12 THE CAUSE AND THH CAUSER.

insensible, and hence often speak of silence when
the silence exists only for themselves.

Had a score of men, women, or children been
wandering over the castle bank that day, do you
think any one of them would have heard Dr.
Earwig’s remarks or the sitting magistrate’s reply ?
I fancy not. :

Meanwhile Dr. Earwig betook himself to his
work, and, to do him justice, performed it con-
scientiously. He ran up and down and round
and round the dead moth’s body a dozen times, to
see what he could see--touched it in every corner,
pinched it all over, but no injury could he find.
He examined the wings very carefully, but there
was no flaw in them. The feather scales were not
rubbed off; the membrane was not torn; its
nervures were unbroken. The legs, too, were as
sound as legs could be.

At last— Halloo!” cried the professor with a
shout. He was in front of the creature’s head,
and suddenly discovered that its proboscis, instead |
ef being curled up neatly in the proper place, was