rooms down stairs: a sitting-room and a
bedroom. As the elderly lady, with a candle in
her hand, was leading the way along the
passage, the doctor called from above,

"Mrs. Mavor, I want you here directly."

"Excuse me a moment, gentlemen," said Mrs.
Mavor; "the doctor, my first-floor lodger, has
just come in, and wants his coffee. Pray take
a seat in the parlour."

Mrs. Mavor left us, and went up-stairs, and
the next moment we heard the doctor saying in
loud and angry tones:

"Where is my spider? How dare you
sweep away my spider with your murderous
broom?"

"Oh, the nasty thing!" we heard Mrs. Mavor
begin to say, but the doctor would not let her
speak.

"Nasty thing! That's your opinion. What
do you suppose that spider's opinion is of you,
when you come and bring his house about his
ears in the midst of his industry? How would
you like it? Let me tell you that spider had
as much right to live as you have; more—more!
He was industrious, which you are not; he had
a large family to support, which you have not;
and if he did spread a net to catch the flies,
don't you hang up ' Lodgings to Let,' and take
in single young men, like myself, and do for
them? You are a heartless, wicked woman,
Mrs. Mavor."

Mrs. Mavor came down almost immediately,
laughing.

"That's my first-floor lodger, Doctor Goliath."
she said; " he has strange ways in some things,
and pretends to get in an awful temper if any
one touches his pets; but he is such a good kind
soul!"

Tom and I began to stare.

"He has been with me now over seven years,"
Mrs. Mavor continued, " and he has behaved so
well to me, and has been so kind to me when I have
been ill, that nothing should induce me to take
any person into the house that might disturb him
or put him out of his ways. If the doctor were to
leave Povis-place, I am sure I don't know what
all the neighbours and the poor people about
here would do; for he doctors them when they
are ill, and he advises them when they are well,
and he writes letters for them, and gets up
subscriptions for them when there's any misfortune;
and the children—they're all wild after
him! Very often you'll see him here in the
place, when he has been the gentlest and best
of friends to their fathers and mothers, playing
games with them, and a score of romping boys
and girls on the top of his back—but he don't
mind; he's so good natured, and so fond of
children!"

Tom and I were opening our eyes wider and
wider. The doctor called again: "Mrs. Mavor,
bring me a ball of worsted, and let it be nice
and soft."

Mrs. Mavor went up-stairs with the worsted,
and came back again smiling.

"He has got his dumb pets round him now,"
she said, " and one of them has had an accident,
and he can't bear to see the poor creature suffer.
He is so tender-hearted!"

Tom and I were speechless. The doctor's
pets, what could they be? Imps?

I said to Mrs. Mavor, that we had heard of
Doctor Goliath, that he was a very learned and
skilful man, and that we would like to have a
peep at him, if she would permit us. Mrs. Mavor
hesitated. He would be angry, she said, if he
knew it. We put it upon our admiration for
the man, and she consented; but we were only
to peep through the door, and were not to make
a noise.

We went up-stairs quietly to the doctor's
landing. His door was ajar, and we could see
nearly half the room through the crack, without
being seen. If it had been possible to open
our eyes any wider, we should have done it
now.

For, the doctor was seated at a table on which
his tea-things were laid. A canary-bird sat
perched upon his head, a kitten was sporting at
his feet, and he himself was occupied in binding
up the leg of a guinea-pig.

"Poor little thing!" he was saying. "l am
so sorry, so sorry; but never mind. There,
there! I will bind up its poor little leg, and it
will get well and run about as nicely as ever.
Ah, little cat; now you know what I told you
about that canary-bird. If you kill that canary-
bird, I shall kill you. That is the law of Moses,
little cat: it is a cruel law, I think, but I am
afraid I should have to put it in force; for I
love that little bird, and I love you, too, little
cat, so you will not kill my pretty canary, will
you? Sweet, sweet!" And the bird, perched
upon the doctor's head, was answering " Sweet,
sweet!"

Mrs. Mavor was behind us, calling to us in a
loud whisper to come away. We astonished Mrs.
Mavor and her lodger both. We walked right
into the doctor's room.

He started at the sound of our footsteps; and
when he saw us he turned pale with anger.

"What means this—this unwarrantable—
this impertinent intrusion?"

He poured such a volley of angry words upon
us that we were confused, and scarcely knew
how to act. I saw that the only course was to
take the bull by the horns.

"Doctor," I said, "you are an old humbug.'"'

"What do you mean; what do you mean,
sir? How dare you!" returned the doctor.

"And I say so too," struck in the mild
Tom, who had never before been known to
speak so bold; " doctor, you are an old humbug."

"Well, upon my word," said the doctor, "the
audacity of this proceeding"

"Who taught us to be audacious, doctor?"
Tom asked, before he could finish the
sentence.

The doctor gave way. He laughed, and he
looked sheepish—as sheepish as we had looked
when he discovered our loving-cup scheme. He
scarcely knew what to say, and he put on a fierce
look again, and called Mrs. Mavor.