14 THE GLASS-CASE. 



The glass-case was certainly then a cage for Lady -birds, and 

 the old gentleman must be, it followed, a brother entomolo- 

 gist. "We had just arrived at this conclusion when the parlour 

 door re-opened and in came our stranger friend, followed by 

 a Hebe in curl-papers, bearing on a tea-tray a smoking jug, a 

 pint bottle, and two capacious goblets of different shapes and 

 sizes. " The gentleman must take something warm as an an- 

 tidote against taking cold." There was no rejecting the prof- 

 fer without wounding the kindly spirit, perhaps also the 

 pride of the offerer. We attempted indeed something about 

 the storm being now over; but partly against our will and 

 partly with it, (for we were curious to know what sort of ob- 

 servation our brother naturalist was making upon Lady -birds,) 

 we found ourselves reseated by the checquered table our en- 

 tertainer's vis d vis. 



During the process of compounding the elements, and be- 

 fore the starting of another subject, we pointed to the .glass- 

 case. " No doubt, Sir, an entomologist ?" A shake of the head 

 overset at once our previous conclusion. u Beg pardon, Sir 

 I thought from that, that like myself you were fond of 

 studying the habits of Insects : but most likely you have some 

 little friend perhaps some favourite grandchild, for whose 

 amusement ' " No," said the old gentleman, " No I 

 have no one I am a solitary old man. But indeed, Sir," 

 he added with a melancholy smile, "you are not the first who 

 has wondered at my foolish fancy for keeping those little 



