CHAPTER XII. 



ARGONAUT AND GEO^IETIOK. 



" Why should your engineer friend have been dis- 

 gusted at you for pointing out an analogy between the 

 works of man and those of the spider V" asked Abby, 

 al)ruptly. "For my part I think the likeness is very 

 remarkable." 



"■ Precisely my thought," said the Mistress. "It is 

 wond(!rful ! It seems incredil)le that such human-like 

 behavior should belong to so lowly a creature. I verily 

 believe that I shall never again brush down a cobweb 

 without compunction !" 



"I count that saying a triumph, indeed," I remark- 

 ed with pleasure; " coming as it does from one who 

 is the pink of perfection as a housekeeper, and withal 

 full of natural prejudices against 'bugs,' it shows how 

 much prevalent dislike of the living things of nature 

 arises from lack of knowledge of their interesting habits. 



" I am happy to say that my friend, the engineer, 

 soon came to the same view, lie had concluded hastily 

 that I had l)elittled the greatest engineering work of the 

 age by an unworthy comparison, and the suggestion that 

 man had been the copyist of the aranead. On the con- 

 trary, 1 showed him that these were only indications, 



independently reached, of the one great Over-mind of 

 2W' 



