dinnare, Messieu, in one hour," remarked Madame, as she returned to her
duties.

"Where can I get fishing tackle, landlord?" asked the lawyer.

"At ze store, zare is onelly one. You vill not lose yourself long in
zisa city," replied mine host with an attempt at wit.

Wilkinson remained in the cool parlour, inspecting the plates on the
walls and a few books on a side table. The latter were chiefly poor
novels in English, left by former guests as not worth taking home, but
among them was a thoroughly French paper-bound copy of Alphonse Karr's
Voyage autour de mon Jardin. Falling into an easy chair, the
schoolmaster surrendered himself to the charming style and subtle humour
of this new found treasure.

The lawyer went straight to Mr. Bigglethorpe's store, and found himself,
at the time, its sole customer. The proprietor was an Englishman of some
five and thirty years, tall and thin, wearing a long full beard and
overhanging moustache. He sold fishing tackle and was himself a
fisherman, the latter being the reason why he had come to the Beaver
River and set up store. It occupied him when fishing was poor, and
helped to check the consumption of his capital