54 A PHILOSOPHER WITH NATURE 



interest in the objects in the room was of a peculiar 

 kind ; the long confinement must have acted upon 

 her as it often does on prisoners, when it leads 

 them to take an unusual interest in objects 

 they would not otherwise have noticed. All 

 the bright objects seemed to attract her. 

 The brass handles of some cupboards greatly 

 interested her, and the polished knobs of a set 

 of drawers were also a source of great attention. 

 From time to time she would alight on one of these 

 latter, and having walked all over it would fly to 

 another and another without again alighting, as 

 if she had been visiting flowers. She was on the 

 most friendly terms with me, but I felt rather 

 slighted to find that her interest in me was principally 

 centred in the buttons of my waistcoat, which were 

 made of some polished material which doubtless 

 attracted her like the knobs of the drawers. A great 

 object of interest to her also was a bookcase, the 

 backs of the books in which in various coloured 

 bindings, labelled in gilt letters, were an unfailing 

 source of interest. Here again she rarely sought 

 to approach the glass, but remained on the wing 

 outside while she studied the gilt titles beyond. It 

 seemed to me strange that she should return again 

 and again to such a profitless occupation ; yet she 

 made many visits in the day to the same objects. 

 I am inclined to think that in her visits to the 

 bookcase the books which received most attention 

 were those in green covers (there were very few in 

 blue), although the rather florid lettering of some 

 of the poets in red binding also seemed very attract- 

 ive. The greatest object of attraction in the room 

 was, however, the keyhole of the door. Into this 



