THE LITTLE LOVER. 25 



looked like white Canton flannel ; the sunlight 

 mottled the whitish bark of the trunks and 

 branches ; and a great limb arched above me, 

 making a high vaulted chamber whose skylights 

 showed the deep blue above. 



But there were the little lover and his mate, 

 and I must turn my glass on them. She came 

 first, with long streamers hanging from her bill, 

 and at sight of me got so flustered that one of her 

 straws slipped out and went sailing down to the 

 ground. When the pair had gone again, two 

 linnets came along. The female saw the wren's 

 doorway, and being in search of apartments flew 

 up to look at the house. When she came out 

 she and her mate talked it over and, apparently, 

 she told him something that aroused his curios- 

 ity — perhaps about the wren's twigs she found 

 inside — for he flew into the dark hole and looked 

 around as she had done. Then both birds went 

 off to inspect other holes in the tree. The master 

 of the wren cottage came back in time to see them 

 on their rounds, and taking up his position in 

 front of his door sang out loudly, with wings 

 hanging and a general air of, "This is my house, 

 I'd have you understand ! " 



When the lord of the manor had flown away, 

 his lady came. I thought perhaps he had told 

 her of the visitors and she had come to see if 

 they had disturbed any of her sticks, for she 

 brought no material. She was afraid to go to the 



