CHAPTER LXIX 



SWANS 



The swan travels with a false character. He is reputed by 

 poets and other romancers to sing when he dies, and to 

 marry respectably and Hve as "pure" a life as one of the 

 mules or barren women. He does neither. He dies with a 

 hiss, and commits adultery quite leisurely, and on a Sunday 

 morning too ; for so I caught him, as witness my testimony, 

 on the 22nd of February 1891 A.D., the date, according to 

 swan chronology, when the unpaired mate with each other ; 

 for already have the family fights taken place in frigid January, 

 and the young have been separated from the old — the young, 

 lone and desolate, having taken up their grounds ere they 

 begin to fight fiercely and pair in February. 



It was a lovely, silvery day, with a gentle breeze blowing 

 from the S.S.W. — a breath of amorous spring that made 

 the lusty mavishes pour forth their full hearts. Even the 

 hedge-sparrows and tomtits joined in the paean to spring. 

 A gentle breeze scarce ruffled the still waters of Buxton 

 millpond on that sweet morning as a young pair floated 

 languorously upon the silver water — for though they do not 

 lay the first year, they tread — the young cock bird looking at 

 times up the bright river towards the old church, upon the 

 reflection of which an older pair of birds were swimming 

 leisurely. 



Anon, seized with desire, the old cock of the church pool 

 paddled majestically, with all sail set, down to the mill 

 pool, never deigning to glance at me as he passed. On 

 he went straight to the young pair of lovers, and singling 



