into tears as she got into the cab.

"Sweet, sensitive little thing!" said Baker's Terrace.

"What a good woman you must be, Mrs. Leadbatter," said the vicar, wiping
his spectacles.

As part of Baker's Terrace, Lancelot witnessed the departure from his
window, for he had not left after all.

Beethoven was barking his short, snappy bark the whole time at the
unwonted noises and the unfamiliar footsteps; he almost extinguished the
canary, though that was clamorous enough.

"Shut up, you noisy little devils!" growled Lancelot. And taking the
comic opera he threw it on the dull fire. The thick sheets grew slowly
blacker and blacker, as if with rage; while Lancelot thrust the five
five-pound notes into an envelope addressed to the popular composer, and
scribbled a tiny note:

"DEAR PETER,--If you have not torn up that cheque I shall be glad of it
by return.

"Yours,
"LANCELOT.

"P.S.--I send by this post a Reverie, called 'Marianne,' which is the
best thing I have done, and should be glad if you could induce Brahmson
to look at it."

A big, sudden blaze, like a jubilant bonfire, shot up in the grate and
startled Beethoven into silence.

But the canary took it for an extra flood of sunshine, and trilled and
demi-semi-quavered like mad.

"Sw--eet! Sweet!"

"By Jove!" said Lancelot, starting up, "Mary Ann's left her canary
behind!"

Then the old whimsical look came over his face.

"I must keep it for her," he murmured. "What a responsibility! I
suppose I oughtn't to let Rosie look after it any more. Let me see, what
did Peter say? Canary seed biscuits . . . yes, I must be careful not to
give it butter. . . . Curious I didn't think of her canary when I sent
back all those gloves . . . but I doubt if I could have squeezed it
in--my boots are only sevens after all--to say nothing of the cage."

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Merely Mary Ann, by Israel Zangwill

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