“Then why didn’t you come and see me?” said the bright-eyed sparrow, with what she considered a very sarcastic laugh, but which didn’t frighten her husband one bit. “I didn’t run away. I’ve been here all this time, working hard to feed these three children. It’s mean of you to treat me so!”
“So ’tis, so ’tis, my dear,” answered her husband soothingly.
“Then why in the world’s name didn’t you come?”
“Business, my dear, business,” answered the sparrow with a very important air; “business before pleasure, you know.”
“A likely story! As if you ever did a day’s work in your life! All my friends told me how ’twould be if I married you!”
“Then what made you do it, my love?” said the sparrow in a very sweet voice, dropping a kiss on the back of the little head that was turned away so persistently.
“Because I was a fool, I suppose,” answered the bright-eyed sparrow; “I don’t know any other reason. There was that other one that wanted me to have him,—well off and a hard-working fellow. I don’t know why in the world I didn’t take him, instead of a vain, lazy, flirting fellow like you!”
“I know, my dear, why you didn’t.”
“Why, I should like to know, sir?” she said, turning her bright eyes towards him for an instant and then looking away again.
“Because, my darling, you knew that, in spite of his good qualities that you respected you loved a good-for-nothing, lazy fellow, good-looking enough,” said the sparrow with a conceited little air, “but whose only virtue was that he cared more for one look from your bright eyes than for all the rest of the world put together;” and he lit beside her, and stretching out his neck gave her an affectionate kiss.