Polynesiawaswaitingforusinthefrontporch.Shelookedfullofsomeimportantnews. "Doctor,"saidshe,"thePurpleBird-of-Paradisehasarrived!" "Atlast!"saidtheDoctor."Ihadbeguntofearsomeaccidenthadbefallenher.AndhowisMiranda?" FromtheexcitedwayinwhichtheDoctorfumbledhiskeyintothelockIguessedthatwewerenotgoingtogetourtearightaway,evennow. "Oh,sheseemedallrightwhenshearrived,"saidPolynesia—"tiredfromherlongjourneyofcoursebutotherwiseallright.ButwhatDOyouthink? Thatmischief-makingsparrow,Cheapside,insultedherassoonasshecameintothegarden. WhenIarrivedonthesceneshewasintearsandwasallforturningroundandgoingstraightbacktoBrazilto-night. Ihadthehardestworkpersuadinghertowaittillyoucame.She'sinthestudy. IshutCheapsideinoneofyourbook-casesandtoldhimI'dtellyouexactlywhathadhappenedthemomentyougothome." TheDoctorfrowned,thenwalkedsilentlyandquicklytothestudy. Herewefoundthecandleslit;forthedaylightwasnearlygone. Dab-Dabwasstandingonthefloormountingguardoveroneoftheglass-frontedbook-casesinwhichCheapsidehadbeenimprisoned. Thenoisylittlesparrowwasstillflutteringangrilybehindtheglasswhenwecamein. Inthecentreofthebigtable,perchedontheink-stand,stoodthemostbeautifulbirdIhaveeverseen. Shehadadeepviolet-coloredbreast,scarletwingsandalong,longsweepingtailofgold. Shewasunimaginablybeautifulbutlookeddreadfullytired. Alreadyshehadherheadunderherwing;andsheswayedgentlyfromsidetosideontopoftheink-standlikeabirdthathasflownlongandfar. "Sh!"saidDab-Dab."Mirandaisasleep. I'vegotthislittleimpCheapsideinhere. Listen,Doctor:forHeaven'ssakesendthatsparrowawaybeforehedoesanymoremischief. He'snothingbutavulgarlittlenuisance. We'vehadaperfectlyawfultimetryingtogetMirandatostay. ShallIserveyourteainhere,orwillyoucomeintothekitchenwhenyou'reready?" "We'llcomeintothekitchen,Dab-Dab,"saidtheDoctor."LetCheapsideoutbeforeyougo,please." Dab-Dabopenedthebookcase-doorandCheapsidestruttedouttryinghardnottolookguilty. "Cheapside,"saidtheDoctorsternly,"whatdidyousaytoMirandawhenshearrived?" "Ididn'tsaynothing,Doc,straightIdidn't.Thatis,nothingmuch. Iwaspickingupcrumbsoffthegravelpathwhenshecomesswankingintothegarden,turninguphernoseinalldirections,asthoughsheownedtheearth—justbecauseshe'sgotalotofcoloredplumage. ALondonsparrow'sasgoodasheranyday. Idon'tholdbythesegawdybedizenedforeignersnohow. Whydon'ttheystayintheirowncountry?" "Butwhatdidyousaytoherthatgothersooffended?" "AllIsaidwas,'Youdon'tbelonginanEnglishgarden;yououghttobeinamilliner'swindow.That'sall." "Yououghttobeashamedofyourself,Cheapside. Don'tyourealizethatthisbirdhascomethousandsofmilestoseeme—onlytobeinsultedbyyourimpertinenttongueassoonasshereachesmygarden?Whatdoyoumeanbyit? —IfshehadgoneawayagainbeforeIgotbackto-nightIwouldneverhaveforgivenyou—Leavetheroom." Sheepishly,butstilltryingtolookasthoughhedidn'tcare,CheapsidehoppedoutintothepassageandDab-Dabclosedthedoor. TheDoctorwentuptothebeautifulbirdontheink-standandgentlystrokeditsback.Instantlyitsheadpoppedoutfromunderitswing. 
