"Wrong, mamma," replied Sophia; "my gazelle is as mute as a mermaid.
Very provoking, is it not, when all the other animals in the house
talk?"

"You had better apply to Master Jack; he may, probably, be able to hit
upon a plan to make your gazelle communicative."

"Will you, Master Jack?"

"Certainly, Miss Sophia. The plan I would suggest is very simple. Feed
him for a week or two with nouns, adjectives, and verbs."

Here Sophia, addressing her gazelle, said, "Master Jack Becker is a
goose."

Meantime Fritz was leaning on the back of Mary's chair.

"Miss Wolston," said he, "did you not tell me that you had brought
Toby up, and that you were very fond of him?"

"Yes, Fritz."

"Then it would be unfair in me to withdraw his allegiance from you
now, and, consequently, I must refuse your present"

"But where would have been the merit of the gift if I did not hold
him in some esteem? Besides, I thought you were fond of Toby."

"So I am, Miss Wolston."

"Then you will not be indebted to me for anything--I owe you much."

"No such thing; you owe me nothing."

"My life, then, is nothing?"

"Oh, I did not mean that; I must beg your pardon."

"Which I will only grant on condition you accept my gift."

"Well, if you insist upon it, I will."

"I can see him as before; the only difference will be that you are his
master, in all other respects he will belong to us both."

"May I know what your knight-errant is saying to you, Mary?" inquired
Mrs. Becker.

"Oh, I have been so angry with him; he was going to refuse my
present."

"That was very naughty of him, certainly."

"He has, however, consented, like a dutiful squire, to obey my
behests."

"Yes, mother, Toby is henceforth to be divided between us."

"Divided?"

"Yes; that is, he is to be nominally mine, but virtually to belong to
us both. Is it not so, Miss Wolston?"

"Yes, Master Fritz."

On his side, Jack had approached Miss Sophia.

"So you won't give me your gazelle?" he whispered.

"No, certainly not, Mr. Jack," replied Sophia; "if you had saved my
life, as Fritz saved my sister's, I should then have had the right to
make you a present. But you know it is not my fault."

"Nor mine either," said Jack.

"Perhaps not; but if I had fallen into the sea, you would have allowed
the sharks to swallow me, would you not?"

"I only wish we had been attacked by a hyena or a bear on our way to
Waldeck."

"God be thanked, that we were not!"

"We