336 corvid,e. 



beside him on the table, he removed the chair and groped about on the 

 carpet, then raised the book and examined every part of the table. Not 

 being able to restrain myself any longer, I exploded in laughter ; and 

 of course I was instantly suspected of playing off a practical joke, and 

 charged with taking the spectacles, but at length succeeded in convincing 

 him I had never risen from the sofa on which I reclined ; but after a 

 good deal of laughing, and two or three other members of the family 

 having been attracted to the room by the hubbub, I was compelled, 

 under cross-examination, to own that I had witnessed ' Jack's ' ab- 

 stractions. The question then became serious how the articles were to 

 be recovered ; some person suggested to leave a teaspoon near him and 

 watch him. This was accordingly done, but his motions were so rapid 

 that he eluded us all, seeming at first to pop completely over the house ; 

 at length, by placing two or three persons in favourable positions, he 

 was '■marked' in a leaden valley between a double part of the roof; 

 and this having been closely searched, a deposit was discovered not only 

 of the things which ' Jack ' had that day carried off, but also of some 

 articles which had been for some time supposed to be lost, but respect- 

 ing which a breath of suspicion as to him had never been entertained. 

 This day's successful foray led to his losing his entire store, no doubt 

 in the midst of his triumphal rejoicing. 



" His thieving propensities seemed to gather strength from this 

 period ; but I have little doubt many articles which were lost were set 

 down to his account, without sufficient evidence that he was the thief. 

 A valuable brooch, which belonged to a lady who was on a visit with 

 my mother, was at length lost, and every finger pointed to ' Jack ' as 

 the thief; this charge acquired probability from the fact that he had on 

 the previous day overturned and destroyed a very valuable writing-desk 

 in her room, while examining too anxiously some of the silver ornaments 

 of its bottles ; an order was forthwith issued by my father that a cage must 

 be made for him, and the absolute liberty he had heretofore enjoyed, 

 be somewhat curtailed. I submitted the more cheerfully to this order, 

 as his flights from home were now becoming obviously longer, and on 

 one or two occasions he had not returned all night ; and although at 

 these times he made his appearance next morning, hungry and cold, and 

 with a very rueful aspect, yet I was beginning to fear that he would at 

 length acquire the habits necessary for shifting for himself, and stay 

 away altogether. Accordingly he was caged ; at first he furiously 



