"But you might be wrecked on an island where there were no women, and tear your frocks, as you generally do."
Laverne smiled. How find a needle and thread on a desolate island? Lena did not see the point, and looked rather nonplussed.
"Oh, well, I shouldn't care then," she retorted.
"Come, let us go to the aviary. Miss Laverne will like to see the birds."
There was a large space netted in from tree to tree in which there were many rare birds of most exquisite plumage, and quantities of tiny South American love birds, gossiping with each other in low, melodious tones.
"Oh, how wonderful!" Laverne exclaimed.
"It's a great fancy of father's. Sea captains bring him birds from all countries. After a while, when they get really acclimated and can protect themselves, he lets them out to settle in the woods about. Do you see those two with the beautiful long tails? They came from the island of Java. Do you know where that is?"
"Oh, it is one of the Sunda Islands down by the Indian Ocean. Uncle Jason has been to Borneo and Sumatra. And coffee comes from Java."
"How do you know? Have you been there?" questioned Elena.
"Father knows, and he has not been there," returned Victor. "He could tell you a good many things if you did not like to learn them out of books."