"No--and yet sometimes I fancy that I do; though, seeing that she died
when I was quite a kid, it must be only fancy. I wish she'd lived," his
voice became still lower; "I wish I had a brother, or a sister,
especially a sister--By George! that's a fine stream! Did you see that
fish jump, Howard?"

"No, I was too much occupied in jumping myself. I thought by your
exclamation that something had happened to the carriage or the horses,
and that we were on the verge of a smash-up. Let it jump if it amuses
it."

"So it may--if I don't catch it," said Stafford, pulling up the horses
near the bank of the stream.

"Do you mean to tell me that you are going to fish?" demanded Howard,
with a groan. "My dear Stafford, I know that being that abominable
thing--a sportsman--you are consequently mad; but you might have the
decency to curb your insanity out of consideration for the wretched man
who has the misfortune to be your companion, and who plainly sees that
this period of sunshine is a gilded fraud, and that presently it will
rain again like cats and dogs."

Stafford laughed. He had got down and dragged out a rod and a
fishing-basket.

"Sorry, old chap," he said, "but no fisherman could lose such a chance
as this, even to save his best friend from rheumatic fever. I thought
we should come across a stream or two, and I put on these togs
accordingly." He wore a Norfolk suit of that wonderful Harris tweed