Page:The animal story book.djvu/139

 'What has happened, Michel?'

'Why, sir, those villains of monkeys have managed to twist a bar of their cage, I don't know how, until they have made a great hole, and now they have escaped.'

'Well—but, Michel, we foresaw that that might occur, and now you have only to buy your Indian corn, and procure three bottles the right size.'

'Ah! you are laughing, sir,' said Michel, reproachfully, 'but you won't laugh when you know all. They have opened the door of the aviary——'

'And so my birds have flown away?'

'Sir, your six pairs of turtle doves, your fourteen quails, and all your little foreign birds, are eaten up!'

'But monkeys won't eat birds!'

'No, but Master Mysouff will, and he has done it!'

'The deuce he has! I must see for myself.'

'Yes, go yourself, sir; you will see a sight—a field of battle—a massacre of St. Bartholomew!'

As I was coming out, Michel stopped me to point to Potich, who had hung himself by the tail to the branch of a maple, and was swinging gracefully to and fro. Mademoiselle Desgarcins was bounding gaily about in the aviary, while the Last of the Laidmanoirs was practising gymnastics on the top of the greenhouse. i Well, Michel, we must catch them. I will manage the Last of the Laidmanoirs if you will get hold of Mademoiselle Desgarcins. As to poor little Potich, he will come of his own accord.'

'I wouldn't trust him, sir; he is a hypocrite. He has made it up with the other one—just think of that!'

'What! he has made friends with his rival in the affections of Mademoiselle Desgarcins?'

'Just so, sir.'

'That is sad indeed, Michel; I thought only human beings could be guilty of so mean an action.'