She answered merrily.
"Oh, Faith, come! What you heard was a parrot. And there are a lot of
birds--oh! and cats--such queer ones. Do come and see."
But at this minute, from some inner apartment Beppo reappeared, a cage
in either hand. In one perched a parrot of gorgeous plumage, in the
other crouched a beautiful Angora cat, large and tawny, its great brush
of a tail curled disconsolately about its ears.
"What a lovely kitten!" cried Faith, "and so frightened. Poor, poor
Pussy!"
"And such a saucy parrot!" chimed in Hope. "Isn't it handsome, though?"
"He talka--oh, mocha he talka," observed Beppo, holding the cages on
high with a prideful air. "An' he pussa ver' fine, yes."
"Well, girls, which do you like the better?" said the captain. "I know
it's the thing to give presents to out-going travelers, and I want to
do everything shipshape. But flowers are a nuisance the second day
out, and fruit a drug, so I thought a pet was the thing. It's only to
decide which it shall be."
"Oh, if we can't have both, do let's take the parrot; don't you say so,
Faith?"
"Why, if you wish it, of course, dear, but"--her gaze rested
lingeringly upon the other cage.
"But you want the Persian cat, I see, daughter," put in the captain.
"Well, well, let's have both, Beppo. We'll find some place to stow
'em, no doubt. Have you somebody by to carry them to the steamer?"
"Me go," cried the man, grinning broadly in delight over this trade,
"me vife she stay--me go.
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