THE NOISE OF THE NIGHTINGALES. 121 



"No, I do not wish to do so," said Frank, but his looks 

 so belied his words that they all laughed at him. 



" There are two more nests about the grounds," said Marston, 

 " and I have some eggs in the house which you can have." 



Frank thanked him, and asked if there were any more 

 nightingales about. 



" There are so many about that many times I cannot go to 

 sleep for the noise they make." 



" Noise ! " said his sister reproachfully. 



"Yes, when it is dinned into one's ears so much, any singing 

 becomes noisy." 



Frank thought his friend was joking, but about ten o'clock 

 they were strolling about the grounds in the bright moonlight, 

 and then they heard nightingales singing all round them. The 

 boys thought they had never heard such sweet sounds. First 

 the song would commence with an intensely sweet, low, single 

 note or pipe. Then would follow a strong clear flood of melody 

 which was entrancing in its richness. Then the bird would 

 cease, and in a few seconds another bird would answer from a 

 little distance. Then the first one would, reply, and a third 

 would take up the strain from a different quarter. The moon- 

 light silence of the night, the ravishing strains of bird music 

 which made the grove vocal, and the heavy fragrance of the 

 flowers which floated on the dewy air, made the evening most 

 perfect and beautiful. 



CHAPTER XVIIL 



A queer Umbrella. Visit to Seoul ton Gullery. Driving Tandem. 

 Runn ; ng away. Black-headed Gulls. Collecting the Eggs. Carp. 

 Wood Argus Butterfly. Scarlet Pimpernel. Grasshopper Warbler. 

 Chiff-ChafF. Gall-Fly. Robins' Pincushions. 



THE boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their 

 surprise found Sir Richard's groom there. He had brought the 

 brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it 

 was finished, which would not be until the next day but one. 



