126 PEARLS AND PEBBLES. 



breast, but finding his entreaties fruitless, he flew up to 

 the maple — I suppose with the hope that the wife would 

 respond to his call-note and follow. Then down again 

 the poor fellow came to renew his vain entreaties. More 

 than half an hour was thus spent in and out of the case, 

 up and down from the tree. 



At last, having made a final dash at the glass, he went 

 off in a fit of rage or of astonishment at the behaviour of 

 his most obdurate spouse. Like some men and women, 

 Rob had taken the semblance for reality and been 

 deceived. 



A more touching and somewhat similar incident was 

 one I witnessed when travelling in the, country some 

 years ago. 



In the room into which I was shown by the mistress 

 of the hotel was a large mirror, and while standing 

 before it I noticed the strange behaviour of a pretty 

 canary bird, which hovered with an impatient fluttering 

 motion over my head ; but on my moving away the 

 little bird flew to the glass uttering a peculiar cry, and 

 then a thrilling song was followed by the creature flying 

 to the empty cage and back again to where its own pretty 

 image was reflected in the glass, and which it evidently 

 -took for its mate. 



On my remarking upon the strange actions of the 

 canary, the mistress of the house told me that its mate 

 had died, and that the poor widowed bird had never 

 ceased its mourning. She had let it out of the cage 



