was too full of the uniform
to take any notice of the painted window, which immediately caught Ben's
unembarrassed attention. He looked at the large stained figures on the
Gothic window; and he observed their colored shadows on the floor and
walls.

Mr. Gresham, who perceived that he was eager on all subjects to gain
information, took this opportunity of telling him several things about
the lost art of painting on glass, Gothic arches, etc., which Hal
thought extremely tiresome.

"Come! come! we shall be late, indeed," said Hal; "surely you've looked
long enough, Ben, at this blue and red window."

"I'm only thinking about these colored shadows," said Ben.

"I can show you, when we go home, Ben," said his uncle, "an entertaining
paper on such shadows."

"Hark!" cried Ben, "did you hear that noise?"

They all listened, and heard a bird singing in the cathedral.

"It's our old robin, sir," said the lad who had opened the cathedral
door for them.

"Yes," said Mr. Gresham, "there he is, boys--look--perched upon the
organ; he often sits there, and sings whilst the organ is playing."
"And," continued the lad who showed the cathedral, "he has lived here
this many winters; they say he is fifteen years old; and he is so tame,
poor fellow, that if I had a bit of bread he'd come down and feed in my
hand."

"I've a bit of bun here," cried Ben, joyfully, producing the remains of
the bun which Hal, but an hour before, would have thrown away. "Pray let
us see the poor robin eat out of your hand."

The lad crumbled the bun, and called to the robin, who fluttered and
chirped, and seemed rejoiced at the sight of the bread; but yet he did
not come down from his pinnacle on the organ.

"He is afraid of _us_," said Ben; "he is not used to eat before
strangers, I suppose."

"Ah, no, Sir," said the young man, with a deep sigh, "that is not the
thing: he is used enough to eat afore company; time was, he'd have come
down for me, before ever so many fine folks, and have ate his crumbs out
of my hand, at my first call; but, poor fellow, it's not his fault now;
he does not know me now, Sir, since my accident, because of this great
black patch."

The young man put his hand to his right eye, which was covered with a
huge black patch.

Ben asked what _accident_ he meant; and the lad told him that, a few
weeks ago, he had lost the sight of his eye by the stroke of a stone,
which reached him as he was passing under the rocks of Clif