"And did he fly home?" asked Fergus breathlessly; "did he find his father and mother and the others in the old nest among the rocks?"
"Yes," replied Gratian, after a moment's consideration, "he met some gulls on his way to the sea, who told him exactly how to go. And he did find them all at home. You know, generally, bird families don't stay so long together, but these gulls had been so unhappy about Quiver that they had fixed to stay close to the old ones till he came back. They always kept on hoping he would come back."
"I am so glad," said Fergus with a sigh of relief. "How beautiful it must have been to feel the sea-wind again, and see the waves dancing in the sunshine! Do you know, Gratian, I was just a little afraid at the end that you were going to say that Quiver had grown so good that he went 'up, up, up,' straight into heaven. I shouldn't have liked that—at least not till he had lived happily by the sea first. And then," Fergus began to get a little confused, "I don't know about that. Do gulls go to heaven, mother? You don't mind my thinking dogs do."
The lady smiled. She had not said anything yet; she seemed to be thinking seriously. But now she drew Gratian to her and kissed his forehead.
"Thank you, dear boy," she said. "I am so glad to have heard one of your stories."
[CHAPTER XI.]
DRAWN TWO WAYS
"When Love wants this, and Pain wants that,
And all our hearts want Tit for Tat."
Matthew Browne