with a lemon-coloured crest, the glory of the aviary, bade fair to occupy his place in the heart of Antonio. Dr. A-- was unceasingly kind to him; he became a favourite in the household; he added weekly to his treasure; he enjoyed the present time, and gave no thought to the future, except, indeed, that dim and distant future which was to be the goal of his life's labours: that was never for a day absent from his thoughts.

Among the servants in Cavendish-square, the cook had always treated Antonio, as he thought, with particular kindness. She very often gave him broken victuals, and for some time made a point of giving him something of this kind every day. Antonio received all this gratefully, and without any hesitation. He had not the slightest idea that any thing could be wrong in offering or accepting what could be of no use in the family, and yet was so valuable to him. Indeed, he never thought about it at all; but he had cause afterwards bitterly to repent having taken even an old crust of bread: for one evening, as he was just about to leave the aviary, the cook entered with something in her hand, and closing the door mysteriously behind her, she asked him if he would put the parcel

into the basket, which he generally carried backwards and forwards with him, to bring food which he was trusted to purchase for his birds, and carry it for her to a place which she mentioned. Antonio good-naturedly consented, and brought his basket to have the parcel put in. As it was rather large for the size of the basket, there was some difficulty in getting it in; and in the operation the towel in which it was wrapped was pushed aside, and disclosed to the sight of Antonio a fine roasted fowl. Now it happened that, unknown to the cook, Antonio had been admitted into the doctor's dining-room that evening, during the time of dinner, on some particular business relating to the aviary, and had seen that very fowl, with its fellow, smoking on the table before him; and the hurried and confused manner in which the cook covered it up again, and glanced at him to see whether he had observed it, immediately convinced him that he was to be engaged in a traffic of dishonesty. The indignant blood mounted to his cheeks at the thought; and drawing himself up, and scornfully pushing the basket from him, he exclaimed,

"It is not right, I am sure, and I will have nothing to do with it."

The cook turned pale with rage, and for some time could find no words to give vent to her anger. At last, in a torrent of abuse, of which the poor little foreigner could not understand one word in ten, she railed at him for his ingratitude and his impertinence. Antonio stood all her reproaches courageously, strong in his own moral sense, and calmly refrained from answering, or further irritating her wrath. At last, seeing she could neither terrify nor persuade him to do her unlawful errand, she left the aviary, threatening to have her revenge the very first opportunity. Antonio quietly locked up his birds, and went home; and for some days afterwards things went on in their usual course, so that he had almost forgotten the adventure, and had quite forgotten the threat. He was glad that he did not see the cook, and that she offered him no more broken meat, as her gifts were only bribes to wickedness; but his simple, honest heart, retained no fear of her malice.

About a week afterwards, Dr. A went from home, for the Easter holidays, and the household were dispersed, only one or two of the servants, including the cook, remaining at home. Dr. A-- left the aviary in charge of Antonio, with perfect confidence, which every

thing that he had observed in its youthful keeper had tended to confirm. His reign there was nearly over. The birds were to be removed to the Zoological Gardens when the doctor returned to town; and he intended then to inform Antonio of his promotion to a more extended jurisdiction, to which he had been appointed on the strong and influential recommendation of his kind patron.

Two or three evenings before his return was expected, Antonio found his stock of a particular kind of seed, on which some of the birds fed, was exhausted, and he determined, before he finally closed the aviary for the night, to go to the shop where he procured it, and lay in a fresh supply. The shop was at some distance from Cavendish-square; so that he did not get back till after dark. The aviary was all still and quiet; the birds were gone to roost; and, after depositing his purchase, and giving a glance round the cages, he fastened the door, and went away singing, quite unconscious of the misfortune that awaited him in the morning.

When he returned next day, he looked in vain for his favourite white cockatoo. It had disappeared, and not a trace remained to give the slightest indication of what had become of

it. Filled with grief and dismay, he flew down into the kitchen where the servants were at breakfast, and, in great agitation, enquired whether they had seen the cockatoo, or knew what was become of it. The other servants, who had returned to prepare for their master, stared, and protested they knew nothing about it; but the cook, who was standing by the dresser, cutting bread and butter, turned deliberately round, and eyeing the poor trembling boy from head to foot, exclaimed, in a cold, sarcastic manner,—

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Very well acted, master hypocrite. You may act that over again to my master.

I suppose you think I did not see you last night, before you locked the aviary, going out with that bag under your coat; but I did, Sir: and so I shall tell my master. You have stolen the bird yourself, you little thief!-and now I suppose you want to lay the blame on honest folks. I will get you turned out of the house for this, see if I don't! we'll have no foreign beggars here."

The other servants hearing this, joined in the outcry against the poor boy, who, in the struggle of his feelings, having forgotten all his English, could only answer to their cruel accu