[anemon-devs] Not bound to be a greater fool than Dame Nature made me all the

[Arcilla <lowing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

E been to any regular Londoner. Stephen was the great oracle, of course,
as to the deer respectfully peeped at in the park, or the squirrels, the
hares and rabbits, in the forest, and the inhabitants of the stream
above or below. It was he who secured and tamed the memorials of their
visit--two starlings for Dennet and Aldonza. The birds were to be taught
to speak, and to do wonders of all kinds, but Aldonza's bird was found
one morning dead, and Giles consoled her by the promise of something
much bigger, and that would talk much better. Two days after he brought
her a young jackdaw. Aldonza clasped her hands and admired its glossy
back and queer blue eye, and was in transports when it uttered something
between "Jack" and "good lack." But Dennet looked in scorn at it, and
said, "That's a bird tamed already. He didn't catch it. He only bought
it! I would have none such! An ugsome great thieving bird!" "Nay now,
Mistress Dennet," argued Perronel. "Thou hast thy bird, and Alice has
lost hers. It is not meet to grudge it to her." "I! Grudge it to her!"
said Dennet, with a toss of the head. "I grudge her nought from Giles
Headley, so long as I have my Goldspot that Stephen climbed the wall
for, his very self." And Dennet turned majestically away with her
bird--Goldspot only in the future--perched on her finger; while Perronel
shook her head bodingly. But they were all children still, and Aldonza
was of a nature that was slow to take offence, while it was quite true
that Dennet had been free from jealousy of the jackdaw, and only
triumphant in Stephen's prowess and her