ome of the
speakers might well be transferred to the Gardens, and kept in a cage;
what he failed to understand was why people could not set to and make
the best of the world, instead of pretending it was all bad. They went
through the turnstiles, and divided attention between animals and
visitors; the former could be identified with the help of labels. Mr.
Trew said, in regard to the people, that it was difficult to tell which
were housemaids, and which were ladies of title.

"Oddly enough," remarked Gertie, "I was intending to be here this
afternoon, in any case."

"Trust me," he said, self-reproach fully, "for coming in second. Never
actually won a race in my life yet. Is it the same young feller?"

"I'm not one to chop and change."

"When we run across him, I'll make myself scarce."

"You'll do nothing of the kind, Mr. Trew."

He pointed out, in the crocodile house, one or two regular customers of
the Baker Street to Victoria route, and when they recognized him he
became purple with content. A short youth was making notes near a tank
in the corner. Mr. Trew, nudging Gertie, went to him and, in a gruff
voice, asked what the deuce he was doing there; the youth turned to
give a retort.

"I've got your young lady cousin with me," explained Mr. Trew. "Come
along, and help with the task of looking after her."

Clarence Mills was pleased to meet Gertie, and, as the three went
towards the red-bricked lions' house, mentioned that he proposed to
write a dialogue sketch of the Zoo; up to the present little worth
recording had been overheard, and he expected he would, as usual, be
compelled to invent the conversations.

"I read all of yours, Clarence, that appear in the newspapers," said
Gertie.

"That doesn't take up a great deal of your time," he remarked.

"But you're getting on, aren't you?"

"I think of going in for the boot-black business," he said. "I believe
I could make a reputation there."

"Don't you go losing 'eart," advised Mr. Trew. "I shouldn't be in the
position I occupy now if I hadn't made up my mind, from the start, not
to get low-spirited. If any disappointments come your way, simply
laugh at 'em. They can stand anything but that. Who is this I see on
the far horizon?"

"Don't let him catch sight of us just yet," begged the girl
apprehensively. "He seems to have ladies with him."

Henry's companions entered the house, as the roaring within became
insistent, and he looked up an