“Never mind,” said Green; “three are better to bring up. Now then, in you go, ugly.”
He placed the bird in the nest with its companions, down by which it snuggled itself at once, so that the three completely filled the bottom.
“Fits splendidly, boys. I shall make old Botany Bay get worms for me and chop them up to feed them.”
“You ought to be ashamed of yourself;” said the first boy, frowning. “You know you let those young starlings die.”
“You ought to be ashamed of yourself;” retorted Green, “getting yourself put in a school among young gentlemen. I don’t know what the doctor was thinking about to take a convict’s son.”
“My father is not a convict,” cried Dominic angrily.
“Oh, isn’t he, just. Transported for life. We know, don’t we, boys?”
“Yes—yes,” was chorused.
“Of course he was,” cried Green. “You can’t keep these things quiet. Pretends his father is a settler. Yes; the judge settled him for life.”
The boy looked round for applause, and received it sufficiently to make him go on with his banter.