RLINKER'S QUARTETTE 125 



yellow crest, feather by feather, which shows he is 

 getting angry ; and he raises his foot and paws the 

 air, with a louder scream. If this has no effect, he 

 ducks his head and then raises it with a jerk, every 

 feather bristling, and with the extra power thus 

 gained he sends out the most appalling yell, like 

 a veritable demon. All this while the green parrot 

 is in a great state of excitement, and keeps con- 

 tinually calling, " Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly, quite 

 well, quite well," as if to appease the angered one. 

 This is what Klinker never can stand. As soon as 

 the cockatoo begins, he goes and plants himself 

 in front of it, howling with all his might, till one 

 is compelled to leave everything, and go and stop 

 the turmoil. Klinker cannot bear double notes on 

 the violin either. It makes him cry as if his heart 

 were breaking. It was the climax of all woe to 

 him, when a violoncello was played one evening. 

 There were the three enthusiasts 'cello, violin, and 

 piano, in the middle of a lovely trio of Haydn's 

 when in came Klinker, groaning. We could not 

 speak to him, playing " presto " for our lives, and 

 he sat himself down in front of this new instrument 

 of torture, and lifted up his voice to the highest 



