But the Judge held him. It took him nearly an hour to get through with
the Bob-whites and the sandpipers, the wild turkeys, the ducks and the
wild geese. And long before that time George was bored to extinction.
He had little imagination. To him the Trumpeter was just a stuffed old
bird. He could not picture him as blowing his trumpet beside the moon,
or wearing a golden crown as in "The Seven Brothers." He had never
heard of "The Seven Brothers," and nobody in the world wore crowns
except kings. As for the old eagle, it is doubtful whether George had
ever felt the symbolism of his presence on a silver coin, or that he
had ever linked him in his heart with God.

Then, suddenly, the whole world changed. Becky appeared on the
threshold.

"Grandfather," she said, "Aunt Claudia says there is lemonade on the
lawn."

"In a moment, my dear."

George rose hastily. "Don't let me keep you, Judge----"

Becky advanced into the room. "Aren't birds wonderful?"

"They are," said George, seeing them wonderful for the first time.

"I always feel," she said, "as if some time they will flap their wings
and fly away--on a night like this--the swans going first, and then the
ducks and geese, and last of all the little birds, trailing across the
moon----" Her hands fluttered to show them trailing. Becky used her