186 ANECDOTE OF SPANIEL— [PART II. 
thing or other has passed through the animals’ 
minds, which, could we know what it was, would 
fully account for this conduct on their part, while 
to those unacquainted with the cause, they ap- 
pear to be actuated solely by caprice. The fol- 
lowing instances have happened to occur within 
my own knowledge :—A brother of mine, when in 
the army, had a very favourite little Spaniel which 
was devotedly attached to him, and his constant 
companion. During a visit of a few days how- 
ever, which I paid him, when quartered in Cork, 
and on the eve of embarkation for foreign service, 
the dog took such an extraordinary fancy to me, 
that he decidedly preferred my company to that 
of my brother, and indeed quite deserted him 
for me. On my leaving to return to England 
my brother kindly gave him to me, and he as 
a matter of course followed me on board the 
steamer, leaving my brother standing on the 
quay. The steamer sheered off, and proceeded 
on her course, but no sooner did the dog per- 
ceive that he was really to be separated from 
his old master, than all his former affection for 
him appeared to return in its full force ; in every 
way in which a dog can express contrition he 
seemed to do so for his error in having forsaken 
