(She collects her papers and goes out, and the Professor settles to his writing. Putting aside Elfrida’s letter, conspicuous by reason of its being written on pink paper, reminds him of the vanished leaf. He gives a momentary look for it to right and left: but the thing is unimportant, and dismissing it, he gets to work. This so entirely absorbs him that he is unaware of being looked at. Above the top of the writing-table a pair of strange eyes gradually emerge. Dark and insect-like, they stare at him out of a small green face, sharp, queer, and suggestive of a brain with a vivacious but detached standpoint. Out of the head sprout long horns or antennae; the creature is a curious mixture of beetle, bird, and grasshopper. Its color from head to foot is bright green. Fixing on the Professor a stare of uninformed and quite unintelligent interrogation, it moves slowly round the writing-table till it stands opposite to him. Presently it smacks its lips, and begins a soft jabber to itself, not much louder than the whip of leaves on a window-pane.)
Bird-in-Hand. Quit-a-quit! Quit-a-quit! Quit-a-quit!
(The Professor, thinking he hears something, looks up through his reading-glasses, and cannot believe his eyes. At once his grievance is against the optician.)
Professor. Really!—these glasses!—How they do strain one’s eyes! (He takes them off, and puts on his distance-glasses; but the apparition remains, vibrating up and down on its toes as though rather pleased with itself. The Professor considers it from a variety of attitudes, and with a growing apprehension that he really is seeing something) Dear me, now! This is most extraordinary!—It almost makes me believe my eyes. (He endeavors to reconstruct his thoughts on scientific lines)—Now, let me think, let me think! How many cups of green tea did I have this morning?
Bird-in-Hand. Sik-silk-silk-silk-silk-silk-silk!
Professor. Six, I believe it was!—Did that thing speak? (A pause)
Bird-in-Hand. (With a slow, meditative, rather plaintive introduction) Chwee-e-weet!
Professor. But, but this is an hallucination!
Bird-in-Hand. Chich-a-wee!
Professor. An hallucination, I say!