m sure you won't find the
trying difficult.'

Pat did not speak. He stood there looking before him gravely. But the
hard gloomy expression had gone, and after a while he said quietly,

'I _will_ try, but, auntie-- I'm not made right, somehow-- I don't care
for their animals and things like that, and I don't care much for games,
and I _hate_ ferreting!'

'You care for dogs,' said his aunt.

'Some,' he replied. 'I like clever, affectionate dogs. I don't care for
those that think about nothing except hunting and chasing cats and
making a row. I like a dog like your Flip, that sits beside you and
understands when you want to be quiet.'

'Flip _is_ a dear,' Aunt Mattie agreed. 'But, O Hec! what are you
doing?' for at that moment a pile of toys came clattering down within an
ace of Ger's head, from the top shelf of the cupboard, whereupon Ger set
up a scream, though he was not the least hurt, and the toys, being
principally wooden bricks, were not hurt either.

Still peace was destroyed between the two little boys, and their aunt
proposed that they should get their hats and go out with her and Pat to
meet the others.

These 'others,' in the meantime, had been enjoying themselves more or
less--very much as regarded the boys, Justin especially, for there was
nothing he liked better than showing off his animals, and Archie's
pleasure was only damped by his noticing signs of fear every now and
then on Rosamond's part. She did her best to hide them, poor little
girl, and to trust Justin's loud assurances that the growls of the
puppies' mother were only meant for 'how do you do? so pleased to see
you. Aren't the little people looking well?' or civil speeches of that
kind, translated into dog-language, though these assurances were not
quite in keeping with the quick way in which he pulled back her hand
when she timidly stooped down to stroke one of the black-and-tan babies.

'I'll pick it up for you,' he said, and so he did, taking care first to
shut the stable door on the anxious mother.

'It _is_ a nice soft little thing,' said Miss Mouse, when she had got it
safe in her arms, 'but--oh it's going to bite me,' and but for fear of
hurting it, she would have got rid of master puppy in double-quick
time.

'He won't really hurt you--it's only little snaps that do no harm,' said
Archie; 'but I'll put him back again, and then p'raps we'd better show
her the rabbits and the pigeons--_they're_ not frightening.'

'No,' agreed