On their way from the temple school, Correliana invited the padre and members of the corps¹ to pay a twilight² visit to her garden. Passing through her father’s into her own garden, while yet the upward slant³ of the sun’s rays reached above the Andean peaks, the party were surprised and startled by the winged hoverings of a cloud of birds of every feather, accompanied with the vocal⁴ salutation,—“Well, my goodness gracious, if here ain’t the padre! well, I declare, aha, aha!”—pronounced in variations of tone peculiar⁵ to the raven⁶, starling, and parrot. With a confused fluttering, twittering, and tonguester terms of speech, they with encouraged familiarity, alighted wherever a perch⁷ was offered. Correliana tried to still their clamors by calling upon the leaders, but only effected a change, all uniting in the word “Musick!” To stay their noisy importunities she beckoned⁸ her visitors to be seated, and then under the escort of her feathered choristers she brought forth⁹ an instrument of music which Captain Greenwood had presented to her as a parting gift. On opening the case she presented the instrument to the curators of sound, who were known to be excellent pianists. From its resemblance to an accordion¹⁰ they started back with horror, without touching¹¹ it, which caused the beaming face of Correliana to become overshadowed with disappointment. But the humorous smiles of the others relieved her from sudden

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