Whenever she watched him going through his varied pantomimic role, and
heard his well-turned, whistling notes--he had a rare ear for music--she
would think of _him_ who gave him to her, although he might then be far
away. I decided the point at once before going to bed. Dicky Chips
should, like Caliban, have a new master, or rather mistress; and be a
new man, or rather bird, to adopt Mr Toots' peculiar ellipto-
synthetical style of speaking. Where do you think I got hold of him?
Do you know a travelling naturalist who goes about London during the
summer months--and all over the country, too, for that matter, as I've
met him north of Tweed, and down also at the Land's End, in Cornwall?
He has birds for sale, and he sells them only at that period.
Where he hides himself when winter, dark and drear, approaches, I'm sure
I cannot tell; but I've never seen him _then_ perambulating the streets.
He may possibly, at that season, join company with Jamrack--that
curiosity of the animal world; or, he may hibernate in the Seven Dials,
as most feather-fanciers do; or, he may retire to his private mansion in
Belgrave Square; or, again, he may, peradventure, go abroad "to increase
his store," in the fashion of Norval's father, the "frugal swain" who
fattened his flocks on the Grampian Hills--though, I prefer South Down
mutton, myself!
The bird-seller may do either and all of these things in the winter
months; but, I only know his summer habitude:--then he is always to be
observed going about the streets with birds for sale.
Do I mean the gentleman who wheels about a costermonger's table-cart,
whereon he makes a number of unfortunate canaries pull about tiny
carriages, with yokes, shaped like those of the Roman chariots, and fire
cannons, and appear as if they liked it; while a decrepit white mouse
runs up a cane flag-staff, supporting himself finally, and very
uncomfortably, on the top?
No; I do not mean anything of the sort. The person I refer to is quite
a different character.
He is generally to be seen driving in a large, full-bodied gipsy waggon,
or covered-in break, with open sides and a tarpaulin roof, in which he
has, carefully stowed away, tiers upon tiers of cages, that contain
almost every description of English and foreign birds; not excluding,
also, sundry small pet animals--monkeys, squirrels, and toy dogs, to
wit.
He invariably accommodates two horribly-ugly, black-faced pugs,
underneath the driving seat of his vehicle; and you may generally hear
his approach, when distant more than a mile, through the chirping, and
squeaking, and squalling, of his motley cargo.
Canaries are there by the hundred, packed up separately in those square
little wooden boxes, each fitted with a small, red, goblet-shaped
pitcher and seed-rack, in which they are imported from Germany; parrots,
macaws, cockatoos, and lories; larks, thrushes, blackbirds; starlings,
magpies, and such like--down to the common hedge-sparrow and poor little
Jenny wren.
There, now! I have pointed out the distinguishing characteristics of
the itinerant bird-fancier; and, should you never have seen him before,
you will be able at once to recognise him in case of your possibly
encountering him in the future.
Well, one day, meeting this gentleman "drumming around" our suburb, I
had the curiosity to stop and inspect his live freight. In doing so I
lighted upon Dicky Chips, as I subsequently christened him: a sturdy
little bullfinch, who looked somewhat out of place, and lonesome,
amongst his screaming companions from foreign lands. I purchased him
for a trifle, and have never since regretted the bargain, for, he was a
dear, bright little fellow; so tractable, too, and intelligent, that I
was able to educate him to a pitch of excellence, which, I believe, no
bullfinch in England ever reached, before or since.
When invited properly, he would dance a hornpipe, whistling his own
music in sharp staccato notes, as from a piccolo. He could likewise
"present arms" with a little straw musket which I had provided for him;
besides feigning to be dead, and allowing you to take him up by the
legs, his head hanging down, apparently lifeless, the while, without
stirring--although he would sometimes, if you kept him too long in this
position, open one of his beady black eyes, and seem to give you a sly
wink, as if to say, "A joke is a joke, certainly; but you may, perhaps,
carry it too far!" I could not enumerate half his accomplishments in
this line; and, as for whistling operatic tunes--the most difficult
ones, with unlimited roulades, were his especial choice--"Bai-ey Je-
ove!" as Horner would say, you should only have heard him.
As I allowed him to go in and out of his cage at pleasure, he roamed the
garden according to his own sweet will, whenever and wherever he
pleased, without reservation; and he, I may add, seldom abused the
privilege. Some time after I had given him to Min, he actually found
his way back one morning to our house again. I shall never forget the
circumstance: you should have witnessed his delight at seeing the old
place and his old friends again! He flirted, he danced, he rolled in
paroxysms of joy on the little table by the window, whereon he had been
accustomed to go through his performances:--he chirped, he whistled; in
fact, he behaved just like a mad bird.
But he did not desert his mistress, mind you. I think he even got
fonder of her than he had even been of me. Still, often after
discovering that he could thus vary the monotony of his existence by
paying a visit to his old domicile--which only lay a short distance from
his new quarters--he would come round; and, after spending an hour or
two with me, when he would conscientiously insist on going through the
entire round of his accomplishments without any invitation on my part,
as if to show that he yet retained his early instructions well in mind,
he would return to Min's house, and the no less warm affection that
awaited him there.
This was the little present that I intended for a birthday gift to my
darling: one that I valued beyond gold. The very next afternoon I
carried him round to her in my coat-pocket--he having a tiny cage that
just fitted into it comfortably "to a _t_."
Fortunately, I found Min alone in the drawing-room, when I was ushered
in. She was sitting on the sofa reading, and, although she rose up on
my entrance, she only bowed, looking distant, and somewhat embarrassed.
This did not look well for my chances of forgiveness, and for getting
her to accept Dicky Chips, did it?