IfyouwillrefertotheprefacetoSirJ。E。Smith’sLifeIhaveitnotbyme，orIwouldcopyyoutheexactpassage，youwillfindthathenamesalittlecircumstancecorroborativeofwhatIhavesaid。BeingonavisittoRoscoe，ofLiverpool，hemadesomeinquiriesfromhimastothehabitatofaveryrareplant，saidtobefoundincertainplacesinLancashire。
MrRoscoeknewnothingoftheplant；butstated，thatifanyonecouldgivehimthedesiredinformation，itwouldbeahand-loomweaverinManchester，whomhenamed。SirJ。E。SmithproceededbyboattoManchester，andonarrivingatthattown，heinquiredoftheporterwhowascarryinghisluggageifhecoulddirecthimtoSoandSo。“Oh，yes，“repliedtheman。“Hedoesabitinmyway；“and，onfurtherinvestigation，itturnedout，thatboththeporter，andhisfriendtheweaver，wereskilfulbotanists；andabletogiveSirJ。E。Smiththeveryinformationwhichhewanted。Sucharethetastesandpursuitsofsomeofthethoughtful，littleunderstood，workingmenofManchester。AndMargaret’sgrandfatherwasoneofthese。Hewasalittlewiry-lookingoldman，whomovedwithajerkingmotion，asifhislimbswereworkedbyastringlikeachild’stoy，withdun-colouredhairlyingthinandsoftatthebackandsidesofhishead；hisforeheadwassolargeitseemedtooverbalancetherestofhisface，whichhad，indeed，lostitsnaturalcontourbytheabsenceofalltheteeth。Theeyesabsolutelygleamedwithintelligence，sokeen，soobservant，youfeltasifthewerealmostwizard-like。
Indeed，thewholeroomlookednotunlikeawizard’sdwelling。Insteadofpictureswerehungrudewoodenframesofimpaledinsects；thelittletablewascoveredwithcabalisticbooks；andacaseofmysteriousinstrumentslaybeside，oneofwhichJobLeghwasusingwhenhisgrand-daughterentered。Onherappearancehepushedhisspectaclesupsoastorestmidwayonhisforehead，andgaveMaryashort，kindwelcome。ButMargarethecaressedasamothercaressesherfirst-born；strokingherwithtenderness，andalmostalteringhisvoiceashespoketoher。Marylookedroundontheodd，strangethingsshehadneverseenathome，andwhichseemedtohertohaveaveryuncannylook。“Isyourgrandfatherafortune-teller？“whisperedshetohernewfriend。“No，“repliedMargaret，inthesamevoice；“butyouarenotthefirstashastakenhimforsuch。Heisonlyfondofsuchthingsasmostfolksknownothingabout。““Anddoyouknowaughtaboutthem，too？““Iknowabitaboutsomeofthethingsgrandfatherisfondon；justbecausehe’sfondon’em，Itriedtolearnaboutthem。““Whatthingsarethese？“saidMary，struckwiththeweird-lookingcreaturesthatsprawledaroundtheroomintheirroughly-madeglasscases。ButshewasnotpreparedforthetechnicalnameswhichJobLeghpattereddownonherear，onwhichtheyfelllikehailonaskylight；andthestrangelanguageonlybewilderedhermorethanever。Margaretsawtheofthecase，andcametotherescue。“Look，Mary，atthishorridscorpion。Hegavemesuchafright：IamallofatwitteryetwhenIthinkofit。GrandfatherwenttoLiverpooloneWhitsunweektogostrollingaboutthedocksandpickupwhathecouldfromthesailors，whooftenbringsomequeerthingoranotherfromthehotcountriestheygoto；andsoheseesachapwithabottleinhishand，likeadruggist’sphysic-bottle；andsaysgrandfather，’Whathaveyegottenthere？’Sothesailorholdsitup，andgrandfatherknewitwasararekindo’scorpion，notcommonevenintheEastIndieswherethemancamefrom；andsayshe，’Howdidyoucatchthisfinefellow，forhewouldn’tbetakenfornothing，I’mthinking？’Andthemansaidashowwhentheywereunloadingtheshiphe’dfoundhimlyingbehindabagofrice，andhethoughtthecoldhadkilledhim，forhewasnotsquashednorinjuredabit。Hedidnotliketopartwithanyofthespiritoutofhisgrogtoputthescorpionin，butslippedhimintothebottle，knowingtherewerefolksenowwhowouldgivehimsomethingforhim。Sograndfathergiveshimashilling。““Twoshillings，“interruptedJobLegh；“andagoodbargainitwas。““Well!grandfathercamehomeasproudasPunch，andpulledthebottleoutofhispocket。Butyouseeth’scorpionweredoubledup，andgrandfatherthoughtIcouldn’tfairlyseehowbighewas。Soheshakeshimoutrightbeforethefire；andagoodwarmoneitwas，forIwasironing，Iremember。
