A STUDY OF CHARACTER. 2OI 



would n't be petted, or fussed over, or sit in any 

 one's lap a moment ; he always extricated him- 

 self from such familiarity with dignity and with 

 no show of temper. If there was any petting to 

 be done, however, he chose to do it. Often he 

 would sit looking at me, and then, moved by a 

 delicate affection, come and pull at my coat and 

 sleeve until he could touch my face with his nose, 

 and then go away contented. He had a habit 

 of coming to my study in the morning, sitting 

 quietly by my side or on the table for hours, 

 watching the pen run over the paper, occasion- 

 ally swinging his tail round for a blotter, and 

 then going to sleep among the papers by the 

 inkstand. Or, more rarely, he would watch the 

 writing from a perch on my shoulder. Writing 

 always interested him, and, until he understood 

 it, he wanted to hold the pen. 



He always held himself in a kind of reserve 

 with his friend, as if he had said, " Let us respect 

 9* 



