The kettle boiled under Mr. Terry’s superintendence, the tea was infused in the little Japanese tea-pot, and the colonel, taking from his waistcoat pocket a silver whistle that had done duty for a cavalry trumpet in former days, blew a signal for the information of the punters.  In a minute they arrived, bearing two grand strings of fish, only the strings that went through the gills of the bass were hazel twigs.  Then there was washing of hands without soap, Mr. Bigglethorpe showing his companions how to improvise a substitute for Pears’ by pulling up the pretty little water-lobelia and using the unctuous clay about its spreading roots for the purpose.  All sat about the table-cloth, Mr. Perrowne said, “For what we are about to receive,” and the al fresco repast began.  Mrs. Carmichael dispensed the tea, and was displeased with Mr. Errol for declining a cup just then, because he was busy with a corkscrew and an ale bottle.  Mr. Perrowne joined him with another; but the fisherman said ale made him bilious and his name was not William.  So Mr. Terry produced his special charge, and treated the colonel first, then Mr. Bigglethorpe, and finally his honoured self.  The boys, as the matron had termed the two clergymen, seemed to be happy with their beer, somewhat to his sorrow.  “It takes moighty little, cornel, to shatishfy some payple, but there’s aall the more av it for the risht av us.”

Miss Halbert said that Basil had eaten ten sandwiches, two plates of chicken, and an extra drumstick in his hand, a whole pie, and she couldn’t count the cake.  There were also some empty beer bottles at his feet.  He said he was perfectly ashamed of Fanny’s appetite, and would have to petition the Bishop for an allowance from the mission fund, if she was going through life at the same rate.

“If we only had ouah deah boy with us, Cecile, what a pleasuhe it would be,” remarked the colonel in a personal way, that caused even the stately Miss Du Plessis to blush.

“Eugene would be better than the whole lot,” added Marjorie, with an injured air, and added:  “If some people I know hadn’t been pigs, he would have been here, too.”  Mrs. Carmichael called her niece to order, and told the gentlemen they might go away to their pipes and cigars, while she and the young ladies put away the things.  The black bottle trio adjourned to a shady nook by the shore, and carried three tumblers and a pail of iced water with them.  The bottle revealed its neck from Mr. Terry’s side pocket.  The colonel handed his cigar case again to Mr. Perrowne, who selected a weed, but could not be prevailed upon to fetch a tumbler.  Mr. Errol also declined the latter, having the fear of Mrs. Carmichael before his eyes, but, withdrawing a short distance in his brother clergyman’s company, he filled the Turk’s head, and said he felt twenty years younger.  All sorts of banter and pleasant talk went on between the smoking gentlemen and the working ladies.  Mr. Errol distinguished himself above his brethren