At six o'clock the next morning we went to the scene
of action. 1 gave my visitor the cork line to pay
over the side of the punt, and I did the same with
the lead line, whilst the fisherman made the circuit



FISHES AND FISHING. 251

irith the boat : my companion begged me to stop a
moment, till he put on his gloves, and, to the astonish-
ment of the fisherman and myself, he put on a pair
of kid gloves, but little soiled ; they soon, however,
became too dirty ever to be cleaned, so he left them
in the punt ; and when we had finished our sport,
went to the inn, washed his hands, had some rum or
brandy and milk, put on a clean pair of kid gloves to
walk home to breakfast. I had the pleasure of taking
with me a leash of good pike, or rather jack, for nei-
ther of them attained four pounds, therefore were not
pike. The fisherman, who did not know the gentle-
man's name, used often to inquire after him, as the
gentleman who wore gloves when he went netting ;
and we often laughed at the occurrence, till the death
of the poor young man stayed any mirthful recollec-
tions of him.
