178 AUDUBOIT THE NATURALIST, 



same moon looked at us — ^but then, she was wan, 

 and somewhat sad — now, clear as a diamond, 

 and all the starry heavens wore a smile, ' Our 

 words, they were no mony feck^ — ^but in less 

 time than we have taken to write it we two 

 were sitting cheek by jowl, and hand in hand, 

 by that essential fire — while we showed by our 

 looks that we both felt, now they were over, that 

 three years are but as one day ! The cane coal- 

 scuttle, instinct with spirit, beeted the fire of its 

 own accord, without word or beck of ours, as if 

 placed there by the hands of one of our wakeful 

 Lares ; in globe of purest crystal the Glenlivet 

 shone ; unasked, the bright brass kettle began 

 to whisper its sweet under-song; and a centenary 

 of the fairest oysters, native to our isle, turned 

 towards us their languishing eyes, unseen the 

 Nereid that had on the instant wafted them from 

 the procreant cradle-beds of Prestonpans. Grace 

 said, we drew in to supper, and hobnobbing, 

 from elegant long-shank, down each natural- 

 ist's gullet graciously descended, with a gurgle, 

 the mildest, the meekest, the very Moses of 

 ales. 



" Audubon, ere half an hour had elapsed, 

 found an opportunity of telling us that he had 

 never seen us in a higher state of preservation 

 — and in a low voice whispered something about 

 the * eagle renewing his youth.' "We acknowl- 



