41 



dressing. If he stops in perfect check until 

 you get close to him, we will for this time, but 

 for this time only, forgive him his breaking 

 ground from our " down charge." I am willing, 

 Sir, to encourage his here manifest obedience to 

 your take heed, because it is a great point gained 

 under such trying circumstances : but I can by 

 no means allow this to grow into a precedent, 

 or permit the breach hereafter of what is to be 

 to us the all-in-all of his ultimate perfection. 



I have, I perceive, been led away by this flut- 

 tering, as well as by the headlong dash just 

 before, which I have however thus met in the 

 first instance, because I am apprehensive it may 

 be what, from some previous injustice done to 

 your pupil, you may have first to contend 

 withal. But I will now return to what, in a 

 state of mere unvitiated ignorance, would more 

 probably be the treatment called for. I will 

 suppose the bird falls unperceived; or not as 

 an acknowledged object of pursuit, but of 

 astonishment, from novelty only: you stand 

 stock still ; he does not obey your " Down 

 charge!" At first he certainly can not; but, 

 after being alarmed, probably into a brief stop 

 by the energy of your voice and manner, yields 

 to the mingled emotions of youthful curiosity 

 and instinctive impulse, and makes towards the 



