at　my　hole　it　was　already　taken！　Such　a　thing　had　never　happened
  to　me　in　three　years；　and　it　made　me　feel　as　if　I　were　being
  robbed　under　my　own　eyes。　I　said　to　myself；　Confound　it　all！
  confound　it！　And　then　my　wife　began　to　nag　at　me。　'Eh！　What　about
  your　Casque　a　meche！　Get　along；　you　drunkard！　Are　you　satisfied；
  you　great　fool？'　I　could　say　nothing；　because　it　was　all　quite
  true；　and　so　I　landed　all　the　same　near　the　spot　and　tried　to
  profit　by　what　was　left。　Perhaps　after　all　the　fellow　might　catch
  nothing；　and　go　away。
  〃He　was　a　little　thin　man；　in　white　linen　coat　and　waistcoat；　and
  with　a　large　straw　hat；　and　his　wife；　a　fat　woman　who　was　doing
  embroidery；　was　behind　him。
  〃When　she　saw　us　take　up　our　position　close　to　their　place；　she
  murmured：　'I　suppose　there　are　no　other　places　on　the　river！'　And
  my　wife；　who　was　furious；　replied：　'People　who　know　how　to　behave
  make　inquiries　about　the　habits　of　the　neighborhood　before
  occupying　reserved　spots。'
  〃As　I　did　not　want　a　fuss；　I　said　to　her：　'Hold　your　tongue；
  Melie。　Let　them　go　on；　let　them　go　on；　we　shall　see。'
  〃Well；　we　had　fastened　'Delila'　under　the　willow…trees；　and　had
  landed　and　were　fishing　side　by　side；　Melie　and　I；　close　to　the
  two　others；　but　here；　Monsieur；　I　must　enter　into　details。
  〃We　had　only　been　there　about　five　minutes　when　our　male
  neighbor's　float　began　to　go　down　two　or　three　times；　and　then　he
  pulled　out　a　chub　as　thick　as　my　thigh；　rather　less；　perhaps；　but
  nearly　as　big！　My　heart　beat；　and　the　perspiration　stood　on　my
  forehead；　and　Melie　said　to　me：　'Well；　you　sot；　did　you　see
  that？'
  〃Just　then；　Monsieur　Bru；　the　grocer　of　Poissy；　who　was　fond　of
  gudgeon　fishing；　passed　in　a　boat；　and　called　out　to　me：　So
  somebody　has　taken　your　usual　place；　Monsieur　Renard？　And　I
  replied：　'Yes；　Monsieur　Bru；　there　are　some　people　in　this　world
  who　do　not　know　the　usages　of　common　politeness。'
  〃The　little　man　in　linen　pretended　not　to　hear；　nor　his　fat　lump
  of　a　wife；　either。
  Here　the　President　interrupted　him　a　second　time：　〃Take　care；　you
  are　insulting　the　widow；　Madame　Flameche；　who　is　present。
  Renard　made　his　excuses：　〃I　beg　your　pardon；　I　beg　your　pardon；
  my　anger　carried　me　away。　Well；　not　a　quarter　of　an　hour　had
  passed　when　the　little　man　caught　another　chub　and　another　almost
  immediately；　and　another　five　minutes　later。
  〃The　tears　were　in　my　eyes；　and　then　I　knew　that　Madame　Renard
  was　boiling　with　rage；　for　she　kept　on　nagging　at　me：　'Oh！　how
  horrid！　Don't　you　see　that　he　is　robbing　you　of　your　fish？　Do　you
  think　that　you　will　catch　anything？　Not　even　a　frog；　nothing
  whatever。　Why；　my　hands　are　burning；　just　to　think　of　it。'
  〃But　I　said　to　myself：　'Let　us　wait　until　twelve　o　clock。　Then
  this　poaching　fellow　will　go　to　lunch；　and　I　shall　get　my　place
  again。　As　for　me；　Monsieur　le　President；　I　lunch　on　the　spot
  every　Sunday；　we　bring　our　provisions　in　'Delila。'　But　there！　At
