JOSEPH 103 



Like M. Dumas, M. Goujon loved beasts, and he 

 thought he would try to tame his visitor, and at the end 

 of three days he had succeeded so well, that the lizard 

 was not afraid to come near him. A week later he tried 

 the experiment of offering the lizard, to whom he had 

 given the name of Joseph, a spoonful of tea from his 

 cup, and, rather to his surprise, Joseph seemed quite to 

 enjoy it ! 



The two always met in the very early mornings before 

 anyone else was up, but at whatever hour M. Goujon 

 might choose to come out on the terrace, Joseph was sure 

 to be there before him, stretched comfortably out in a 

 warm sunny place, with her eyes fixed on the door where 

 M. Goujon would presently appear. 



Ten minutes after this event, a page boy brought 

 Goujon his morning tea, and Joseph, who knew the boy 

 quite well by sight, raised her head and flicked the end 

 of her tail with joy at the sight of the tray. She never 

 moved her gaze from Goujon, who poured himself slowly 

 out a cup, and put in plenty of sugar. Then he took a 

 spoonful of the tea, tasted it, as a careful nurse tastes a 

 baby's milk to make sure it is not too hot, and held out 

 the spoon to Joseph, who lapped it delicately with her 

 thin black tongue till she had finished every drop. She 

 never allowed anything to disturb her during this occu- 

 pation, except a sudden noise, or a face she did not 

 know. 



Little by little Joseph soon grew accustomed to the 

 people of the house, and paid no heed to them. She 

 would even take sugar from our hands, though seldom 

 without hesitation, as she always remained constant to 

 Goujon. 



One day Joseph was missing from her usual place on 

 the terrace, and M. Goujon had to drink his tea alone. 

 The whole house grieved over her loss, for ' the palace 

 was dull,' observes M. Dumas, ' and we had made no 

 friends except herself. But there is no sorrow so great 



