Theraven，inhislittlebasketathismaster’sback，hearingthisfrequentmentionofhisnameinatoneofexultation，expressedhissympathybycrowinglikeacock，andafterwardsrunningoverhisvariousphrasesofspeechwithsuchrapidity，andinsomanyvarietiesofhoarseness，thattheysoundedlikethemurmursofacrowdofpeople。
’Hetakessuchcareofmebesides！’saidBarnaby。’Suchcare，mother！HewatchesallthetimeIsleep，andwhenIshutmyeyesandmake-believetoslumber，hepractisesnewlearningsoftly;buthekeepshiseyeonmethewhile，andifheseesmelaugh，thoughneversolittle，stopsdirectly。Hewon’tsurprisemetillhe’sperfect。’
Theravencrowedagaininarapturousmannerwhichplainlysaid，’Thosearecertainlysomeofmycharacteristics，andIgloryinthem。’Inthemeantime，Barnabyclosedthewindowandsecuredit，andcomingtothefireplace，preparedtositdownwithhisfacetothecloset。Buthismotherpreventedthis，byhastilytakingthatsideherself，andmotioninghimtowardstheother。
’Howpaleyouareto-night！’saidBarnaby，leaningonhisstick。
’Wehavebeencruel，Grip，andmadeheranxious！’