Imagine a white sheet, fifty feet long, varnished with red-hot silver. There were twenty barrels in this single net. By dint of fresh hands they got half of her in, and then the meshes began to break; the men leaned over the gunwale, and put their arms round blocks and masses of fish, and so flung them on board; and the codfish and dogfish snapped them almost out of the men's hands like tigers. At last they came to a net which was a double wall of herring; it had been some time in the water, and many of the fish were dead; they tried their best, but it was impracticable; they laid hold of the solid herring, and when they lifted up a hundred-weight clear of the water, away it all tore, and sank back again. They were obliged to cut away this net, with twenty pounds sterling in her. They cut away the twine from the head-ropes, and net and fish went to the bottom. All hands were now about the cutter; Christie's nets were all strong and new; they had been some time in the water; in hauling them up her side, quantities of fish fell out of the net into the water, but there were enough left. She averaged twelve barrels a net. Such of the yawls as were not quite full crept between the cutter and the nets, and caught all they wanted. The projector of this fortunate speculation suddenly announced that she was very sleepy. Flucker rolled her up in a sail, and she slept the sleep of infancy on board her cutter. When she awoke it was seven o'clock in the morning, and her cutter was creeping with a smart breeze about two miles an hour, a mile from Newhaven pier. The yacht had returned to Granton, and the yawls, very low in the water, were creeping along like snails, with both sails set. The news was in Edinburgh long before they landed. They had been discerned under Inch Keith at the dawn. And the manner of their creeping along, when there was such a breeze, told the tale at once to the keen, experienced eyes that are sure to be scanning the sea. Donkey-carts came rattling down from the capital. Merchants came pelting down to Newhaven pier. The whole story began to be put together by bits, and comprehended. Old Johnstone's cleverness was recalled to mind. The few fishermen left at Newhaven were ready to kill themselves. Their wives were ready to do the same good office for La Johnstone. Four Irish merchants agreed to work together, and to make a show of competition, the better to keep the price down within bounds. It was hardly fair, four men against one innocent unguarded female. But this is a wicked world. Christie landed, and proceeded to her own house; on the way she was met by Jean Carnie, who debarrassed her of certain wrappers, and a handkerchief she had tied round her head, and informed her she was the pride of Newhaven. She next met these four little merchants, one after another.