d looking at those prints of her feet as they
went in, made his heart ache, he knew not why.

They passed the first day at old Nanny's cottage happily enough, without
their usual bickerings, and this because of the novelty of the snow
which had diverted them. In the afternoon he first showed his wife to
little Polly, who eyed her very curiously but hung back shyly and seemed
a good deal afraid of the fox. But Mr. Tebrick took up a book and let
them get acquainted by themselves, and presently looking up saw that
they had come together and Polly was stroking his wife, patting her and
running her fingers through her fur. Presently she began talking to the
fox, and then brought her doll in to show her so that very soon they
were very good playmates together. Watching the two gave Mr. Tebrick
great delight, and in particular when he noticed that there was
something very motherly in his vixen. She was indeed far above the child
in intelligence and restrained herself too from any hasty action. But
while she seemed to wait on Polly's pleasure yet she managed to give a
twist to the game, whatever it was, that never failed to delight the
little girl. In short, in a very little while, Polly was so taken with
her new playmate that she cried when she was parted from her and wanted
her always with her. This disposition of Mrs. Tebrick's made Mrs. Cork
more agreeable than she had been lately either to the husband or the
wife.

Three days after they had come to the cottage the weather changed, and
they woke up one morning to find the snow gone, and the wind in the
south, and the sun shining, so that it was like the first beginning of
spring.

Mr. Tebrick let his vixen out into the garden after breakfast, stayed
with her awhile, and then went indoors to write some letters.

When he got out again he could see no sign of her anywhere, so that he
ran about bewildered, calling to her. At last he spied a mound of fresh
earth by the wall in one corner of the garden, and running thither found
that there was a hole freshly dug seeming to go under the wall. On this
he ran out of the garden quickly till he came to the other side of the
wall, but there was no hole there, so he concluded that she was not yet
got through. So it proved to be, for reaching down into the hole he felt
her brush with his hand, and could hear her distinctly working away with
her claws. He called to her then, saying: "Silvia, Silvia, why do you do
this? Are you trying