148 TRANSIENT GUESTS IN THE BIRD-ROOM. 



pointing his bill at her, with legs very far 

 apart, and reminding me ludicrously of one of 

 Du Maurier's caricatures, where the husband 

 has on his most " lord-and-mastery " air. She 

 was not at all in awe of him, however, and an- 

 swered him in the same style. 



Considering himself master in his own house, 

 the goldfinch insisted on his prerogatives, first 

 helping of everything, and always the best. 

 She did not fight about it ; she seemed satisfied 

 to accept what was left, and to eat at the sec- 

 ond table. But as usual, he grew tyrannical ; 

 he would not allow her to eat out of the seed- 

 dish at all ; she must be contented with what 

 he scattered. Even to this she mutely sub- 

 mitted with the air of not caring enough about 

 it to quarrel. The trouble between them with 

 regard to his singing is spoken of elsewhere in 

 this book. After the disagreement about his 

 musical abilities, it appeared to occur to the 

 heretofore amiable little spouse that it was time 

 for her to rebel ; he had become unendurable. 

 She therefore deliberately announced her inten- 

 tions by establishing herself in the seed-dish, 

 and calmly but resolutely driving him away at 

 the point of the beak. It surprised him, but 

 like bullies of a larger size he gave in upon the 

 first opposition, and it was good for him. It 

 made him modest and well-behaved, and life 

 went on more harmoniously after that. 



