artifice," exclaimed Frank. "The
animal shows understanding, design, and will; we must not deny him
these faculties."

"If the lightning strikes my house and discovers with infallible
certainty all the metal in the walls, even where the sharpest eye could
not detect it, must you recognize mental faculties in the lightning in
discovering the metal?"

Frank hemmed and was silent.

"What a botcher is the most learned chemist compared with the
root-fibres of the smallest plant," continued Siegwart. "Every plant
has its own peculiar life; this I observe every day. All plants do not
flourish alike in the same soil. They only flourish where they find the
necessary conditions for their peculiar life; where they find in the
air and earth the conditions necessary for their existence. Set ten
different kinds of plants together in a small plat of ground. The
different fibres will always seek and absorb only that material in the
earth which is proper to their kind; they will pass by the useless and
injurious substances. Now, where is the chemist who with such
certainty, such power of discrimination, and knowledge of substances,
can select from the inert clod the proper material? A chemist with such
knowledge does not exist. Now, must you admit that the fibres possess
as keen an understanding and as deep a knowledge of chemistry as the
man who is versed in chemistry?"

"That would be manifest folly."

"Well," concluded Siegwart quietly, "if the vine-weevil weaves its
wrapper, the spider its web, the bird builds its nest, and the beaver
his house, they all do it in their way, as the root-fibres in theirs."

Richard remained silent, and they passed into the house.

Angela and her mother looked with astonishment and sympathy on their
friend.

Soon in the mild countenance of Madam Siegwart there appeared nearly
the same expression as in the first days after the death of Eliza--so
much did the painful appearance of the young man afflict her. Angela
turned pale, her eyes filled, and she strove to hide her emotion. Frank
only looked at her furtively. Whatever he had to say to her, he said
with averted eyes. Siegwart expended all his powers of amusement; but
he did not succeed in cheering the young man. He continued depressed,
embarrassed, and sad, and constantly avoided looking at Angela. When
she spoke he listened to the sound of her voice, but avoided her look.
Presently a low barking was heard in the room and Hector, who had
g