ere trying continually
to escape his own thoughts.

This made him also anxious to pass all the time he could with his dear
Silvia, and, therefore, he began going out to them for more of the
daytime, and then he would sleep the night in the woods also as he had
done that night; and so he passed several weeks, only returning to his
house occasionally to get himself a fresh provision of food. But after a
week or ten days at the new earth both his vixen and the cubs, too, got
a new habit of roaming. For a long while back, as he knew, his vixen had
been lying out alone most of the day, and now the cubs were all for
doing the same thing. The earth, in short, had served its purpose and
was now distasteful to them, and they would not enter it unless pressed
with fear.

This new manner of their lives was an added grief to Mr. Tebrick, for
sometimes he missed them for hours together, or for the whole day even,
and not knowing where they might be was lonely and anxious. Yet his
Silvia was thoughtful for him too and would often send Angelica or
another of the cubs to fetch him to their new lair, or come herself if
she could spare the time. For now they were all perfectly accustomed to
his presence, and had come to look on him as their natural companion,
and although he was in many ways irksome to them by scaring rabbits, yet
they always rejoiced to see him when they had been parted from him. This
friendliness of theirs was, you may be sure, the source of most of Mr.
Tebrick's happiness at this time. Indeed he lived now for nothing but
his foxes, his love for his vixen had extended itself insensibly to
include her cubs, and these were now his daily playmates so that he knew
them as well as if they had been his own children. With Selwyn and
Angelica indeed he was always happy; and they never so much as when they
were with him. He was not stiff in his behaviour either, but had learnt
by this time as much from his foxes as they had from him. Indeed never
was there a more curious alliance than this or one with stranger effects
upon both of the parties.

Mr. Tebrick now could follow after them anywhere and keep up with them
too, and could go through a wood as silently as a deer. He learnt to
conceal himself if ever a labourer passed by so that he was rarely seen,
and never but once in their company. But what was most strange of all,
he had got a way of going doubled up, often almost on all fours with his
hands touching the ground ever