Page:Here and there in Yucatan - miscellanies (IA herethereinyucat00lepl 0).djvu/137

 "Is it possible!" he exclaimed, "why! I have only been away a minute. What can I do? Come what may, I shall not say that I have left the nest, and I will try to persuade my wife that there was but one egg when she went from here."

Very soon he saw her coming and his heart was all in a flutter, but he tried to look unconcerned as if nothing had happened. He stood on one side of the nest and made himself as pretty as he could to attract her attention; but the maternal eye instantly fell on the nest, and a cry of indignation made the owl start. However, with feigned surprise he said: "Why! what's the matter?"

"Wretch! where is the other egg?" she demanded

"Other egg!" echoed he.

"Yes, other egg! There were two, and well you know it. Monster! you have been away and the iguana has come."

Pretending to be very innocent, the owl opened his eyes wider and said: "You are certainly mistaken; there was only one egg."

But his wife knew better, and upbraided him bitterly, in spite of his assertion that he knew nothing about it. Loudly lamenting her loss she searched around the grotto, piteously exclamingexclaiming [sic] O! O! O!