186 ANECDOTE OF SPANIEL [PAET II. 



thing or other has passed through the animals' 

 minds, which, could we know what it was, would 

 fully account for this conduct on their part, while 

 to those unacquainted with the cause, they ap- 

 pear to be actuated solely by caprice. The fol- 

 lowing instances have happened to occur within 

 my own knowledge : A brother of mine, when in 

 the army, had a very favourite little Spaniel which 

 was devotedly attached to him, and his constant 

 companion. During a visit of a few days how- 

 ever, which I paid him, when quartered in Cork, 

 and on the eve of embarkation for foreign service, 

 the dog took such an extraordinary fancy to me, 

 that he decidedly preferred my company to that 

 of my brother, and indeed quite deserted him 

 for me. On my leaving to return to England 

 my brother kindly gave him to me, and he as 

 a matter of course followed me on board the 

 steamer, leaving my brother standing on the 

 quay. The steamer sheered off, and proceeded 

 on her course, but no sooner did the dog per- 

 ceive that he was really to be separated from 

 his old master, than all his former affection for 

 him appeared to return in its full force ; in every 

 way in which a dog can express contrition he 

 seemed to do so for his error in having forsaken 



