226 AUDUBON 



out and would not return for two hours, I asked to be 

 sho.wn to the library, and told my name. The man said 

 not a word, went off, and about ten minutes after, whilst 

 I was reading the preface of William Roscoe to his " Leo 

 X.," returned and said his master would be with me in a 

 moment. I understood all this. Mr. Selby came in, in 

 hunting-dress, and we shook hands as hunters do. He 

 took me at once out in his grounds, where Mrs. Selby, 

 his three daughters, and Captain Mitford his brother-in- 

 law were all engaged transplanting trees, and I felt at 

 home at once. When we returned to the house Mr. Selby 

 conducted me to his laboratory, where guns, birds, etc., 

 were everywhere. I offered to make a drawing and Cap- 

 tain Mitford went off to shoot a Chaffinch. We had supper, 

 after which the eagerness of the young ladies made me 

 open my box of drawings ; later we had music, and the 

 evening passed delightfully. I thought much of home 

 I assure thee, and of Green Bank also, and then of my 

 first sight of thee at F'atland, and went to bed thanking 

 God for the happy moments he has granted us. The 

 next morning I felt afraid my early habits would create 

 some disturbance in the repose of the family, and was 

 trying to make good my outing at five, and thought I 

 had already done so, when to my surprise and consterna- ' 

 tion the opening of the hall door made such a noise as I 

 doubted not must have been heard over the whole estab- 

 lishment; notwithstanding, I issued into the country fresh 

 air, and heard all around me the Black-birds, Thrushes, 

 and Larks at their morning songs. I walked, or rather 

 ran about, like a bird just escaped from a cage; plucked 

 flowers, sought for nests, watched the fishes, and came 

 back to draw. All went well ; although the shooting season 

 (as the English please to call it) was long since over, we 

 took frequent walks with guns, and a few individuals were 

 the sufferers from my anxiety to see their bills, and eyes, 

 and feathers ; and many a mile did I race over the moors 



