242 ADVENTURES AMONG BIRDS 



rustic village, remote from railroads and towns, which 

 has a small, ancient, curious-looking church standing 

 by itself in a green meadow half a mile away. I was 

 told that the rector kept the key himself, and that he 

 was something of a recluse, a studious learned man, 

 Doctor of Divinity, and so on. 



Accordingly I went to the rectory, a charming house 

 standing in its own extensive grounds with lawns, 

 shrubbery, large garden and shade trees, and a wood or 

 grove of ancient oaks separating it from the village. I 

 found the rector digging in his garden and could not 

 help seeing that he was not too well pleased at my 

 request; but when I begged him not to leave his task 

 and promised to bring back the key, if he would let 

 me have it, he threw down his spade and said that he 

 must accompany me to the church himself, as there were 

 points about it which would recjuire to be explained. 



There were no monuments, and when we had looked 

 at the interior and he had pointed out the most in- 

 teresting features, he came out and sat down in the 

 porch. 



"Are you an archaeologist or what?" he said. 



I replied that I was nothing so important, that I 

 merely took an ordinary interest in old churches. I was 

 mainly interested in living things — a sort of naturalist. 



Then he got up and we walked back. "In birds?" 

 he asked presently. 



"Yes, especially in birds." 



"And what do you think about omens — do you be- 

 lieve in them?" 



