CHAPTER VI.

FRIENDS IN LONDON.

WHEN Binney came to London, he was taken to the house of a gentleman who was very fond of animals. This gentleman was a very wise and good man, and he has written a number of charming books about animals, which you will read some day. Binney was taken into a room on the ground-floor, where sat a very nice and kind looking old lady, who was busy stoning raisins.

"A sailor has just brought this here little beast to my master, ma'am," said the servant. "Here is a letter which came along with it."

"I suppose it must be the beaver which Mr. B— expected from Canada," said the old lady, who was the housekeeper. "Poor thing! How dirty it is. Bring a basin of water, Thomas. I dare say it will like to drink."

Thomas brought a large basin full of clean water, and set it down on the stone hearth. Now Binney had not had any water to wash in for a long, long time, and seeing this fine bowl of clean water, he plunged into it head first, rolling about and grunting with delight.

"Poor thing, how pleased it is with its bath," said the old lady, who was very neat herself, and a great admirer of cleanliness in others. "I have heard that beavers live mostly in the water. I wonder what it eats?"

"I am sure I don't know," said Thomas, who, to say the truth, did not know much about any thing except opening the door, and waiting upon the table. "I can't think why master wants so many animals about. Dirty things, always making a litter for me to clean up."

"As to that, Thomas, your master has a right to please himself," said the old lady. "I suppose, at any rate, a biscuit will do the creature no harm."

She opened a cupboard door as she spoke, and taking out a large sweet biscuit, she gave it to Binney, who had never before tasted anything so good. It was soon eaten, and Binney, after combing out his fur with his claws, lay down at the housekeeper's feet, and fell fast asleep.

By and by Mr. B— came home to his dinner, which he usually took quite late. As Thomas was clearing away the things, he said to his master:

"If you please, sir, the beaver have come, and brought you a letter from Canada."

"Ah!" said Mr. B—, smiling. "A letter of introduction, I suppose. Bring him up stairs, Thomas, and let us have a look at him."

Thomas made no reply, but went down to the housekeeper's room, where Binney lay at the kind old lady's feet. He had combed his fur out clean with his long claws, and looked and felt much better than when he arrived, so much so that he was rolling over and over before the fire, playing in his clumsy way, and grunting with pleasure. He had not felt so happy since he left his home in the north-west.

"Master says I am to bring this here beast up stairs; but how I am to bring him, I should like to know," said Thomas, sulkily. "I dare say he will bite me if I touch him. Here, beast! Come here, sir!"

But Thomas did not speak kindly, and Binney would not follow him.

"I will take him up myself," said the kind housekeeper, rising. "Come along, there is a good little fellow."

Binney was very ready to follow the old lady who had been so good to him, and he trotted along after her up the stairs, which were very low and easy, till he came to the drawing-room. It was a large, handsome room, nicely furnished, and had a thick, soft carpet upon the floor. Mr. B— sat before the bright fire, reading the paper; but he looked up as the housekeeper came in with Binney behind her.

"Ah, thank you, Mrs. Smith," said he. "So you have brought our new pet. How does he seem?"

"Well, sir, he seems a deal better than when he came," replied Mrs. Smith. "I have fed him, and given him some water to wash in, and he seems quite lively and playful like."

Just then something bounded from the top of a high bookcase, and came down on the floor. Binney looked at it in great surprise. He had never seen such a creature in all his travels. It was a little animal of a reddish gray color, about the size of a half-grown kitten, but much more active and graceful. Its face was white, its nose long and sharp, and its eyes extremely large and bright. Its feet were shaped much like a man's hands, and it had a very long furry tail. It was a white-fronted lemur, from the island of Madagascar, far away in the Indian Ocean.

"O ho, Mackey! So you have waked up," said Mr. B—. "You seem in fine spirits to-night. Here is a new playmate for you."

At that moment Mackey, for that was the lemur's name, caught sight of Binney, whom he had not noticed before. With one bound he sprang from the rug by the fire to the top of a high door, a distance of many yards, where he sat staring down at the newcomer as though he did not know what to make of him.

Binney, on his part, was as much astonished as the lemur. He had seen the squirrels in the woods make great leaps, but nothing compared to Mackey's.

By and by Mackey seemed to make up his mind that Binney was not dangerous, for he came down from his high post to the arm of his master's chair, and from that to his feet, where he sat very contentedly with his long furry tail wrapped round his neck and arms, like the boas which ladies used to wear some years ago. After staring at Binney for a while longer, he wrapped himself up still closer, and went to sleep.