was the fair
and slender girl he had seen in church, while at intervals her little
sister's wondering face appeared above the top of the palings, a small
dog uttering short sharp barks and yelps behind her.

They were all looking at a large grey gander, which was unquestionably
trespassing at that moment; but it was unjust to say, as Mr.
Lightowler had said, that they were giving it any encouragement; the
prevailing anxiety seemed to be to recover it, but as the fence was
not low, and Mr. Humpage not young enough to care to scale it, they
were obliged to wait the good pleasure of the bird.

And Mark soon observed that the misguided bird was not in a condition
to be easily prevailed upon, being in a very advanced stage of solemn
intoxication; it was tacking about the path with an erratic
stateliness, its neck stretched defiantly, and its choked sleepy
cackle said, 'You lemme 'lone now, I'm all ri', walk shtraight enough
'fiwan'to!' as plainly as bird-language could render it.

As Uncle Solomon bore down on it, it put on an air of elaborate
indifference, meant to conceal a retreat to the gap by which it had
entered, and began to waddle with excessive dignity in that direction,
but from the way in which it repeatedly aimed itself at the intact
portions of the paling, it seemed reasonable to infer that it was
under a not infrequent optical illusion.

Mr. Lightowler gave a short and rather savage laugh. 'Wilcox _has_
done it, then!' he said. Mark threw away his cigar, and slightly
lifted his hat as he came up: he felt somewhat ashamed and strongly
tempted to laugh at the same time; he dared not look at the face of
Mr. Humpage's companion, and kept in the background as a dispassionate
spectator.

Mr. Lightowler evidently had made up his mind to be as offensive as
possible. 'Afternoon, Mr. 'Umpage,' he began; 'I think I've 'ad the
pleasure of seeing this bird of yours before; he's good enough to come
in odd times and assist my gardener; you'll excuse me for making the
remark, however, but when he's like this I think he ought to be kep'
indoors.'

'This is disgraceful, sir,' the other gentleman retorted, galled by
this irony; 'disgraceful!'

'It's not pretty in a gander, I must say,' agreed Uncle Solomon,
wilfully misunderstanding. 'Does it often forget itself in this way,
now?'

'Poor dear goose,' chanted the little girl, reappearing at this
juncture, 'it's _so_ giddy; is it ill, godpa?'

'Run away, Dolly,' said M