entirely forgot the right honourable, and marched into the
dining-room to tell Aunt Catharine that I have killed a rose-coloured
pastor.'

'Killed what?'

'A bird, hardly ever seen in England. I spied him in the fir-wood,
went to Warren for a gun, brought him down, and walked on to the House
Beautiful, where Miss Faithfull was enchanted. She will copy him, and
send him to the bird-stuffer. I looked in to give directions, and old
Jenyns was amazed; he never knew one shot here before, so early in the
year too. He says we must send the account to the Ornithological--'

'Do you know how wet you are? exclaimed Mrs. Ponsonby, seeing rivulets
dropping from his coat.

'I see. It rained all the way home, and was so dark, I could not see
the footpath; and when I came in, my eyes were blinded by the light,
and my head so full of the pastor, that the other minister never
occurred to me, and remains under the impression that I have confessed
a sacrilegious murder.'

'You really are incorrigible!' cried Mrs. Ponsonby. 'Why are you not
dressing for dinner?'

'Because you are going to give me a cup of your tea.'

'Certainly not. I shall begin to think you purposely mortified your
father, when you know he wanted you to be reasonable.'

'The lower species never show off well to strangers,' said Fitzjocelyn,
coolly; but, as he lighted his candle, he added, with more candour, 'I
beg your pardon--indeed I did not do this on purpose, but don't say
anything about appearances--there's something in me that is sure to
revolt.'

So noiselessly that the moment was unknown, the vacant chair was filled
by a gentleman irreproachably attired, his face glowing with exercise,
or with what made him very debonnaire and really silent, dining rapidly
and unobtrusively, and never raising his eyes even to his aunt,
probably intending thus to remain all the evening; but presently Sir
Miles turned to him and said, 'Pray satisfy my curiosity. Who is the
rose-coloured pastor?'

Louis raised his eyes, and meeting a pleasing, sensible face, out
beamed his arch look of suppressed fun as he answered, 'He is not at
all clerical. He is otherwise called the rose-coloured ouzel or
starling.'

'Whence is that other startling name?'

'From his attending flocks of sheep, on the same mission as jackdaws
fulfil here--which likewise have an ecclesiastical reputation--

'A great frequenter of the church.''

Fearing alike nonsense and ornitholo