as a touch both of defiance and of
expectation in the quick turn of her head and the gleam of her half-shut
eyes. "I rather think it is because I like to be alone," she said, at
length.

He bowed slightly, and his face, accustomed to alter its expression with
facile ease, assumed a look of well-bred regret, tempered with the
faintest tinge of amusement. "Then for once you have failed of your
object," he whispered apologetically. "But let me at least plead"--here
the amused expression deepened, and a gleam of malice brightened his
keen eyes--"let me at least plead that I have sinned in ignorance."

A. R.

LITERATURE OF THE DAY.

"Two Years in the Jungle. The Experiences of a Hunter and
Naturalist in India, Ceylon, the Malay Peninsula, and Borneo." By
William T. Hornaday. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.

The author of this book, who is now chief taxidermist of the National
Museum, was sent out in 1876 to the countries enumerated on the
title-page as collector for Professor Ward's "Natural Science
Establishment" at Rochester. His skill and deftness in preparing skins
and skeletons for mounting were, as we are led to suppose, what
specially qualified him for this mission; but if he had not possessed,
in addition, many characteristics less common, perhaps, but more
generally attractive, he could hardly have executed it with the same
facility and completeness, still less have found in it matter for this
thoroughly entertaining narrative. His ardor as a sportsman and a
naturalist seems to have sprung from a stronger, independent love of
"wild life," an instinctive preference for the haunts and habits of
uncivilized races, apart from the pursuits for which they give scope.
This may be thought to argue ignoble tastes; but the reverse conclusion
would be more correct. Mr. Hornaday is a believer in the "gentle
savage." The Dyak seems to him "the model man," not on account of his
defects, which are few, but of his virtues, which are many. He is manly,
truthful, honest, chaste, and even when drunk--which happens only on
rare festive occasions and is a result of his intercourse with "the
rascally Chinaman"--is perfectly decorous, and, as our author was
assured, would never "dream of violating the laws of decency and good
temper." For the Hindu, on the other hand, as an entirely conventional
and artificial creature, obsequious, hypocritical, inhospitable,
disdainful of the race on whom he fawns and befo