doubt, but Orion tried to make up for it.--But the great hunt, what was
that?"

At this question Mary's eyes suddenly sparkled again. In an instant all
her woes were forgotten, even her ancestor's flattened nose, and with a
merry, hearty laugh she exclaimed:

"Oh! you should have seen it! You would have been amused too. They
wanted to catch the bad man who cut the emerald out of the hanging. He
had left his shoes and they had held them under the dogs' noses and then
off they went! First they rushed here to the stairs; then to the
stables, then to the lodgings of one of the horse-trainers, and I kept
close behind, after the terriers and the other dogs. Then they stopped
to consider and at last they all ran out at the gate towards the town. I
ought not to have gone beyond the court-yard, but--do not be cross with
me--it was such fun!--Out they went, along Hapi Street, across the
square, and at last into the Goldsmith's Street, and there the whole pack
plunged into Gamaliel's shop--the Jew who is always so merry. While he
was talking to the others his wife gave me some apricot tartlets; we do
not have such good ones at home."

"And did they find the man?" asked Paula, who had changed color
repeatedly during the child's story.

"I do not know," said Mary sadly. "They were not chasing any one in
particular. The dogs kept their noses to the ground, and we ran after
them."

"And only to catch a man, who certainly had nothing whatever to do with
the theft.--Reflect a little, Mary. The shoes gave the dogs the scent