CARDINAL: MY FIRST CAGED BIRD 15 



scarlet crest, thinkinp^ of the j«^y it would be to possess 

 such u bird. Uul thi)ut;h 1 couKl not keep away ffDiii 

 the spot, I was always ill at case when there, always 

 glancing apprehensively at the closed d(X)r at the end — 

 for it was a glass door, and in his study behind it the 

 clergyman, a grave studious man, was sitting over his 

 books. It made me tremble to think that, though in- 

 visible to me in that dim interior, he would be able to 

 see me through tlie glass, and, worse still, that at any 

 moment he might throw open the door and come out 

 to catch me gazing at his birds. Nor was this feeling 

 strange in the circumstances, for I was a timid, some- 

 what sensitive little boy, and he a very big stern man 

 with a large clean-shaved colourless face that had no 

 friendliness in it; nor could I forget an unhappy incident 

 which occurred during his visit to us in the country 

 more than half a year before. One day, rushing in, I 

 stumbled in the verandah and struck my head against 

 the door-handle, and, falling down, was lying on the 

 floor crying loudly with the pain, when the big stern man 

 came on the scene. 



"What's the matter with you?" he demanded. 



"Oh, I've hit my head on the door and it hurts me 

 so!" I sobbed. 



"Does it?" he said, with a grim smile. "Well, it 

 doesn't hurt me," and, stepping over me, he went in. 



What wonder that I was apprehensive, would shrink 

 almost in terror, when by chance he came suddenly out 

 to find me there, and, after staring or glaring at me 

 through his gold-rimmed glasses for a few moments, 



