same way, Mr. Flannery."

"I say th' same, Missus Muldoon," said Flannery, "an' I say th'
professor has done that same, too. I say he has educated th' flea, an'
mebby raised it from a baby, and brung it from his native land, mam, an'
taught it, an' learned t' love it. Yes, Missus Muldoon! But if th'
educated horse or th' educated pig got loose would they be easy t' find
agin, or would they not, mam? And if th' professor come t' have a'
grrand love for th' flea he has raised by hand, an' taught like his own
son, an' th' flea run off from him, would th' educated flea be easy t'
find? Th' horse an' th' pig is animals that is not easy t' conceal
themselves, Missus Muldoon, but th' flea is harrd t' find, an' when ye
have found him he is harrd t' put your thumb on. I'm thinkin' th'
reason th' professor is so down is that he has lost th' flea of his
hearrt."

"Poor man!" said Mrs. Muldoon.

"An' th' reason I'm thinkin' so," said Flannery slowly, and leaning
toward Mrs. Muldoon across the table, "is that, if I be not mistaken,
Missus Muldoon, th' professor's educated flea spent last night with Mike
Flannery!"

Mrs. Muldoon raised her hands with a gesture of wonderment.

"And listen to that, now!" she cried, in astonishment. "Mike Flannery,
do you be thinkin' th' professor has _two_ of them? Sure, and he must
have two of them, for was it not mesilf was thinkin' all last night I
had th' same educated flea for a bed-felly? I would have caught him,"
she added, sadly, "but he was too brisk for me."