arden hat or Pamela's tiny parasol, he
imagined for a moment or two that he had found them, only to creep off
again with his tail between his legs in renewed disappointment when he
discovered his mistake, all of which, it is easy to understand, had been
very trying to poor Grandmamma, and no doubt to Toby himself. He did not
understand what he was scolded for when he certainly meant no harm; he
could not make out why Dymock gave him little shoves out of the way and
Biddy bade him sharply be quiet when he, naturally enough, yelped at
this inconsiderate treatment. And worst of all, when, after the most
mature reflection, he took up his quarters on one of the two little
white beds in the night nursery, deciding that there, sooner or later,
his friends _must_ return, was it not _too_ bad that Nurse, hobbling
about again after her rheumatic attack, which she had made much worse by
fretting,--was it not _too_ bad that she should unceremoniously dislodge
him with never a "by your leave," or "with your leave"?

Toby shook himself and walked off in disgust.

"You very silly and stupid old woman," he said to her in his own mind,
"if you only had the sense to understand _my_ language, you would see
that the only rational thing to do is to wait for Duke and Pam in a
place where they are sure to come. And that is their beds. I have
thought it out, I assure you. But there is no use trying to put
reasonable ideas into human beings' heads. I might bark myself black in
the face before any one could take in what I mean."

It was just after this that he had wandered away downstairs in search of
a quiet corner; and on first entering the parlour Grandmamma spoke to
him so kindly that he began to think of bestowing his company upon her
for the rest of the day, especially as she was always installed near a
good fire. Toby dearly loved a fire; even on a hot summer's day the
kitchen fire had great attractions for him. But when Mrs. Twiss came in,
and he, as was his duty and business of course, went to the door to see
who it was, that officious Dymock shut him out again, and actually when
he whined and scratched in the politest manner to be let in Grandmamma
spoke crossly to him.

"Et tu, Brute!" thought Toby to himself. What was coming over the world?

On the whole he was not sorry to find himself trotting down the lane
beside Barbara, whom he had a sincere regard for. She spoke to him with
proper respect; she was not given to shoves like D