"It is a singular request," she replied, "and one," she smiled, "self-sacrificing indeed for an angler to grant, for he weighs at least three pounds.However, since he seems a friend of yours, here goes--" And with the gladdest, most grateful sound in the world, the happy smack of a fish back home again in the water, after an appalling three minutes spent on land, that prophetic trout was once more an active unit in God's populous universe.
"Now that's good of you," I said, with thankful eyes, "and shows a kind heart.""And kind hearts, they say, are more than coronets," she replied merrily, indulging in that derisive quotation which seems to be the final reward of the greatest poets.
For a moment there was a silence, during which I confess to wondering what I should say next.However, she supplied my place.
"But of course," she said, "you owe it to me, after this touching display of humanitarianism, to entertain me with your reason for interposing between me and my just trout.Was it one of those wonderful talking fishes out of the Arabian Nights, or are you merely an angler yourself, and did you begrudge such a record catch to a girl?""I see," I replied, "that you will understand me.That trout was, so to speak, out of the Arabian Nights.Only five minutes ago it was a May-day madness of mine to think that he leaped out of the water and gave me a highly important message.So I begged his life from a mere fancy.It was just a whim, which I trust you will excuse.""A whim! So you are a follower of the great god Whim," she replied, with somewhat of an eager interest in her voice."How nice it is to meet a fellow-worshipper!""Do women ever have whims?" I respectfully asked.
"I don't know about other women," she replied."Indeed, I'm afraid I'm unnatural enough to take no interest in them at all.
But, as for me,--well, what nonsense! Tell me some more about the trout.What was the wonderful message he seemed to give you?
Or perhaps I oughtn't to ask?"
"I'm afraid," I said, "it would hardly translate into anything approaching common-sense.""Did I ask for common-sense?" she retorted.It was true, she hadn't.But then I couldn't, with any respect for her, tell her the trout's message, or, with any respect for myself, recall those atrocious doggerel lines.In my dilemma, I caught sight of a pretty book lying near her fishing-basket, and diverted the talk by venturing to ask its name.
" 'T is of Aucassin and Nicolete," she replied, with something in her voice which seemed to imply that the tender old story would be familiar to me.My memory served me for once gallantly.
I answered by humming half to myself the lines from the prologue,--"Sweet the song, the story sweet, There is no man hearkens it, No man living 'neath the sun, So outwearied, so foredone, Sick and woful, worn and sad, But is healed, but is glad 'T is so sweet.""How charming of you to know it!" she laughed."You are the only man in this county, or the next, or the next, who knows it, I'm sure.""Are the women of the county more familiar with it?" I replied.
"But tell me about the trout," she once more persisted.
At the same moment, however, there came from a little distance the musical tinkle of a bell that sounded like silver, a fairy-like and almost startling sound.
"It is my lunch," she explained."I'm a worshipper of the great god Whim too, and close by here I have a little summer-house, full of books and fishing-lines and other childishness, where, when my whim is to be lonely, I come and play at solitude.If you'll be content with rustic fare, and promise to be amusing, it would be very pleasant if you'd join me."O! most prophetic and agreeable trout! Was it not like the old fairy tales, the you-help-us and we'll-help-you of Psyche and the ants?
It had been the idlest whim for me to save the life of that poor trout.There was no real pity in it.For two pins, I had been just as ready to cut it open, to see if by chance it carried in its belly the golden ring wherewith I was to wed the Golden--However, such is the gratitude of nature to man, that this little thoughtless act of kindness had brought me face to face with --was it the Golden Girl?
