142 More Tales of the Birds 



old Scholar when the new Vicar called. He 

 was received with all the gentle grace and 

 cordiality which our old friend showed to 

 strangers, and we sat for a few minutes talking 

 of the weather and the village. Then the Vicar 

 came to the point of his mission, and I am 

 bound to say that he performed his operation with 

 tenderness and skill, considering how little he 

 could have guessed what pain he was inflicting. 



" You love the old church, I am sure," he 

 began. " And I daresay you like it better as it is, 

 and would not care to see it restored. I don't want 

 to spoil it, but I must at least begin by cleaning 

 it thoroughly : and even that alone will cost a 

 good deal. It is inches deep in dust and mess in 

 places, and up in the tower they eat and drink 

 and smoke and write their names, and what 

 they do it for I don't know, but they have made 

 it the common rubbish-heap of the parish. By 

 the way, can you tell me anything of a Dr. and 

 Mrs. Jackson, who seem to have goings on up 

 there, some eccentric old people are they ? 



or " At this point he caught sight of my 



face, which was getting as red as fire. 



