AARON AND ELISHEBA 



129 



then reach his hand around the glass to feel for it. 

 Not finding it, he would peep around the side of it 

 and then look into it again. He would take hold of 

 it and turn it around ; lay it on the ground, look at 

 the image again, and put his hand under the edge of 

 it. The look of inquiry in that quaint face was so 

 striking as to make one pity him. But he was hard 

 to discourage, and continued the search whenever 

 he had the mirror. 



Elisheba never worried herself much about it. 

 When she saw the image in the glass she seemed to 

 recognise it as one of her kind, but when it would 

 vanish she let it go without trying to find it. In fact, 

 she often turned away from it as though she did not 

 admire it. She rarely ever took hold of the glass, 

 and never felt behind it for the other ape. 



Altogether she was an odd specimen of her tribe, 

 eccentric and whimsical beyond anything I have ever 

 known among animals, yet with all her freaks Aaron 

 was fond of her, and she afforded him company ; but 

 he was extremely jealous of her, and permitted no 

 stranger to take any liberties with her with impunity. 

 He did not object to them doing so with him, and 

 rarely took offence at any degree of familiarity, for 

 he would make friends with any one who was gentle 

 with him, but he could not tolerate their doing so 

 with her. 



She betrayed no sign of affection for him except 

 when some one annoyed or vexed him, but in that 

 event she never failed to take his part against all 

 odds. At such times she would become frantic with 



