"
Jack turned away and walked to the window, his face a deep scarlet. I
heard him mutter, "Beelzebub, prince of devils," so I suppose the cabin
boy had given his bird a bad name.
Mr. Morris looked kindly at the cabin boy. "Do you ever call the parrot
by her whole name?"
"No, sir," he replied; "I always give her Bell, but she calls herself
Bella."
"Bella," repeated Mr. Morris; "that is a very pretty name. If you keep
her, boys, I think you had better stick to that."
"Yes, father," they all said; and then Mr. Morris started to go back to
his study. On the doorsill he paused to ask the cabin boy when his ship
sailed. Finding that it was to be in a few days, he took out his
pocket-book and wrote something in it. The next day he asked Jack to go
to town with him, and when they came home, Jack said that his father had
bought an oil-skin coat for Henry Smith, and a handsome Bible, in which
they were all to write their names.
After Mr. Morris left the room, the door opened and Miss Laura came in.
She knew nothing about the parrot and was very much surprised to see it.
Seating herself at the table, she held out her hands to it.
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