domyselfanymoreharminyouramiableestimations——Iwillgetupandtakealittleairywalkofmyown。Dearladies，asyourexcellentSheridansaid，Igo——andleavemycharacterbehindme。”
Hegotup，putthecageonthetable，andpausedforamomenttocountthemiceinit。“One，two，three，four——Ha！”hecried，withalookofhorror，“where，inthenameofHeaven，isthefifth——theyoungest，thewhitest，themostamiableofall——myBenjaminofmice！”
NeitherLauranorIwereinanyfavorabledispositiontobeamused。
TheCount’sglibcynicismhadrevealedanewaspectofhisnaturefromwhichwebothrecoiled。Butitwasimpossibletoresistthecomicaldistressofsoverylargeamanatthelossofsoverysmallamouse。Welaughedinspiteofourselves；andwhenMadameFoscorosetosettheexampleofleavingtheboat-houseempty，sothatherhusbandmightsearchittoitsremotestcorners，werosealsotofollowherout。
Beforewehadtakenthreesteps，theCount’squickeyediscoveredthelostmouseundertheseatthatwehadbeenoccupying。Hepulledasidethebench，tookthelittleanimalupinhishand，andthensuddenlystopped，onhisknees，lookingintentlyataparticularplaceonthegroundjustbeneathhim。