pleasure of seeing me this evening. And what ecstasy it will be to them,
to be sure! I shouldn't be surprised if it broke up the whole thing.
They'll faint so--for joy, you know--just at first--that is, the ladies
will. The men won't like it at all; and I don't blame 'em. I suppose I
shouldn't like it--to see another fellow sweep all before him. That's
what I do; I sweep all before me." And he waved his hand in such a fine
large gesture that he overbalanced himself, and turned a somersault. But
he jumped up after it quite undisturbed.

"You'll see me do it to-night," he said, knocking the dents out of his
hat--"sweep all before me." Then he put his hat on, and his hands on his
hips, with a swaggering, man-of-society air. "I say," he said, "I'm glad
you're going. I should like you to see it."

"And I should like to see it," replied Fairyfoot.

"Well," said Mr. Goodfellow, "you deserve it, though that's saying a
great deal. You've restored me to them. But for you, even if I'd escaped
that hawk, I should have had to spend the night in that beastly robin's
nest, crowded into a corner by those squawking things, and domineered
over by her! I wasn't made for that! I'm superior to it. Domestic life
doesn't suit me. I was made for society. I adorn it. She never
appreciated me. She couldn't soar to it. When I think of the way she
treated me," he exclaimed, suddenly getting into a rage, "I've a great
mind to turn back into a robin and peck her head off!"

"Would you like to see her now?" asked Fairyfoot, innocently.

Mr. Goodfellow glanced behind him in great haste, and suddenly sat down.