companion quietly going on as before. One or two others had stopped
eating too, but the majority appeared quite unruffled. I concluded
that it was the parrot to which my friend had referred.

"The last comic song," said the imperturbable De Kock.

"But where is the beast!" I inquired. "It seemed to be over my head."

"Oh! Not so near as that. But take my advice and don't call it a
beast, although it is a nuisance undoubtedly. Besides, its master is
not very far away from your elbow."

"What of that?" said I, still injured, though in a lower tone.

"What of that? Ah! You shall see. Look now! This short, stout person
with the diamond pin and the expansive shirt front is Giuseppe. Ah,
he sees me! Good evening, Giuseppe!"

"Good evening, Monsieur, good evening, good evening! De friend not
like de _parrot_, eh?"

The man was smiling at me with his hands crossed behind him. An
Italian Jew I dubbed him immediately.

"On the contrary, he admires it very much," said De Kock.

Following their eyes presently I saw the cage hanging from the
centre of the room, and in it a parrot as nearly pea-green in hue as
it is possible for a parrot to be.