uching one paw to his head, as if he saluted by taking
off his hat. Thorny laughed in spite of himself, and Miss Celia seeing
that the ice was broken, wheeled him to his place at the foot of the
table. Then, seating the little girls on one side, Ben and the dog on
the other, took the head herself and told her guests to begin. Bab and
Betty were soon chattering away to their pleasant hostess as freely as
if they had known her for months; but the boys were still rather shy,
and made Sancho the medium through which they addressed one another. The
excellent beast behaved with wonderful propriety, sitting upon his
cushion in an attitude of such dignity that it seemed almost a liberty to
offer him food. A dish of thick sandwiches had been provided for his
especial refreshment; and, as Ben from time to time laid one on his
plate, he affected entire unconsciousness of it till the word was given,
when it vanished at one gulp, and Sancho again appeared absorbed in deep
thought.

But, having once tasted of this pleasing delicacy, it was very hard to
repress his longing for more; and, in spite of all his efforts, his nose
would work, his eye kept a keen watch upon that particular dish, and his
tail quivered with excitement as it lay like a train over the red
cushion. At last, a moment came when temptation proved too strong for
him. Ben was listening to something Miss Celia said; a tart lay
unguarded upon his plate; Sanch looked at Thorny who was watching him;
Thorny nodded, Sanch gave one wink, bolted the tart, and then gazed
pensively up at a sparrow swinging on a twig overhead.

The slyness of the rascal tickled the boy so much that he pushed back
his hat, clapped his hands, and burst out laughing as he had not done
before for weeks. Every one looked round surprised, and Sancho regarded
them with a mildly inquiring air, as if he said, "Why this unseemly
mirth, my friends?"

Thorny forgot both sulks and shyness after that, and suddenly began to
talk. Ben was flattered by his interest in the dear dog, and opened out
so delightfully that he soon charmed the other by his lively tales of
circus-life. Then Miss Celia felt relieved, and every thing went
splendidly, especially the food; for the plates were emptied several
times, the little tea-pot ran dry twice, and the hostess was just
wondering if she ought to stop her voracious guests, when something
occurred which spared her that painful task.

A small boy was suddenly discovered