t listen a moment. The dolphin, after having received his
pittance, presented his back to the boy, after having tacked in all
his spines and prickles as well as he could, and carried him right
across the lake, thus saving the little fellow a long roundabout walk;
and not only that, but after school hours it was waiting to carry him
back again. This continued almost daily for a year or two; but at last
the boy died, and the dolphin, after waiting day after day for his
reappearance, pined away, and was found dead at the usual place of
rendezvous. The affectionate creature was taken out of the lake, and
buried beside its friend.[D]

"And, on the other hand," added Jack, "if animals sometimes attach
themselves to us, we attach ourselves to them. We are told that
Crassus wore mourning for a dead ferret, the death of which grieved
him as much as if it had been his own daughter.[E] Augustus crucified
one of his slaves, who had roasted and eaten a quail, that had fought
and conquered in the circus.[F] Antonia, daughter-in-law of Tiberius,
fastened ear-rings to some lampreys that she was passionately fond
of."[G]

"That, at all events, was attachment in one sense of the word," said
Mrs. Wolston.

"Without reference to the dog in particular," continued Jack, "proofs
of sagacity in animals are very numerous. The nautilus, when he wants
to take an airing, capsizes his shell, and converts it into a gondola;
then he hoists a thin membrane that serves for a sail; two of his
arms are resolved into oars, and his tail performs the functions of a
rudder. There are insects ingenious enough to make dwellings for
themselves in the body of a leaf as thin as paper. At the approach of
a storm some spiders take in a reef or two of their webs, so as to be
less at the mercy of the wind. Beavers will erect walls, and construct
houses more skilfully than our ablest architects. Chimpanzees have
been known spontaneously to sit themselves down, and perform the
operation of shaving."

"Stop, Jack," cried Mrs. Wolston; "I must yield to such a deluge of
argument, and admit that Toby may have acquired the art of embroidery
with or without a master, only I should like to see some other
specimen of his skill."

"Probably you will by-and-by," replied Jack, laughing, "if you keep
your eyes open."

Here Sophia came into the room leading her gazelle.

"Ah, just in time," said Mrs. Wolston; "here is another animal that
probably has something to say."