n, and
partly to seal our bond of friendship more assuredly."

At the same moment Peregrine felt in the thumb of his right hand a
bite, which smarted so sensibly, as to prove it could have come only
from the first Master of all the fleas.

"You bite like a little devil!" cried Peregrine.

"Take it," replied Master Flea, "as a lively token of my honourable
intentions. But it is fit that I should offer to you, as a pledge of my
gratitude, a gift which belongs to the most extraordinary productions
of art. It is nothing else than a microscope, made by a very dexterous
optician of my people, while he was in Leuwenhock's service. The
instrument will appear somewhat small to you, for, in reality, it is
about a hundred and twenty times smaller than a grain of sand; but its
use will not allow of any peculiar greatness. It is this: I place the
glass in the pupil of your left eye, and this eye immediately becomes
microscopic. As I wish to surprise you with the effect of it, I will
say no more about it for the present, and will only entreat that I may
be permitted to perform the microscopic operation whenever I see that
it will do you any important service.--And now sleep well, Mr.
Peregrine; you have need of rest."

Peregrine, in reality, fell asleep, and did not awake till full
morning, when he heard the well-known scratching of old Alina's broom;
she was sweeping out the next room. A little child, who was conscious
of some mischief, could not tremble more at his mother's rod than Mr.
Peregrine trembled in the fear of the old woman's reproaches. At length
she came in with the coffee. Peregrine glanced at her through the
bed-curtains, which he had drawn close, and was not a little surprised
at the clear sunshine which overspread the old woman's face.

"Are you still asleep, my dear Mr. Tyss?" she asked in one of the
softest tones of which her voice was capable; and Peregrine, taking
courage, answered just as softly,

"No, my dear Alina: lay the breakfast upon the table; I will get up
directly."

But, when he did really rise, it seemed to him as if the sweet breath
of the creature, who had lain in his arms, was waving through the
chamber--he felt so strangely and so anxiously. He would have given all
the world to know what had become of the mystery of his passion; for,
like this mystery itself, the fair one had appeared and vanished.

While he was in vain endeavouring to drink his coffee and eat his
toast,--every morsel o