upon me; and it was a more responsible charge than at home, on account of the immense variety of characters which I was obliged to understand. As to bribery, whether in town or country, I was always incorruptible; but I found it necessary to quicken my powers of observation, in order to be up to my duty in London. I used sometimes to single out a suspicious individual in the crowd, and follow him through two or three streets, till I had thoroughly smelt out his character; and before long, I saw all I wanted so quickly and accurately, that John himself was ready to submit his judgment to mine. I learned to know my man, and to make him know me too; and it would have required a daring thief to attempt our house.

I own I soon thoroughly enjoyed London and its ways, and quite left off wishing to return to the monotony of the Manor. But though my life was pleasant, let nobody do me the injustice to imagine that either its novelty or its occupation could banish from my memory the dear little companion who had formed my happiness at home. Forget my Pussy I never did, though for a time I seemed contented without her. But, for the first few days, I constantly expected to see her arrive. I took it for granted that she

F

would be brought to London just as I had been myself; and every evening, at the hour of our own arrival, I went to the hall-door, and sat patiently on the mat for a considerable time, fully expecting every moment that a carriage would stop, and that I should be the first to welcome my friend.

But day after day passed without bringing her. Plenty of other cats were clambering about the roof of the house, or shewing themselves against the sky on the top of the wall; but they were all cross and spiteful, setting up their backs and snarling at me if I only looked at them. I had no wish to make their acquaintance, for there was but one cat in the world that I cared for. My love was for the individual, not the race.. Dogs were numerous in the neighbourhood, and among them were several intelligent, cultivated animals with whom I could be on pleasant barking terms; but friendship is not made in a day, and these new acquaintances could not make up for the want of my cat.

As I grew weary of watching for her in vain, I left off waiting at the hall-door, and passed my evenings in thinking about her, sometimes by the kitchen fire, sometimes in the study, on the rug at my master's feet. But the more I thought about her, the more I

missed her, till at last I quite lost all my spirits. I could not eat my food without her to partake of it; I scarcely cared to growl, and took no pleasure in barking. In short, I pined for her as I had once done for Lily; and John and my master asked each other every day what could be the matter with me.

At last, finding it impossible to bear such a life any longer, I began to consider whether there was no remedy in my power. I knew that if my master objected to any thing, he did not lie on the rug and mope, but he worked hard to set it to rights. The more I thought about it, the more I perceived that mere thinking would not do; I must set to work and help myself. So I took my resolution, and determined to risk every thing rather than go on in this dawdling way, fretting my heart out.

But how? Why, how did I come here myself? People had tried to bring me, and succeeded; why should not I try to bring Pussy? I might not succeed, for I did not conceal from myself the difficulties of the undertaking; but what great enterprise was ever accomplished without danger or difficulty? At any rate, it was worth the trial; and if I did succeed, Pussy was worth every thing. So, as she would not I would go and fetch her.

come,

This once decided, it was evident that the sooner I set off the better; because the road not being familiar to me, it was important that I should travel it again before all traces of our former journey were lost. As yet, we had not been so long in London but that I had reason to think I should recognise the principal turnings, besides various objects on the road. I had been asleep during part of the journey, it is true; but I hoped that my acute sense of smell would come to my help when eyesight failed.

And here I reflected with satisfaction upon the many advantages I had over my master in travelling. First, what a much better nose mine was! His seemed of very little use to him up in the air, out of reach of the ground. If he had not been able to ask his way, I am sure he could never have found it out by smelling. Then, how inconvenient to be obliged to carry so many things with him! He could not move without a portmanteau or a carpet-bag full of strange clothes, instead of being contented with one good coat on his back. I never could understand why any body should want more than one coat. Mine was always new, always comfortable, suited to all seasons, and fitting beautifully, having adapted itself to my growth at all stages of my life, without any attention from

me. I never had any trouble with tailors, snipping and measuring, trying on and altering. My coat would dry on me too, whereas my poor master could not even jump into the river without taking his off; if it so much as rained, he wanted an umbrella. Then, he never seemed able to run any distance. For a few hundred yards it was all very well, but after that he began to walk; and if he made a single day's journey, he was obliged to be helped by a horse. Poor man! I pitied him; and yet I never for a moment hesitated to acknowledge him as my master; for, with all his defects, I felt that he was in possession of some faculty incomprehensible to me, but which overpowered a thousand and a thousand times the utmost animal superiority.

But to return to my own adventures. I determined to find my way to my native village as a dog best might, without delay. So the next morning I set off, following my nose, which was my best guide, through the intricacies of the London streets. More than once I took a wrong turn; but after going a little way up the street, I always discovered my mistake, and retraced my steps.

Once I met two gentlemen whom I knew. One asked the other if I was not my master's dog; the