And it's such a little dear, all red and white; and it licked my face when nurse and I were there yesterday, and I put my hand in its mouth, and it rolled over on its back, and it's got long ears, and it followed me all the way home, and I gave it a piece of bread, and it can sit up, and"-- "But, my little man," interrupted my father--and he had absolutely smiled at my catalogue of marvels--"if Rubens belongs to Mr.
Mackenzie, and is such a wonderful fellow, I'm afraid Mr.Mackenzie won't part with him." "He would," I said, "but--" and I paused, for I feared the barrier was insurmountable.
"But what ?" said my father.
"He wants ten shillings for him, Nurse says." "If that's all, Regie," said my father, "you and I will go and buy Rubens to-morrow morning." Rubens was a little red and white spaniel of much beauty and sagacity.
He was the prettiest, gentlest, most winning of playfellows.

With him by my side, I now ran merrily about, instead of creeping moodily at the heels of nurse and her friends.

Abundantly occupied in testing the tricks he knew, and teaching him new ones, I had the less leisure to listen open-mouthed to cadaverous gossip of the Cadman class.

Finally, when I had bidden him good-night a hundred times, with absolutely fraternal embraces, I was soothed by the light weight of his head resting on my foot.

He seemed to chase the hideous fancies which had hitherto passed from nurse's daytime conversation to trouble my night visions, as he would chase a water-fowl from a reedy marsh, and I slept--as he did--peacefully.
Nor was this all.