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up with this！ I would not put up with that。' If I had listened to her；
Monsieur le President； I should have had at least three hand…to…hand
fights a month 。 。 。 。〃
Madame Renard interrupted him： 〃And for good reasons； too； they laugh
best who laugh last。〃
He turned toward her frankly： 〃Well； I can't blame you； since you were
not the cause of it。〃
Then； facing the President again； he said：
〃I will continue。 We used to go to Passy every Saturday evening； so as
to begin fishing at daybreak the next morning。 It is a habit which has
become second nature with us； as the saying is。 Three years ago this
summer I discovered a place； oh！ such a spot。 Oh； dear； dear！ In the
shade； eight feet of water at least and perhaps ten； a hole with cavities
under the bank； a regular nest for fish and a paradise for the fisherman。
I might look upon that fishing hole as my property； Monsieur le
President； as I was its Christopher Columbus。 Everybody in the
neighborhood knew it； without making any opposition。 They would say：
'That is Renard's place'； and nobody would have gone there； not even
Monsieur Plumeau； who is well known； be it said without any offense； for
poaching on other people's preserves。
〃Well； I returned to this place of which I felt certain； just as if I had
owned it。 I had scarcely got there on Saturday； when I got into Delila；
with my wife。 Delila is my Norwegian boat； which I had built by
Fournaire； and which is light and safe。 Well； as I said； we got into the
boat and we were going to set bait； and for setting bait there is none to
be compared with me； and they all know it。 You want to know with what I
bait？ I cannot answer that question； it has nothing to do with the
accident。 I cannot answer； that is my secret。 There are more than three
hundred people who have asked me； I have been offered glasses of brandy
and liqueur； fried fish； matelotes； to make me tell。 But just go and try
whether the chub will come。 Ah！ they have tempted my stomach to get at
my secret； my recipe。 Only my wife knows； and she will not tell it any
more than I will。 Is not that so； Melie？〃
The president of the court interrupted him。
〃Just get to the facts as soon as you can；〃 and the accused continued：
〃I am getting to them； I am getting to them。 Well； on Saturday； July 8；
we left by the twenty…five past five train and before dinner we went to
set bait as usual。 The weather promised to keep fine and I said to
Melie： 'All right for tomorrow。' And she replied： 'If looks like it；'
We never talk more than that together。
〃And then we returned to dinner。 I was happy and thirsty； and that was
the cause of everything。 I said to Melie： 'Look here； Melie； it is fine
weather； suppose I drink a bottle of 'Casque a meche'。' That is a weak
white wine which we have christened so； because if you drink too much of
it it prevents you from sleeping and takes the place of a nightcap。 Do
you understand me？
〃She replied： 'You can do as you please； but you will be ill again and
will not be able to get up tomorrow。' That was true； sensible and
prudent； clearsighted； I must confess。 Nevertheless I could not resist；
and I drank my bottle。 It all came from that。
〃Well； I could not sleep。 By Jove！ it kept me awake till two o'clock in
the morning； and then I went to sleep so soundly that I should not have
heard the angel sounding his trump at the last judgment。
〃In short； my wife woke me at six o'clock and I jumped out of bed；
hastily put on my trousers and jersey； washed my face and jumped on board
Delila。 But it was too late； for when I arrived at my hole it was
already occupied！ 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 true； but 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 a large
straw hat； and his wife； a fat woman； doing embroidery； sat behind him。
〃When she saw us take up our position close to them she murmured： 'Are
there no other places on the river？' My wife； who was furious； replied：
'People who have any manners 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 alone； let them alone； we shall see。'
〃Well； we fastened Delila under the willows 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 neighbor's line began
to jerk twice； thrice； and then he pulled out a chub as thick as my
thigh； rather less； perhaps； but nearly as big！ My heart beat； 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 is 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 rules 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。
〃Tears were in my eyes； and 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
tingling； just to think of it。'
〃But I said to myself： 'Let us wait until twelve o'clock。 Then this
poacher will go to lunch and I shall get my place again。 As for me；
Monsieur le President； I lunch on that spot every Sunday。 We bring our
provisions in Delila。 But there！ At noon the wretch produced a chicken
in a newspaper； and while he was eating； he actually caught another chub！
〃Melie and I had a morsel also； just a bite； 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 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 rage 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 that are pretty plain for a woman。 She suits me and there are no