them; he drove her away from the food-cup, he fought her over the
bathing-dish, he answered her sweet call with a harsh "chack" or an
insulting "huff," he twitched her feathers if she came near him, and
gave her a peck if she seemed to be having too easy a time. Withal, such
was his villainous temper that he desired a victim to abuse, and never
let her out of his sight for two minutes, lest she should enjoy
something he could deprive her of. She was of a happy temperament; she
contented herself with what was given her. If she could not have pear,
she cheerfully ate bread and milk; while if my lord could not have pear,
he would starve. She had large dark eyes, and soft, delicate colors,
with legs and feet the tint of light blue kid; but her liege lord was in
the immature plumage of the second year, with black mask covering his
small eyes.

[Sidenote: _IN THE LOOKING-GLASS._]

Hardly were the two orioles let out into the room when they began to
investigate the wonders about them: one flew to the fringe of a
window-shade, and hung head down while trying with sharp beak to pry
open the cords; the other devoted itself to unraveling the mysteries of
books and boxes, very soon learning to open both with the same prying
instrument. The slats of the blinds were appropriated as ladders to run
up and down, and every few moments one disappeared in some hole, never
hesitating to creep through the smallest opening. Madam went up out of
sight among the springs of a stuffed chair, while her mate set himself
the task of pulling out the stitches of embroidery on a toilet cushion,
with perfect success. Having exhausted this amusement, he looked about
for new worlds to conquer, and soon found sundry holes in the
wall-paper, where I suppose nails had been driven, though they were so
hidden by the confused pattern that I could not see them. Before the
walls he hovered slowly, and the discovery of an opening was the signal
for work. One claw inserted under the broken edge of the paper was perch
enough, and the first intimation of the mischief was the falling of bits
of plaster and fluttering fragments of paper. Of thus amusing himself he
could never be cured, and many unsightly places remained to tell the
tale. While the head of the family disfigured the wall, his little
spouse found occupation in working at a paper covering the cage of a
gentle bird who specially disliked intrusive neighbors. First she pulled
out the pin that held it in pla