THE MYSTERY SOLVED 11 



put me into a frenzy of excitement. What 

 marvelous singer was this who had escaped 

 the notoriety of the books ! for I could find 

 not the smallest record of this song. 



After a night of puzzling and consulting 

 of books I started again down the shore-road 

 immediately after breakfast. I could not wait 

 till the usual hour. The mysterious singer 

 was still there ; but after trying in vain to 

 see him in the top branches of the tall old 

 trees, which grew together and formed a close 

 roof over the whole grove, I was forced to 

 give it up and go home in despair. 



I tried to comfort myself with the wise 

 man's prophecy of the advantage of waiting, 

 and at last his wisdom was proved. Sitting 

 disconsolate on the piazza where I had paused 

 a few minutes before going to my room, sud- 

 denly the song burst out close by. It was as 

 if the long-sought singer had followed me 

 home. Almost holding my breath, not to 

 startle him, I crept softly to the end where 

 I could see into the woods, and behold, at the 

 top of the tall pointed fir, beloved of all the 

 birds for a singing-stand a crossbill, reel- 

 ing off the trills and quavers with the great- 



