MEAT-EATERS. 
CHAPTER I. 
INTRODUCTION. 
Miss Winston was sitting before her 
little table one afternoon in the beginning 
of summer, reading and knitting at the 
same time. She was an excellent knitter; 
and it was a constant source of amusement 
and wonder to her nephews and nieces to 
watch her flying fingers, which never hesi¬ 
tated or dropped a stitch or made a mistake, 
though she hardly ever took her eyes from 
the book except to narrow or count her 
stitches. The little table was drawn into 
the recess of a deep, low window, which 
opened upon a pretty high terrace with 
here and there a flower-bed set in the green 
grass. Beyond this terrace was a garden; 
