n
his face.

"Wasn't it a good plan?" he said. "And now you'll cut his wing, won't
you? else p'r'aps he'll get away again."

"We shall see, we shall see," said Dr Budge, reaching up to hang the
cage on its old nail in the window. "At any rate I am very much obliged
to you, and to David, and to Andrew--a friend in need is a friend
indeed."

It was wonderful, Ambrose thought on his way home, that Dr Budge had
remembered three names and got them all right. Nancy came running to
meet him at the white gate.

"Well," she cried, "has he come back?"

"It's all right," said Ambrose, "and Dr Budge is very much obliged to
us."

He spoke importantly, which was always trying to Nancy.

"Do you suppose," she continued, "that the doctor's jackdaw really heard
yours call, or would he have come back anyway?"

It struck Ambrose for the first time that his own jackdaw had not made a
single sound before the other one had returned. If he had called, it
would certainly have been heard through the open window of the study.

"Did you _hear_ him call?" persisted Nancy. "Because if you didn't, I
don't believe he had anything to do with it, and you might just as well
have left him at home."

Ambrose walked on very fast into the house, but there was no escape from
Nancy, who kept pace with him, insisting on a reply. The only one he
had to give was a very frequent one on such occasions:

"How silly you are, Nancy!" And he began to feel the gravest doubts as
to whether his jackdaw had really been of use.

Be this as it might, there was no doubt at all that Dr Budge was really
grateful, and as the days went on Ambrose began to like his master more
and more, and to feel quite at home with him. He seemed, since the
recovery of the jackdaw, to be much less absent-minded, and looked at
Ambrose now as though he were a boy and not a volume. Ambrose felt the
difference in the gaze which he often found kindly fixed on him, and it
made him think that he would like to ask Dr Budge's help in other
matters than lessons.

This was on his mind more strongly than usual one particular morning
when he had been to Dr Budge for about three weeks. Instead of opening
his books at once and setting to work as usual, he rested his elbow on
the top of the pile, gazed earnestly at his master, and presently gave a
deep sigh. Dr Budge was writing busily, and at first was quite
ignorant of the gaze, but at the sigh he looked up.

"Anything the matte