"True happiness," he said to himself, "is to be found in bestowing love;
there is no such happiness as that of the mother for her babe, unless I
have attained it in mine for my vixen and her children."

With these feelings he waited impatiently for the hour on the morrow
when he might hasten to them once more.

When, however, he had toiled up the hillside, to the earth, taking
infinite precaution not to tread down the bracken, or make a beaten path
which might lead others to that secret spot, he found to his surprise
that Silvia was not there and that there were no cubs to be seen either.
He called to them, but it was in vain, and at last he laid himself on
the mossy bank beside the earth and waited.

For a long while, as it seemed to him, he lay very still, with closed
eyes, straining his ears to hear every rustle among the leaves, or any
sound that might be the cubs stirring in the earth.

At last he must have dropped asleep, for he woke suddenly with all his
senses alert, and opening his eyes found a full-grown fox within six
feet of him sitting on its haunches like a dog and watching his face
with curiosity. Mr. Tebrick saw instantly that it was not Silvia. When
he moved the fox got up and shifted his eyes, but still stood his
ground, and Mr. Tebrick recognised him then for the dog-fox he had seen
once before carrying a hare. It was the same dark beast with a large
white tag to his brush. Now the secret was out and Mr. Tebrick could see
his rival before him. Here was the real father of his godchildren, who
could be certain of their taking after him, and leading over again his
wild and rakish life. Mr. Tebrick stared for a long time at the handsome