Our Lizards. 5 



due to his rank and birth. Could we help inquiring 

 about his price ? Had the most phlegmatic spectator 

 or the most inveterate bird-hater been placed in our 

 position, we think he could not have done less. " Well,, 

 what will you take for him ?" we timidly ask, more by 

 way of gratifying our curiosity than with any real 

 intention of buying. " Ten shillings," is the reply. 

 Ah ! this is beyond our mark, for as yet we have not 

 made up our minds to go beyond half that sum. The 

 bird, we acknowledge, is dog-cheap at the money, and 

 we both sigh that we cannot afford to give so much for 

 a canary. With longing eyes and lingering steps we 

 turn our backs upon this most beautiful of birds, and 

 return to complete the purchase of the one we had left 

 in the adjoining room. Judy remained transfixed with 

 enchantment to the spot whilst our purchase was 

 effected, which caused another visit to the room, and 

 ended in a sort of wavering in our hitherto stoical 

 determination to resist all temptation to buy. But 

 alas ! for our pocket, we are charmed with the voice of the 

 charmer. The tempter approaches us in the shape of 

 a whisper from Judy that he is so beautiful, she will 

 give half the sum required out of her own pocket, if I 

 will only consent to the purchase ; already we begin to 

 give way, when reason steps in with the conclusive 

 argument, that if we really intend to breed canaries, we 

 may as well breed good ones as bad ones, seeing that 

 the difference is only in the first cost. This clenched 

 the matter at once, we listened to the pleasing delusion 

 and fell willing victims, I fear, to the temptation we at 

 first so manfully resisted. Judy carried him home 



