"Nay," said Master Peasegood; "and it would behove thee better, good woman, if thou did'st not sprinkle these curses of thine about with so liberal a hand. Come along, father." "Yes, go along," cried the old woman, maliciously; "time-servers and makers of friendship with the ungodly as you are. But you'll see, you'll live to see." "She's a terrible old woman," said Master Peasegood, with a curious smile upon his lip; "and she seems to make my fat go cold, like unto that of venison on an unwarmed dish. I've given her up, father, as a bad nut to crack. The worst of it is, that if I turn prophet my sayings are never fulfilled; while, when she raises her voice, her prophesyings come to pass, and the simple folks here believe in her more than in me. But thank goodness, here we are." Three hundred paces brought them to the edge of the lake, over which the soft white mists were disappearing before the sun. The boat lay on the sandy beach, with a chain holding it fast to the trunk of an old willow; and, as soon as the basket and wallet had been laid in, Master Peasegood helped his friend to take his place. "I don't think I shall swamp the boat, Brother Brisdone," he said, laughing, as he sent the skiff well down in the water. "If I do, just you hold on tightly to my gown, for I'm too fat to sink." A hearty "Ha, ha, ha!" floated across the lake as he finished his speech; and then, taking the little oars, he proceeded to paddle across for some distance before pausing and opening the large basket he had brought. The first thing taken out was a large can of water with a lid pierced with holes; and then from the bag were shaken out a dozen bladders, each tied round the centre with a string and a loop. From his basket Master Peasegood then brought out a dozen goodly hooks, whose points were stuck in a piece of cork, and whose strings were neatly tied in a bunch; and, as he took them off, one by one, each was baited with a fresh young gudgeon from the can, the string attached to one of the bladders, and this dropped overboard to float away. In a short time the whole of the hooks were baited, and the lake dotted with the bladders that floated here and there, borne by the breeze or tugged by the lively gudgeons. Then, and then only, did Master Peasegood nearly upset the boat by leaning over the side to wash his hands, and smile at his companion. His smile was not perceived though, for Father Brisdone was sitting with one elbow upon his knee, his cheek upon his hand, gazing out and away at the soft landscape, with the Pool-house and its works glorified by the morning sun. "Now we'll sit and talk for awhile," said Master Peasegood, smiling jollily. "What do you say to a pleasant subject for discussion--say purgatory?" "Because thou hast been putting these poor gudgeons into a state of misery, brother?" said Father Brisdone.