A RABBIT OF THE WORLD. 



write, I can hear the ping, ping of his 

 murderous cartridges and the quick cries of 

 Fan in the adjoining plot of moor ; but for 

 myself I refrain. I would rather have the 

 gambolling of such innocent fellow-creatures 

 on my patch of grass in the dusk of even- 

 ing than all the rhododendrons and azaleas 

 and cypresses the florist can palm upon 

 me. 



And how pretty they are, those harmless 

 little malefactors ! How they frolic across 

 the sward with tiny irregular jumps, like a 

 sportive kitten, only ten times more guileless 

 no tinge of bloodthirstiness in their liquid 

 eye, no stealthy cruelty in their honest grey 

 faces ! Your rabbit is a decent and in- 

 offensive vegetarian. Besides, its mode of 

 life sorts well with the uplands ; it never 

 disfigures nature, but accommodates itself 

 to the environment like a good working 

 evolutionist. When we first thought of 

 building here, a clever Girton girl, whom 

 we met at the little inn, held up her hands 



37 



