"Mimi Pinson est une blonde,
Une blonde que l'on connaît.
Elle n'a qu'une robe au monde,
Landerirette!
Et qu'un bonnet."

I laid aside my rod, folded my arms, and when he had done, applauded
ironically.

"Very good," I said. "I understand the situation. We are here, at
some--indeed, I may say, considering the state of our exchequer, at a
considerable mutual expense; not to catch fish, but to afford Herr
Müller an opportunity of exercising his extensive memory, and his
limited baritone voice. The entertainment is not without its
_agréments_, but I find it dear at the price."

"_Tiens_, Arbuthnot! let us fish seriously. I promise not to open my
lips again till you have caught something."

"Then, seriously, I believe you would have to be silent the whole night,
and all I should catch would be the rheumatism. I am the worst angler in
the world, and the most unlucky."

"Really and truly?"

"Really and truly. And you?"

"As bad as yourself. If a tolerably large and energetic fish did me the
honor to swallow my bait, the probability is that he would catch me. I
certainly shouldn't know what to do with him."