"One might fancy it a robin, or a wren, trolling out his evening song,
instead of human voice rising and falling in every-day psalmody."
"The birds of our forest rarely speak," returned the girl; "and the one
among them which has most to say, does it like those who are called
gentlemen, when they set wit to work to please the ear of simple
country maidens."
"And in what fashion may that be?"
"Mockery."
"Ah! I have heard of the creature's skill. It is said to be a compound of
the harmony of all other forest songsters; and yet I see little
resemblance to the honest language of a soldier, in its manner of
utterance."
"It speaketh without much meaning; and oftener to cheat the ear, than in
honest reason."
"Thou forgettest that which I told thee in the morning, child. It would
seem that they who named thee, have no great cause to exult in their
judgment of character, since Unbelief would better describe thy
disposition, than Faith."
"It may be, that they who named me little knew how great must be
credulity, to give ear to all I have been required to credit.
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