138 More Tales of the Birds 



was daily filled for them by the housekeeper, they 

 would turn their attention to a heap of odds and 

 ends laid out for them in a corner of the garden : 

 bits of string, old shoe-laces, shreds of all sorts, 

 everything that was wanted for nothing else went 

 into the Doctor's "library," as the old Scholar 

 called it, in which he and his wife conducted 

 their researches. Nor could our dear old friend 

 always refrain from adding some special treasure 

 to the heap : he is known to have cut off one 

 button after another from his coat, because they 

 had a gleam upon them that he thought would 

 please, and fragments of his old neckties were 

 found in the tower when the long companionship 

 had at last come to an end. It was only after 

 the nesting season that for a time he missed 

 them, when they took their young family out into 

 the world, and introduced them to the society of 

 which we may hope they have since become 

 ornaments ; and this absence the old Scholar took 

 in very good part, being confident that he should 

 see them again in August at latest. Besides, at 

 the end of June I myself came home to the 

 village : and though I could not hope to rival 



