AUDUBON AND WILSON. 119 
crow, which chanticleer utters somewhat drowsily, and then 
replaces his head beneath his wing, supported on one side by 
a partlet, on the other by a hen. So we gathered up our 
slippered feet from the rug, lamp in hand stalked along the 
lobbies, unchained and unlocked the oak which our faithful 
night porter Somnus had sported—and lo! a figure muffled 
up in a cloak, and furred like a Russ, who advanced familiarly 
into the hall, extended both hands, and then embracing us, 
bade God bless us, and pronounced, with somewhat of a 
foreign accent, the name in which we and the world rejoice— 
“Christopher North!’ We were not slow in returning the 
hug fraternal—for who was it but the ‘“ American Woods- 
man ?”—even Audubon himself—fresh from the Floridas— 
and breathing of the pure air of far-off Labrador! 
Three years and upwards had fled since we had taken fare- 
well of the illustrious Ornithologist—on the same spot—at 
the -same hour; and there was something ghostlike in such 
return of a dear friend from a distant region—almost as if 
from the land of spirits. It seemed as if the same moon 
again looked at us—but then she was wan and somewhat 
sad—now clear as a diamond, and all the starry heavens 
wore a smile. ‘Our words they were no mony feck”—but 
in less time than we have taken to write it—we two were 
sitting cheek by jowl, and hand in hand, by that essential 
fire—while we showed by our looks that we both felt, now 
they were over, that three years were but as one day! The 
cane coal-scuttle, instinct with spirit, beeted the fire of its 
own accord, without word or beck of ours, as if placed there 
by the hands of one of our wakeful Lares; in globe of purest 
crystal the Glenlivet shone; unasked the bright brass kettle 
began to whisper its sweet “under song;” and a centenary 
of the fairest oysters native to our isle turned towards us 
their languishing eyes, unseen the Nereid that had on the 
instant wafted them from the procreant cradle beds of Pres- 
tonpans. Grace said, we drew in to supper, and hobnobbing, 
