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44 “Birds—red-birds. What do you like?”

“Red-birds! How does he catch them? Throw salt on their tails?”

“He is a lover of Nature, madam, and particularly of birds.”

“What does he know about birds? Doesn’t he care for people?”

“He doesn’t think many worth caring for.”

“Indeed! And he is perfect, then, is he?”

“He thinks he is nearly as bad as any; but that doesn't make the rest any better.”

“Poor old gentleman! He must have the blues dreadfully. What does he do with his birds? Eat his robins, and stuff his cats, and sell his red-birds in cages?”

“He considers it part of his mission in life to keep them from being eaten or stuffed or caged.”

“And you say he is nearly a hundred?”