But it was nothing of all this that arrested me, beautiful as it
was. She stood as though life were for the moment suspended;-
then, very softly, she made a low musical sound, infinitely
wooing, from scarcely parted lips, and instantly I saw a bird of
azure plumage flutter down and settle on her shoulder, pluming
himself there in happy security. Again she called softly and
another followed the first. Two flew to her feet, two more to her
breast and hand. They caressed her, clung to her, drew some
joyous influence from her presence. She stood in the glittering
rain like Spring with her birds about her - a wonderful sight.
Then, raising one hand gently with the fingers thrown back she
uttered a different note, perfectly sweet and intimate, and the
branches parted and a young deer with full bright eyes fixed on
her advanced and pushed a soft muzzle into her hand.
In my astonishment I moved, however slightly, and the picture
broke up. The deer sprang back into the trees, the birds
fluttered up in a hurry of feathers, and she turned calm eyes
upon me, as unstartled as if she had known all the time that I
was there.
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