und her wherever she might chance to be.

The first individual who broke in upon her was that animated piece of
ragged door-mat, Toozle. This imbecile little dog was not possessed of
much delicacy of feeling, having been absent on a private excursion of
his own into the mountain when the schooner arrived, he only became
aware of the return of his lost, loved, and deeply-regretted mistress,
when he came back from his trip. The first thing that told him of her
presence was his own nose, the black point of which protruded with
difficulty a quarter of an inch beyond the mass of matting which totally
extinguished his eyes, and, indeed, every other portion of his head.

Coming down the hill immediately behind Sandy Cove at a breakneck
scramble, Toozle happened to cross the path by which his mistress had
ascended to her tree. The instant he did so, he came to a halt so
sudden that one might have fancied he had been shot. In another moment
he was rushing up the hill in wild excitement, giving an occasional yelp
of mingled surprise and joy as he went along. The footsteps led him a
little beyond the tree and then turned down towards it, so that he had
the benefit of the descent in making the final onset.

The moment he came in sight of Alice he began to bark and yelp in such
an eager way that the sounds produced might be described as an
intermittent scream. He charged at once with characteristic want of
consideration, and, plunging headlong into Alice's bosom, sought to
cover her face with kisses--i.e., with _licks_, that being the
well-known canine method of doing the thing.

"O Toozle, how glad, glad, glad, I am to see you, my own darling
Toozle!" cried Alice, actually shedding tears.

Toozle screamed with delight. It was almost too much for him. Again
and again he attempted to lick her face, a familiarity which Alice
gently declined to permit, so he was obliged to content himself with her
hand.

It has often struck us as surprising, that little dogs--usually so
intelligent and apt to learn in other matters--should be so dull of
apprehension in this. Toozle had the experience of a lifetime to
convince him that Alice objected to have her face licked, and would on
no account permit it, although she was extremely liberal in regard to
her hands; but Toozle ignored the authority of experience. He was at
this time a dog of mature years, but his determination to kiss Alice was
as strong as it had been when, in the tend