USES TO WHICH [Chap. 



this time, his singing-birds began to die ; the 

 black-bird was found dead one morning, the 

 thrush another ; another morning the lark, and 

 the linnet, and two or three others ; and so on, 

 till all were dead except the young bullfinches, 

 which my wife had fed, and which were fledged, 

 and had got their fine plumage before the end of 

 the voyage. I told the Captain (for the name of 

 IMiss Hicks was never more mentioned to La- 

 chaine) that this dropping off of the birds was a 

 type of the waning passion of Miss Hicks. At last 

 the voyage ended, and we were, agreeably to an in- 

 \itation a mrmth old, to go and dine, or sup, 

 whichever it might be, at Madamp: L'Epine's, 

 and to be introduced to the intended. To Mrs. 

 L'EpiNJi's we all went; and that lady took my 

 wife aside, even before she had got into the par- 

 lour. She soon joined us ; and, pulling me aside, 

 she whispered in my ear, "I\Iiss Hicks is married." 

 I was going to burst out ; but she gave my arm 

 a pinch, and I held my tongue. Mrs. L'Epine 

 gave us some fine oysters, fried in batter, 

 which we all gobbled up as fast as we could ; 

 and I, giving the Captain a pull and a wink, 

 said that 1 must take my wife immediately down 

 to the house of a friend who was waiting for us; 

 for which lie I beg pardon, for Grinnell and 

 Lachaixe were the only two persons in the 

 countrv that I knew even the names of. Coming 



