422 Mme. J. Power on the Habits of the common Marten. 



jumped up close to his companion, and after their meal, peace 

 was established. 



A fortnight after this incident, I heard a noise, and ran to my 

 balcony. There was a crowd of people in the street, and m\^ neigh- 

 bour was telling them that she had been robbed. Being too far off 

 to hear what she said, I passed into my bed-room, the balcony of 

 which was close to that of my neighbour, when I was struck by 

 seeing there some things which did not belong to me. There was 

 a bonnet, some shoes, two cups, a glass, a watch, some flowering 

 plants which had been torn up from their pots, and other things. 

 I begged the lady to come into my house, assuring her that I 

 would give her some information about the robbers. One may 

 easily understand the pleasure which this lady experienced on 

 seeing her goods. 



I told her the history of my Martens, and of the taste they 

 had for stealing, at w^hich she laughed much. I called my 

 Martens, but they did not come ; I looked about for them ; I 

 had the mattresses removed from my bed, but they were not 

 there ; at last I found them concealed at the top of the curtains, 

 when they took to flight. I called them, when they came and 

 received a good punishment. It is strange that they never 

 touched anything either in my drawing-room or my bed-chamber. 



My Martens feared, but were much attached to me; they 

 never attempted to bite me when I punished them. One day I 

 was weeping for the loss of a friend ; they climbed upon me, 

 caressed me, put on a sad air, and seemed to partake of the 

 grief which I experienced. 



The two Martens lived in perfect friendship ; what one did, 

 the other imitated, and they were always together in committing 

 any mischief. Sometimes, however, although very rarely, the 

 male corrected his companion. 



Being obliged to quit Sicily to come to London, and expecting 

 to return to Messina, I confided my Martens to the Duchess of 

 Belviso ; her husband, the Chevalier Benoit, who studied natural 

 history, undertook the care of them. The female, which was 

 near littering, died, either from grief at not seeing me any more, 

 or from some other cause ; and the male made his escape. This 

 surprised me, for during the fifteen months that they stayed 

 with me, they had every liberty, but never attempted to escape. 

 Sometimes they crept along the wall into the street ; they then 

 went close to the gate of the courtyard, and when this was 

 opened, returned into the house. 



