SHE REBELLED. 241 



far into the twilight with amusing regularity, but 

 how they finally settled it I could not stay to see. 



The unfortunate condition of the female kept 

 her in subjection a few days, and then she rose 

 superior to clothes, and quietly rebelled. The 

 possession of the bath was the first disputed 

 point. There she took her stand, bowed and 

 postured on the edge, while he splashed uncon- 

 cernedly in the tub ; and the next time she went 

 so far as to remain in the water and keep on 

 bathing, while he assumed the offensive on the 

 edge. After trying in vain to awe or terrify her, 

 he actually plumped in beside her, and they spat- 

 tered and fluttered side by side, as if they were 

 inseparable friends. The oriole, however, had 

 learned a lesson. He recognized a kindred 

 spirit, and henceforth they lived peaceably to- 

 gether, in a sort of armed neutrality. No quar- 

 reling disgraced their house ; each went on in 

 his own way, and the other did not interfere. 



One had no right to expect sociability be- 

 tween a pair living in mere tolerance of each 

 other, and yet I was disappointed that they did 

 not talk together. I wanted to hear them, but 

 I listened in vain for weeks. In sight or out of 

 sight, it made no difference ; they were the same 

 taciturn couple, each occupied in its own way, 

 and never exchanging a note. But at last I 

 caught them. At night, during the winter, each 



