poke; "but we must work by cunning, for we
dare not use force, the child is under such powerful protection."

"I'll coax Nelly to part with her bird," said Folly; and rolling her
goggle eyes, she added, "you know that I'm a rare hand at coaxing."

"There are few who can withstand you," answered the dark one; his words
made Folly simper, she knew not how to blush. "And if," continued Pride,
"you succeed, you will make Nelly mortally offend both Duty and
Affection; and to break with friends such as they are, will make her
miserable indeed."

"She'll only need a good big bribe," said Folly. "I believe that Matty
would part with the dearest friend that she has for the sake of a few
bright ribbons, or a bunch of fine feathers to wear."

"But Matty is not Nelly," observed Pride.

"Oh, Nelly is only a girl!" cried Folly, tossing her frizzled head, "and
there never yet was a girl that could not be wheedled by Folly into
doing the silliest thing in the world. If I persuaded Matty that Fashion
required her to tattoo her nose all over, to dye her hair green, or
blue, or mauve, or to walk on all fours like a cat,--don't you suppose
that she would do it?"

Pride only shrugged his shoulders in reply.

"Haven't I coaxed Chinese ladies to torture their babies by squeezing
their feet into shoes so small, that the half-lamed creatures could
never, throughout life, walk except in a waddle? Have I not--"

"You have done all sorts of wonderful things," said Pride; "no one
doubts your power of persuading. Try now your arts upon Nelly, get her
to give up her bird, and strangle Content as soon as you get it under
your dainty fingers. If you shall be baffled, I will try next; 'twill be
strange indeed if a simple child like Nelly be able to withstand us
both."

"No fear of that!" exclaimed Folly.

So the two conspirators parted, equally resolved, by any possible means,
to effect their object. It was not the first time that Folly and Pride
had consulted together how to bring sorrow and shame into a young loving
heart; not the first time that they had agreed to use their utmost
efforts to destroy a bright and beautiful creature, and silence for ever
in death the warbling voice of Content.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE COCKATOO, PARADE.

"Good morning to you, sweet Nelly, dear industrious Nelly!" was the
greeting of Folly on the following morning, as she stood with a red
cockatoo on her wrist, quite filling up Nelly's doorway with her