THE SPIDEB MONKEY. 155 



minutes was enough for her to pull plants and 

 vegetables up by the roots, upset flower-pots, 

 and turn order into chaos generally. Never was 

 Gila the Second so happy as when engaged in 

 this particular piece of work. 



To dine, and to dine well, was the one im- 

 portant matter of the day with that dear four- 

 handed torment. She ate what we did, had 

 her individual tastes, and was as capricious and 

 fussy as any chronic invalid who thinks of no- 

 thing but the next meal. The moment the table 

 was spread in the corridor she decided what 

 she would have, and have it she always did, 

 no matter what it might be ; for she brought 

 her copious vocabulary of screams and cries to 

 her aid, and made herself so very disagreeable, 

 that no one could eat in peace till she was 

 attended, and served as if she were the Great 

 Mogul. She must have her coffee in the morn- 

 ing with us, and she insisted upon a part of 

 every glass of lemon or orangeade drank in her 

 presence. 



However wearing the trials and annoyances of 

 the day, we always forgave our poor little four- 

 handed friend at night, for darkness brought her 

 nothing but terrors. Never was beast so timid ; 

 a shadow — even her own — startled her, an 

 unusual noise drove her wild, she screamed at 

 a bat as if it were a tiger. The dark itself 



