to regard this ugly and despicable animal. The greater
part of his regard for it he believed to be due to its connection with
his tutor, and the rest he set down to the score of his own humanity,
and took credit to himself accordingly; whereas in truth Monsieur
Crapaud was of incalculable service to his new master, who would lie and
chatter to him for hours, and almost forget his present discomfort in
recalling past happiness, as he described the chateau, the gardens, the
burly tutor, and beautiful Madame, or laughed over his childish
remembrances of the toad's teeth in Claude Mignon's pocket; whilst
Monsieur Crapaud sat well-bred and silent, with a world of comprehension
in his fiery eyes. Whoever thinks this puerile must remember that my
hero was a Frenchman, and a young Frenchman, with a prescriptive right
to chatter for chattering's sake, and also that he had not a very highly
cultivated mind of his own to converse with, even if the most highly
cultivated intellect is ever a reliable resource against the terrors of
solitary confinement.

Foolish or wise, however, Monsieur the Viscount's attachment
strengthened daily; and one day something happened which showed his pet
in a new light, and afforded him fresh amusement.

The prison was much infested with certain large black spiders, which
crawled about the floor and walls; and, as Monsieur the Viscount was
lying on his pallet, he saw one of these scramble up and over the stone
on which sat Monsieur Crapaud. That good gentleman, whose eyes, till
then, had been fixed as usual on his master, now turned his attention to
the intruder. The spider, as if conscious of danger, had suddenly
stopped still. Monsieur Crapaud gazed at it intently with his beautiful
eyes, and bent himself slightly forward. So they remained for some
seconds, then the spider turned round, and began suddenly to scramble
away. At this instant Monsieur the Viscount saw his friend's eyes gleam
with an intenser fire, his head was jerked forwards; it almost seemed as
if something had been projected from his mouth, and drawn back again
with the rapidity of lightning. Then Monsieur Crapaud resumed his
position, drew in his head, and gazed mildly and sedately before him;
_but the spider was nowhere to be seen_.

Monsieur the Viscount burst into a loud laugh.

"Eh, well! Monsieur," said he, "but this is not well-bred on your part.
Who gave you leave to eat my spiders, and to bolt them in such an
unmannerly w