'He is not to be sold, sir, indeed.' 'Not to be sold!' cried the gentleman, growing ten times redder, hoarser, and louder than before.

'Not to be sold!' 'Indeed no,' she answered.

'We have never thought of parting with him, sir, I do assure you.' He was evidently about to make a very passionate retort, when a few murmured words from his wife happening to catch his ear, he turned sharply round, and said, 'Eh?
What ?' 'We can hardly expect them to sell the bird, against their own desire,' she faltered.

'If they prefer to keep him--' 'Prefer to keep him!' he echoed.

'These people, who go tramping about the country a-pilfering and vagabondising on all hands, prefer to keep a bird, when a landed proprietor and a justice asks his price! That old woman's been to school.