  twelve　o'clock；　the　wretch　produced　a　fowl　out　of　a　newspaper；
  and　while　he　was　eating；　actually　he　caught　another　chub！
  〃Melie　and　I　had　a　morsel　also；　just　a　mouthful；　a　mere　nothing；
  for　our　heart　was　not　in　it。
  〃Then　I　took　up　my　newspaper；　to　aid　my　digestion。　Every　Sunday　I
  read　the　'Gil　Blas'　in　the　shade　like　that；　by　the　side　of　the
  water。　It　is　Columbine's　day；　you　know；　Columbine　who　writes　the
  articles　in　the　'Gil　Blas。'　I　generally　put　Madame　Renard　into　a
  passion　by　pretending　to　know　this　Columbine。　It　is　not　true；　for
  I　do　not　know　her；　and　have　never　seen　her；　but　that　does　not
  matter；　she　writes　very　well；　and　then　she　says　things　straight
  out　for　a　woman。　She　suits　me；　and　there　are　not　many　of　her
  sort。
  〃Well；　I　began　to　tease　my　wife；　but　she　got　angry　immediately；
  and　very　angry；　and　so　I　held　my　tongue。　At　that　moment　our　two
  witnesses；　who　are　present　here；　Monsieur　Ladureau　and　Monsieur
  Durdent；　appeared　on　the　other　side　of　the　river。　We　knew　each
  other　by　sight。　The　little　man　began　to　fish　again；　and　he　caught
  so　many　that　I　trembled　with　vexation；　and　his　wife　said：　'It　is
  an　uncommonly　good　spot；　and　we　will　come　here　always；　Desire。'
  As　for　me；　a　cold　shiver　ran　down　my　back；　and　Madame　Renard　kept
  repeating：　'You　are　not　a　man；　you　have　the　blood　of　a　chicken　in
  your　veins'；　and　suddenly　I　said　to　her：　'Look　here；　I　would
  rather　go　away；　or　I　shall　only　be　doing　something　foolish。'
  〃And　she　whispered　to　me　as　if　she　had　put　a　red…hot　iron　under
  my　nose：　'You　are　not　a　man。　Now　you　are　going　to　run　away；　and
  surrender　your　place！　Off　you　go；　Bazaine！'
  〃Well；　I　felt　that；　but　yet　I　did　not　move；　while　the　other
  fellow　pulled　out　a　bream；　Oh！　I　never　saw　such　a　large　one
  before；　never！　And　then　my　wife　began　to　talk　aloud；　as　if　she
  were　thinking；　and　you　can　see　her　trickery。　She　said：　'That　is
  what　one　might　call　stolen　fish；　seeing　that　we　baited　the　place
  ourselves。　At　any　rate；　they　ought　to　give　us　back　the　money　we
  have　spent　on　bait。'
  〃Then　the　fat　woman　in　the　cotton　dress　said　in　turn：　'Do　you
  mean　to　call　us　thieves；　Madame？'　And　they　began　to　explain；　and
  then　they　came　to　words。　Oh！　Lord！　those　creatures　know　some　good
  ones。　They　shouted　so　loud；　that　our　two　witnesses；　who　were　on
  the　other　bank；　began　to　call　out　by　way　of　a　joke：　'Less　noise
  over　there；　you　will　prevent　your　husbands　from　fishing。'
  〃The　fact　is　that　neither　of　us　moved　any　more　than　if　we　had
  been　two　tree…stumps。　We　remained　there；　with　our　noses　over　the
  water；　as　if　we　had　heard　nothing；　but　by　Jove；　we　heard　all　the
  same。　'You　are　a　mere　liar。'
  〃　'You　are　nothing　better　than　a　street…walker。'
  〃　'You　are　only　a　trollop。'
  〃　'You　are　a　regular　strumpet。'
  〃And　so　on；　and　so　on；　a　sailor　could　not　have　said　more。
  〃Suddenly　I　heard　a　noise　behind　me；　and　turned　round。　It　was　the
  other　one；　the　fat　woman　who　had　fallen　on　to　my　wife　with　her
  parasol。　WHACK！　WHACK！　Melie　got　two　of　them；　but　she　was
