FACULTIES OF PARROTS. 



79 



but neither venison, nor champagne, nor servant 

 appeared. A dead silence ensued, — a silence that 

 was agony to the lady. Minutes were added to 

 minutes ; the good old citizen rose from his chair, 

 and rang the bell ; it tingled in the ears of the 

 company for a while — but its tingling was fruitless. 

 The suspense became fearful. " What a pretty 

 Parrot you have got," said the young gentleman, 

 at last, in despair. " He is a very pretty bird, 

 indeed," said the lady of the house, " and a very 

 intelligent fellow, too, I assure you. What have 

 you to say for yourself. Poll ? " " Becky, Becky ! 

 I the pig's liver, and a pot of beer ! Quick, quick ! 

 come away !" cried the Parrot. " The hon'id 

 sailors teach these creatures to be so vulgar," said 

 the young lady, in a die-away tone. " Becky, 

 Becky ! " cried the Parrot, " the pig's liver ! Quick, 

 quick ! Becky, Becky ! " and, having been once 

 roused from his lethargy, he continued to bawl out 

 the same words, at the top of his voice, till — 

 what, ye gods ! was the horror of the lady and her 

 fair daughter, and what was the uncontrollable mirth 

 of the three youths, when the great slip-shod 

 country wench entered the room, her left ai'm 

 embracing an ample dish of smoking hot fried pig's 

 liver, and her right hand swinging a creaming 

 pewter pot full of beer. " Lucky, indeed, it was 

 that I had it ready, ma'am," said she, as she set 

 the dish and the pot bang down before her mis- 

 tress, with a self satiL-fied air, that seemed to crave 

 applause, " for Jowler, the big watch-dog, ha^ 



