THE EAGLE AND THE CANARY 175 



free, buoyant life for which her instincts and faculties 

 fit her, and which, alas ! can never more be hers* 



All this sounded very pretty, as well as true, and 

 there was a pleased smile on every face in the audience* 



Then the rapid movements and gestures ceased, 

 and the speaker was silent* A cloud came over 

 his rough-hewn majestic visage ; he drew himself 

 up, and swayed his body from side to side, and 

 shook his black gown, and lifted his arms, as their 

 plumed homologues are lifted by some great bird, 

 and let them fall again two or three times ; and 

 then said, in deep measured tones, which seemed 

 to express rage and despair, " But did you ever see 

 the eagle in his cage i " 



The effect of the contrast was grand* He shook 

 himself again, and lifted and dropped his arms again, 

 assuming, for the nonce, the peculiar aquiline slouch ; 

 and there before us stood the mighty bird of Jove, 

 as we are accustomed to see it in the Zoological 

 Gardens ; its deep-set, desolate eyes looking through 

 and beyond us ; ruffling its dark plumage, and 

 lifting its heavy wings as if about to scorn the earth, 

 only to drop them again, and to utter one of those 

 long dreary cries which seem to protest so eloquently 

 against a barbarous destiny. Then he proceeded to 

 tell us of the great raptor in its life of hopeless 

 captivity; his stern, rugged countenance, deep 

 bass voice, and grand mouth-filling polysyllables 



