Julia and Anna had never dreamed of such a bug. To them, bug had been a word synonymous with hideousness. But this was a seraphical bug; or rather, all it had of the bug was the B, for it was beautiful as a butterfly. Julia and Anna gazed and gazed. They were no more alarmed. They were delighted. "But how got this strange, pretty creature into the table?" cried Julia. "Spirits can get anywhere," replied Anna. "Pshaw!" said my wife. "Do you hear any more ticking?" said I. They all applied their ears, but heard nothing. "Well, then, wife and daughters, now that it is all over, this very morning I will go and make inquiries about it." "Oh, do, papa," cried Julia, "do go and consult Madame Pazzi, the conjuress." "Better go and consult Professor Johnson, the naturalist," said my wife. "Bravo, Mrs. Democritus!" said I. "Professor Johnson is the man." By good fortune I found the professor in. Informing him briefly of the incident, he manifested a cool, collected sort of interest, and gravely accompanied me home. The table was produced, the two openings pointed out, the bug displayed, and the details of the affair set forth; my wife and daughters being present. "And now, Professor," said I, "what do you think of it?" Putting on his spectacles, the learned professor looked hard at the table, and gently scraped with his penknife into the holes, but said nothing. "Is it not an unusual thing, this?" anxiously asked Anna. "Very unusual, Miss." At which Julia and Anna exchanged significant glances. "But is it not wonderful, very wonderful?" demanded Julia. "Very wonderful, Miss." My daughters exchanged still more significant glances, and Julia, emboldened, again spoke. "And must you not admit, sir, that it is the work of--of--of sp--?" "Spirits? No," was the crusty rejoinder. "My daughters," said I, mildly, "you should remember that this is not Madame Pazzi, the conjuress, you put your questions to, but the eminent naturalist, Professor Johnson. And now, Professor," I added, "be pleased to explain. Enlighten our ignorance." Without repeating all the learned gentleman said--for, indeed, though lucid, he was a little prosy--let the following summary of his explication suffice.