“Then I beg Nap’s pardon,” he said smiling. “I thought he was only a useless pet; but if he can be a good friend to you he is a better dog than I thought for.”
“He’d be a splendid dog to hunt with, sir, if he had a chance.”
“Would he? Well, I’m glad of it, and you shall come and see my collection, and help me catalogue and arrange them if you like. Here, hi! stop a minute: where are you going?”
“Only to fetch my cap, sir,” I said excitedly, for the idea of seeing the collections of a man who had been five years in South America seemed to set me on fire.
“Plenty of time yet, my boy,” he said, showing white teeth in a pleasant smile; “they are in the docks at Southampton, on board ship. Wait a bit, and you shall see all.”
Chapter Eight.
I find myself a Brother Naturalist.
I stood looking very hard at our visitor, Doctor Burnett, and thought how very different he was to Aunt Sophia. Only a little while before, I had felt as if I must hate him for behaving so badly to Nap, and for talking to me in such a cold, contemptuous way. It had seemed as if he would join with Aunt Sophia in making me uncomfortable, and I thought it would have been so much pleasanter if he had stayed away.