  furious；　and　she　hits　hard　when　she　is　in　a　rage；　so　she　caught
  the　fat　woman　by　the　hair　and　then；　THUMP；　THUMP。　Slaps　in　the
  face　rained　down　like　ripe　plums。　I　should　have　let　them　go
  onwomen　among　themselves；　men　among　themselvesit　does　not　do
  to　mix　the　blows；　but　the　little　man　in　the　linen　jacket　jumped
  up　like　a　devil　and　was　going　to　rush　at　my　wife。　Ah！　no；　no；　not
  that；　my　friend！　I　caught　the　gentleman　with　the　end　of　my　fist；
  CRASH；　CRASH；　one　on　the　nose；　the　other　in　the　stomach。　He　threw
  up　his　arms　and　legs　and　fell　on　his　back　into　the　river；　just
  into　the　hole。
  〃I　should　have　fished　him　out　most　certainly；　Monsieur　le
  President；　if　I　had　had　the　time。　But　unfortunately　the　fat　woman
  got　the　better　of　it；　and　she　was　drubbing　Melie　terribly。　I　know
  that　I　ought　not　to　have　assisted　her　while　the　man　was　drinking
  his　fill；　but　I　never　thought　that　he　would　drown；　and　said　to
  myself：　'Bah；　it　will　cool　him。'
  〃I　therefore　ran　up　to　the　women　to　separate　them；　and　all　I
  received　was　scratches　and　bites。　Good　Lord；　what　creatures！
  Well；　it　took　me　five　minutes；　and　perhaps　ten；　to　separate　those
  two　viragoes。　When　I　turned　round；　there　was　nothing　to　be　seen；
  and　the　water　was　as　smooth　as　a　lake。　The　others　yonder　kept
  shouting：　'Fish　him　out！'　It　was　all　very　well　to　say　that；　but　I
  cannot　swim　and　still　less　dive！
  〃At　last　the　man　from　the　dam　came；　and　two　gentlemen　with
  boat…hooks；　but　it　had　taken　over　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　He　was
  found　at　the　bottom　of　the　hole　in　eight　feet　of　water；　as　I　have
  said；　but　he　was　dead；　the　poor　little　man　in　his　linen　suit！
  There　are　the　facts；　such　as　I　have　sworn　to。　I　am　innocent；　on
  my　honor。〃
  The　witnesses　having　deposed　to　the　same　effect；　the　accused　was
  acquitted。
  LOVE
  THREE　PAGES　FROM　A　SPORTSMAN'S　BOOK
  I　have　just　read　among　the　general　news　in　one　of　the　papers　a
  drama　of　passion。　He　killed　her　and　then　he　killed　himself；　so　he
  must　have　loved　her。　What　matters　He　or　She？　Their　love　alone
  matters　to　me；　and　it　does　not　interest　me　because　it　moves　me　or
  astonishes　me；　or　because　it　softens　me　or　makes　me　think；　but
  because　it　recalls　to　my　mind　a　remembrance　of　my　youth；　a
  strange　recollection　of　a　hunting　adventure　where　Love　appeared
  to　me；　as　the　Cross　appeared　to　the　early　Christians；　in　the
  midst　of　the　heavens。
  I　was　born　with　all　the　instincts　and　the　senses　of　primitive
  man；　tempered　by　the　arguments　and　the　restraints　of　a　civilized
  being。　I　am　passionately　fond　of　shooting；　yet　the　sight　of　the
  wounded　animal；　of　the　blood　on　its　feathers　and　on　my　hands；
  affects　my　heart　so　as　almost　to　make　it　stop。
  That　year　the　cold　weather　set　in　suddenly　toward　the　end　of
  autumn；　and　I　was　invited　by　one　of　my　cousins；　Karl　de　Rauville；
  to　go　with　him　and　shoot　ducks　on　the　marshes；　at　daybreak。
  My　cousin　was　a　jolly　fellow　of　forty；　with　red　hair