"Come, Tee-tee; it's your turn to talk a little," said Ned, patting and stroking his pet.
"Am I going to that good place Tiny's mistress tells about, where they have fine trees to climb and oranges and bananas and other good things to eat?" Tee-tee seemed to ask.
"Yes," replied Ned, "if you keep on being a good little fellow you shall go there and have a good time playing about and feasting on the fruits, nuts and other nice things."
"Then I mean to be good—as good as I know how."
"Cousin Ronald, you do make them talk very nicely," remarked Elsie, with satisfaction, adding, "But I do wish they could do it themselves."
"I presume they would be glad if they could," said Lucilla. "Yours watches the movements of your lips, as if he wanted very much to imitate them with his."
"And I believe he does," said Elsie. "It makes me feel more thankful for the gift of speech than I ever did before."
"Then it has a good effect," said her father.
"So they are useful little creatures, after all," said Grace, "though I had thought them only playthings."