He took only one life, and so did the kite." "But," rejoined Basil, "in addition to taking away the life of his victim, he robbed him.

Robbery and murder both.

Now the kite was guilty only of the latter." "Ha! ha! ha!" laughed Lucien and Francois together.

"There _is_ a distinction with a difference!" "But, brother Luce," inquired Francois, "what did you mean when you said there might be many more links to this chain ?" "Why, who knows but the blue-winged fly was preying upon some other creatures smaller than himself?
And these again, upon others still less; who, though invisible to our eyes, possess life and organisation as well as we.

Who knows to the contrary?
And who knows the reason why a mysterious Providence has created those beings to be the food of each other?
That is a question about which we can arrive at no satisfactory conclusion." "Who knows, brother," said Francois, "since you are speculating--who knows but there may be an extra link at the other end of the chain?
Ho, Basil! what say you?
Suppose we fall in with grizzly bears." And Francois laughed as he put the question.
"And supposing we do," replied Basil, "_you_ are as likely to form that link as anybody else." "Heaven forbid!" exclaimed Lucien.