Ileftoffironing，andstoopeddownoverhim，tolookathimbetter，andgrandfathergotabook，andbegantoreadhowthisverykindwerethemostpoisonousandviciousspecies，howtheirbitewereoftenfatal，andthenwentontoreadhowpeoplewhowerebittengotswelled，andscreamedwithpain。Iwaslisteninghard，butasitfellout，Inevertookmyeyeoffthecreature，thoughIcouldnotha’toldIwaswatchingit。Suddenlyitseemedtogiveajerk，andbeforeIcouldspeakitgaveanother，andinaminuteitwasaswildascouldbe，runningatmejustlikeamaddog。““Whatdidyoudo？“askedMary。“Me!why，Ijumpedfirstonachair，andthenonallthethingsI’dbeenironingonthedresser，andIscreamedforgrandfathertocomeupbyme，buthedidnothearkentome。““Why，ifI’dcomeupbythee，who’dha’caughtthecreature，Ishouldliketoknow。““Well，Ibeggedgrandfathertocrushit，andIhadtheironrightoveritonce，readytodrop，butgrand-fatherbeggedmenottohurtitinthatway。SoIcouldn’tthinkwhathe’dhave，forhehoppedroundtheroomasifheweresoreafraid，forallhebeggedmenottoinjureit。Atlasthegoestoth’kettle，andliftsupthelid，andpeepsin。Whatonearthishedoingthatfor，thinksI；he’llneverdrinkhisteawithascorpionrunningfreeandeasyabouttheroom。Thenhetakesthetongs，andhesettleshisspectaclesonhisnose，andinaminutehehadliftedthecreatureupbyth’leg，anddroppedhimintotheboilingwater。““Anddidthatkillhim？“saidMary。“Ay，sureenough；heboiledforlongertimethangrandfatherliked，though。
ButIwassoafeardofhiscomingroundagain。Irantothepublic-houseforsomegin，andgrandfatherfilledthebottle，andthenwepouredoffthewater，andpickedhimoutofthekettle，anddroppedhimintothebottle，andhewerethereaboveatwelvemonth。““Whatbroughthimtolifeatfirst？“askedMary。“Why，yousee，hewereneverreallydead，onlytorpid——thatis，deadasleepwiththecold，andourgoodfirebroughthimround。““I’mgladfatherdoesnotcareforsuchthings，“saidMary。“Areyou!Well，I’moftendownrightgladgrandfatherissofondofhisbooks，andhiscreatures，andhisplants。Itdoesmyheartgoodtoseehimsohappy，sortingthemallathome，andsoreadytogoinsearchofmore，wheneverhe’saspareday。Lookathimnow!he’sgonebacktohisbooks，andhe’llbeashappyasaking，workingawaytillImakehimgotobed。Itkeepshimsilent，tobesure；butsolongasIseehimearnest，andpleased，andeager，whatdoesthatmatter？Then，whenhehashistalkingbouts，youcan’tthinkhowmuchhehastosay。Deargrand-father!youdon’tknowhowhappyweare!“Marywonderedifthedeargrandfatherheardallthis，forMargaretdidnotspeakinanundertone；butno!hewasfartoodeepandeagerinsolvingaproblem。HedidnotevennoticeMary’sleave-taking，andshewenthomewiththefeelingthatshehadthatnightmadetheacquaintanceoftwoofthestrangestpeoplesheeversawinherlife。Margaret，soquiet，socommonplace，untilhersingingpowerswerecalledforth；sosilentfromhome，socheerfulandagreeableathome；andhergrandfathersoverydifferenttoeveryoneMaryhadeverseen。Margarethadsaidhewasnotafortune-teller，butshedidnotknowwhethertobelieveher。Toresolveherdoubts，shetoldthehistoryoftheeveningtoherfather，whowasinterestedbyheraccount，andcurioustoseeandjudgeforhimself。