"Well, 'divil may care,' as Punch said when he lost mass, 'there's more churches nor one,' says he, and that's the way with us," said Murphy. "Come, Dick, get the fishing-lines ready; heigh for the salmon-fishery! You must know, Misther Furlong, we fish for salmon with line here."
"I don't see how you could fish any other way," said the dandy, smiling at Murphy, as if he had caught him in saying something absurd.
"Ah, you rogue," said Murphy, affecting to be hit; "you're too sharp for us poor Irish fellows; but you know the old saying, 'An Irishman has leave to speak twice;' but, after all, it's no great mistake I've made: for when I say we fish for salmon with a line, I mean we don't use a rod, but a leaded line, the same as in sea-fishing."
"How vewy extwao'dinary! Why, I should think that impossible."
"And why should it be impossible?" said Murphy, with the most unabashed impudence. "Have not all nations habits and customs peculiar to themselves? Don't the English catch their fish by striking them under water with a long rough stick, and a little cur-whibble of a bone at the end of it?"
"Speawing them, you mean," said Furlong.
"Ay, you know the right name, of course; but isn't that quite as odd, or more so than our way here?"
"That's vewy twue indeed; but your sea-line fishing in a wiver, and for salmon, strikes me as vewy singular."
"Well, sir, the older we grow the more we learn. You'll see what fine sport it is; but don't lose any more time: let us be off to the river at once."
"I'll make a slight change in my dwess, if you please—I'll be down immediately;" and Furlong left the room.