shut the door at her command. This was rather a
noisy performance, as I could only succeed by running against the door
with my whole weight; but it gave Lily so much satisfaction, that she
used to open the door a dozen times a day, on purpose for me to bang it.

Another favourite amusement of hers was making me look at myself in the
glass. I grew used to this before long; but the first time that she set
a mirror before me on the ground, I confess that I was a good deal
astonished and puzzled. At the first glance, I took the dog in the glass
for an enemy and rival, intruding upon my dominions, so I naturally
prepared for a furious attack upon him. He appeared equally ready, and I
perceived that he was quite my match. But when, after a great deal of
barking and violence, nobody was hurt, I fancied that the looking-glass
was the barrier which prevented our coming to close quarters, and that
my adversary had entrenched himself behind it in the most cowardly
manner. Determined that he should not profit by his baseness, I
cleverly walked round behind the glass, intending to seize him and give
him a thorough shaking; but there I found nothing! I dashed to the front
once more; there he stood as fierce as ever. Again behind his
battlements--nobody! till after repeated trials, I began to have a
glimmering of the state of the case; and feeling rather ashamed of
having been so taken in, I declined further contest, and lay down
quietly before the mirror to contemplate my own image, and reflect upon
my own reflection.

Lily took great pains with me; but after all, hers were but minor
accomplishments, and I was not allowed to devote my whole attention to
mere tricks or amusements. I was not born to be a lap-dog, and it was
necessary that I should be educated for the more important business of
life. Under my master's careful training, my natural talents were
developed, and my defects subdued, till I was pronounced by the best
judges to be the cleverest setter in the country. My master himself was
a capital sportsman, and I was as proud of him as he was of me. When I
had become sufficiently perfect to be his companion, we used to range
together untired "over hill, over dale, through bush, through brier," he
doing his part and I mine, and bringing home between us such quantities
of game as no one else could boast. This was my real business, but it
was no less my pleasure. I entered into it thoroughly. To point at a
bird immovably till