Although she forebore to say as much
in terms, she so managed as to present before the eyes of her listener
the strong probability of his having mistaken the frightened drove for
savage beasts, and then terminated her account by a lamentation for
their loss, and some very natural remarks on the helpless condition in
which it had left the family. The naturalist listened in silent
wonder, neither interrupting her narrative nor suffering a single
exclamation of surprise to escape him. The keen-eyed girl, however,
saw that as she proceeded, the important leaf was torn from the
tablets, in a manner which showed that their owner had got rid of his
delusion at the same instant. From that moment the world has heard no
more of the Vespertilio Horribilis Americanus, and the natural
sciences have irretrievably lost an important link in that great
animated chain which is said to connect earth and heaven, and in which
man is thought to be so familiarly complicated with the monkey.
When Dr. Bat was put in full possession of all the circumstances of
the inroad, his concern immediately took a different direction.
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