n't tell lies," said her husband confidently, "and now, if you go
and put your bonnet on, we'll drop in at the theatre for half an hour."

It was a prophetic utterance, for he made such a fuss over the man
next to his wife offering her his opera-glasses, that they left, at the
urgent request of the management, in almost exactly that space of time.

"You'd better carry me about in a bandbox," said Mrs. Gannett wearily
as the outraged engineer stalked home beside her. "What harm was the man
doing?"

"You must have given him some encouragement," said Mr. Gannett
fiercely--"made eyes at him or something. A man wouldn't offer to lend a
lady his opera-glasses without."

Mrs. Gannett tossed her head--and that so decidedly, that a passing
stranger turned his head and looked at her. Mr. Gannett accelerated his
pace, and taking his wife's arm, led her swiftly home with a passion too
great for words.

By the morning his anger had evaporated, but his misgivings remained.
He left after breakfast for the _Curlew_, which was to sail in the
afternoon, leaving behind him copious instructions, by following which
his wife would be enabled to come down and see him off with the minimum
exposure of her fatal charms.

Left to herself Mrs. Gannett dusted the room, until, coming to the
parrot's cage, she put down the duster and eyed its eerie occupant
curiously. She fancied that she saw an evil glitter in the creature's
eye, and the knowing way in which it drew the film over it was as near
an approach to a wink as a bird could get.

She was still looking at it when there was a knock at the door, and a
bright little woman--rather smartly dressed--bustled into the room, and
greeted her effusively.

"I just came to see you, my dear, because I thought a little outing
would do me good," she said briskly; "and if you've no objection I'll
come down to the docks with you to see the boat off."

Mrs. Gannett assented readily. It would ease the engineer's mind, she
thought, if he saw her with a chaperon.

"Nice bird," said Mrs. Cluffins, mechanically bringing her parasol to
the charge.

"Don't do that," said her friend hastily.

"Why not?" said the other.

"Language!" said Mrs. Gannett solemnly.

"Well, I must do something to it," said Mrs. Cluffins restlessly.

She held the parasol near the cage and suddenly opened it. It was a
flaming scarlet, and for the moment the shock took the parrot's breath
away.

"He don't mind that," said Mr