24
already received my full share of the price." ' Your share !' questioned the marquis : ' What can you mean by that ?' ' Why, my lord, you must know I have a partner in this business, my honour is engaged to let him have the half of whatever I shall get : and I fancy that your highness will acknowledge by and by, that it would be a thousand pities to defraud him of a single stroke.' ' And pray, my friend, who is this same partner of yours?' ' It is the porter, my lord, who guards the outer gate of your highness's palace : he refused to admit me but on the condition of promising him the half of what I should get for the fish ' Oh! Oh! exclaimed the marquis, breaking out into a laugh. ' By the blessing of heaven he shall have his demand doubled him in full tale.'— Here the porter was sent for, and stripped to the skin ; when two grooms laid upon him with might and main, till they rendered him fit to be sainted for a second Bartholomew.— The marquis then ordered his major domo to pay the fisherman 20 sequins, and desired him to call yearly for the like sum, in recompence for the friendly office he had rendered him.
FINIS.
