'Excuse my rising, gentlemen,' he said, in his slow, staid voice,
'but I am very weak, in spite of the Lord's goodness to me. You are
very kind to think of coming to my poor cottage,'

'Well, my man,' said the colonel, 'and how are you after your cold
bath? You are the heaviest fish I ever landed!'

'Pretty well, thank God, and you, sir. I am in your debt, sir, for
the dear life. How shall I ever repay you?'

'Repay, my good fellow? You would have done as much for me.'

'May be; but you did not think of that when you jumped in; and no
more must I in thanking you. God knows how a poor miner's son will
ever reward you; but the mouse repaid the lion, says the story, and,
at all events, I can pray for you. By the bye, gentlemen, I hope
you have brought up some trolling-tackle?'

'We came up to see you, and not to fish,' said Lancelot, charmed
with the stately courtesy of the man.

'Many thanks, gentlemen; but old Harry Verney was in here just now,
and had seen a great jack strike, at the tail of the lower reeds.
With this fresh wind he will run till noon; and you are sure of him
with a dace. After that, he will not be up again on the shallows
till sunset. He works the works of darkness, and comes not to the
light, because his deeds are evil.'

Lancelot laughed. 'He does but follow his kind, poor fellow.'