FRIENDS IN LONDON.
WHEN Binney came to London, he was taken to the house of a gentleman
who was very fond of animals. This gentleman was a very wise and good
man, and he has written a number of charming books about animals,
which you will read some day. Binney was taken into a room on the
ground-floor, where sat a very nice and kind looking old lady, who was
busy stoning raisins.
"A sailor has just brought this here little beast to my master, ma'am,"
said the servant. "Here is a letter which came along with it."
"I suppose it must be the beaver which Mr. B— expected from Canada,"
said the old lady, who was the housekeeper. "Poor thing! How dirty it
is. Bring a basin of water, Thomas. I dare say it will like to drink."
Thomas brought a large basin full of clean water, and set it down on
the stone hearth. Now Binney had not had any water to wash in for a
long, long time, and seeing this fine bowl of clean water, he plunged
into it head first, rolling about and grunting with delight.
"Poor thing, how pleased it is with its bath," said the old lady, who
was very neat herself, and a great admirer of cleanliness in others.
"I have heard that beavers live mostly in the water. I wonder what it
eats?"
"I am sure I don't know," said Thomas, who, to say the truth, did not
know much about any thing except opening the door, and waiting upon the
table. "I can't think why master wants so many animals about. Dirty
things, always making a litter for me to clean up."
"As to that, Thomas, your master has a right to please himself," said
the old lady. "I suppose, at any rate, a biscuit will do the creature
no harm."
She opened a cupboard door as she spoke, and taking out a large sweet
biscuit, she gave it to Binney, who had never before tasted anything so
good. It was soon eaten, and Binney, after combing out his fur with his
claws, lay down at the housekeeper's feet, and fell fast asleep.
By and by Mr. B— came home to his dinner, which he usually took quite
late. As Thomas was clearing away the things, he said to his master:
"If you please, sir, the beaver have come, and brought you a letter
from Canada."
"Ah!" said Mr. B—, smiling. "A letter of introduction, I suppose. Bring
him up stairs, Thomas, and let us have a look at him."
Thomas made no reply, but went down to the housekeeper's room, where
Binney lay at the kind old lady's feet. He had combed his fur out clean
with his long claws, and looked and felt much better than when he
arrived, so much so that he was rolling over and over before the fire,
playing in his clumsy way, and grunting with pleasure. He had not felt
so happy since he left his home in the north-west.
"Master says I am to bring this here beast up stairs; but how I am to
bring him, I should like to know," said Thomas, sulkily. "I dare say he
will bite me if I touch him. Here, beast! Come here, sir!"
But Thomas did not speak kindly, and Binney would not follow him.
"I will take him up myself," said the kind housekeeper, rising. "Come
along, there is a good little fellow."
Binney was very ready to follow the old lady who had been so good to
him, and he trotted along after her up the stairs, which were very low
and easy, till he came to the drawing-room. It was a large, handsome
room, nicely furnished, and had a thick, soft carpet upon the floor.
Mr. B— sat before the bright fire, reading the paper; but he looked up
as the housekeeper came in with Binney behind her.
"Ah, thank you, Mrs. Smith," said he. "So you have brought our new pet.
How does he seem?"
"Well, sir, he seems a deal better than when he came," replied Mrs.
Smith. "I have fed him, and given him some water to wash in, and he
seems quite lively and playful like."
Just then something bounded from the top of a high bookcase, and came
down on the floor. Binney looked at it in great surprise. He had
never seen such a creature in all his travels. It was a little animal
of a reddish gray color, about the size of a half-grown kitten, but
much more active and graceful. Its face was white, its nose long and
sharp, and its eyes extremely large and bright. Its feet were shaped
much like a man's hands, and it had a very long furry tail. It was a
white-fronted lemur, from the island of Madagascar, far away in the
Indian Ocean.
"O ho, Mackey! So you have waked up," said Mr. B—. "You seem in fine
spirits to-night. Here is a new playmate for you."
At that moment Mackey, for that was the lemur's name, caught sight
of Binney, whom he had not noticed before. With one bound he sprang
from the rug by the fire to the top of a high door, a distance of many
yards, where he sat staring down at the newcomer as though he did not
know what to make of him.
Binney, on his part, was as much astonished as the lemur. He had seen
the squirrels in the woods make great leaps, but nothing compared to
Mackey's.
By and by Mackey seemed to make up his mind that Binney was not
dangerous, for he came down from his high post to the arm of his
master's chair, and from that to his feet, where he sat very
contentedly with his long furry tail wrapped round his neck and arms,
like the boas which ladies used to wear some years ago. After staring
at Binney for a while longer, he wrapped himself up still closer, and
went to sleep.