bidden drawing-rooms now; I prowled about as I pleased.
If the doors were shut, I might scratch as long as I liked; nobody
answered. If open, I walked round and round the room, brushing the
wainscot with my tail. There were no china ornaments to be thrown down
now, and I might whisk it about as I would. Formerly I had often wished
for free entrance to those rooms; now I should have welcomed a friendly
hand that shut me out of them. In passing before a large mirror, I
marvelled at my own forlorn and neglected appearance. Once, I was worth
looking at in a glass; now, what a difference! Sorrow had so changed my
whole aspect, that I stared with dismay at the gaunt spectre which
stared at me in return, and we howled at each other for company.

[Illustration: CAPTAIN'S DREAM. Page 40]

Lying down before the blank mirror, which had formerly thrown back so
many pleasant images, and now reflected only my solitary figure in the
deserted room, I silently pondered on the past. In a half-wakeful,
half-dozing state, my eyes alternately opening and shutting, now winking
and blinking at the glass, now for a moment losing sight of every thing,
the events of my life seemed to pass before me in a dream; the persons
with whom I had been connected rose up again as shadows, and I myself
seemed another shadow gliding about among them, but a shadow whose
behaviour I had acquired a new faculty of observing.

I saw myself now as others saw me,--an uncommon condition either for
dogs or men,--and I watched my own deportment in all my states of mind
and stages of life. I saw myself first a mere puppy, not worth notice.
The puppy grew, and I saw it as a dog; a fine, well-bred, and certainly
a fortunate dog. Then as a clever, knowing, useful dog; a gentle,
patient, obedient dog. Sometimes perhaps an awkward or foolish dog; but
those were pardonable faults, while I was certainly a brave, honest, and
faithful dog. But at last I saw myself as a _jealous dog_; and I paused,
startled at the strange light in which my conduct appeared. How silly,
unreasonable, and fractious I had been! I plainly perceived that what I
had taken for injured dignity and wounded affection was nothing but
pride and envy; that I had not a single ground of complaint, but that my
own ill-temper might have justly given offence to my best friends; and
while I had fancied myself setting so high a value upon Lily's regard, I
was recklessly running the risk of losing it altogether. Hap