"No," He Said, Indignantly, "I'll Have Nothing Off The Bill, I'll Pay
The Full Amount," And Pay It He Did In His Anger, Then Went Off To Say
Goodbye To His Friend, To Whom He Related The Case.
His friend, being in the same hilarious humour as on the previous day,
burst out laughing and made a good deal of fun over the matter.
That, he said, was the whole story of how he went fishing and caught a
mackerel, and what came of it. But it was not quite all, for he went on
to tell us that he still visited Bristol regularly to receive big and
ever bigger orders from that same old customer of his, whose business
had gone on increasing ever since; and invariably after finishing their
business his friend remarks in a casual sort of way: "By the way, old
man, do you remember that mackerel you caught at Weymouth which you had
for tea, and were charged two shillings for?" "Then he laughs just as
heartily as if it had only happened yesterday, and I leave him in a
good humour, and say to myself: 'Now, I'll hear no more about that
blessed mackerel till I go round to Bristol again in three months'
time.'"
"How long ago did you say it was since you caught the mackerel?" I
inquired.
"About forty years."
"Then," I said, "it was a very lucky fish for you - worth more perhaps
than if a big diamond had been found in its belly.
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