Do you mind if I leave
you here? I want to see if Olive has made the changes I ordered
upstairs."
"Get a hump on!" said a loud, rude voice.
Aunt Caroline jumped.
"Oh, my dear! It's that horrible parrot. Benis insists on keeping
it. Some soldier friend of his left it to him. A really terrible
bird. And its language is disgraceful. It doesn't know anything but
slang. Not even 'Polly wants a cracker.' You'll hardly believe me,
but it says, 'Gimme the eats!' instead."
"Can it!" said the parrot. Aunt Caroline fled.
Desire, to whom a talking bird was a delightful novelty, went over
to the large cage where a beautiful green and yellow parrot swung
mournfully, head down.
"Pretty Polly," said Desire timidly.
The bird made a chuckling noise in his throat like a derisive
goblin.
"What is your name, Polly?"
"Yorick," said Polly unexpectedly. "Alas. Poor Yorick! I knew him
well."
"You'd think it knew what I said!" thought Desire with a start. She
edged away and once more the welcoming spirit of the room rose up to
meet her. She tried first one chair and then another, fingered the
leather on their backs and finally settled on the light, straight
one in the round window. It was as familiar as the glove upon her
hand, and the view from the window--well, the view from the window
was partially blocked by the professor under the beech tree,
smoking.
Seeing her, he discarded his cigar and came nearer, leaning on the
sill of the opened window.
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