202 FACT AGAINST FICTION. 



in which my giant retriever, ^^Nep," always 

 shared, for the house to which, when I am not 

 out with him, he is chained, is immediately in 

 front of my dining-room window, and the young 

 lady, as was usual with her, had prepared the 

 dog's refreshment, and was on her way to take 

 it to him, when she saw that his back was towards 

 the window instead of his expectant face, and that 

 he was deeply and curiously occupied in staring 

 at some very little thing which rested in the dust 

 on the line of his heavy chain-. The attitude of 

 the huge Newfoundland dog was intensely curious, 

 and, apparently, his bright yellow eyes were in 

 doubt as to whether or not the thing he saw with 

 its mouth perpetually gaping at him was hostilely, 

 and, perhaps, poisonously inclined; for it kept 

 advancing as if to bite. However, the tete-d-tete 

 was disturbed by the appearance of the young 

 lady, plate in hand; for Neptune, hearing her, 

 turned round, and in coming to the length of his 

 chain to meet her, the heavy iron rolled the poor 

 little greenfinch over and over again ; yet, notliing 

 daunted, the bird righted itself, crawled on, and 

 opened its mouth once more. The lady picked it 

 up, and, carrying it in, put it upon the luncheon 



