g the jib-boom, and lost his hold and fell into the
sea. He really had a very narrow escape. A less active swimmer might
easily have been drowned. I always think, too, that he had an advantage
in the fact that the water was warm."

"I am so glad the nasty albatross were disappointed."

"The nasty albatross were probably disappointed when they found that
Giovanni was not a piece of spoilt pork. However, they set their
beautiful wings, and went their way, and we set our sails, and went our
way, which was to Adelaide, South Australia."

COUSIN PEREGRINE'S TRAVELLER'S TALES.

JACK OF PERA.

(_Founded on Fact_.)

"Cousin Peregrine, oughtn't we to love our neighbour, whether he's a
nice neighbour or a nasty neighbour?"

"Certainly, Maggie."

"But need we when he's a nasty _next-door_ neighbour?" asked Fred, in
such rueful tones that Cousin Peregrine burst out laughing and said,
"Who is your nasty next-door neighbour, Fred, and what has he done?"

"Well, his name is Mackinnon, Cousin; and everybody says he's always
quarrelling; and he complained of our screaming and the cockatoo
playing--no, of the cockatoo's screaming and our playing prisoners'
base, and he kept our ball once, and now he has complained of poor dear
Ponto's going into his garden, and the dear darling old thing has to be
tied up, except when we take him out for stiff walks."

"I didn't notice anything stiff about his walk yesterday, Fred, He took
the fence into your nasty neighbour's garden at one bound, and came back
with another."

"I don't know what can make him go there!" cried Fred; "I wish he
understood about keeping to his own grounds."

"Ponto never lived in Constantinople, that is evident," said Cousin
Peregrine.

"Did you ever live in Constantinople, Cousin?" asked Maggie.

"Yes, Maggie, I am happy to say I have."

"Why are you glad, Cousin?"

"Because in some respects it is the loveliest city on earth, and I am
glad to have seen it."

"Tell us what it is like."

"And tell us why you say Ponto never lived there."

"I was a good deal younger than I am now," said Cousin Peregrine, "when
I saw Constantinople for the first time, and had seen much less of the
world than I have seen since; but even now I remember nothing in my
travels with greater delight than my first sight of that lovely city. It
was from the sea. Do you know anything about the Sea of Marmora, Fred?"

"I don't think I know much," said Fred doubtfully.