Richardson Scores Again by Basil Thomson Page B

fourth flight to his flat when he heard the rush of flying feet on the stairs above him. He drew aside to allow room for the headlong descent. It was the girl whose acquaintance he so ardently desired to make.
    â€œCome quick!” she panted. “James is on the fire.” She tore upstairs with Dick at her heels.
    â€œIs James your little brother?”
    She did not hear the question. They had reached the top landing; a door stood open. “Quick!” she cried as she dashed in. “Oh, you’re safe, you brute!”
    It was no way to speak even to a younger and very trying brother. Dick looked round the tiny sitting-room. A dull fire was burning in the grate; a yellow-fronted Amazon parrot was perched on the back of a chair; there was a strong smell of burnt feathers.
    The girl was profuse in apology. “I’m so sorry to have brought you up all this way for nothing, but when I ran downstairs for help that brute James flew from his cage on to the fire and was sitting on it.” 
    â€œI’ve read somewhere that the cock parrot takes his turn at sitting on the eggs. He may be colour-blind. Those little lumps of coal are about the size of parrot’s eggs. Never mind, I’m grateful to James for the introduction. My name is Meredith. James speaks so indistinctly that I didn’t catch yours.”
    â€œMine is Patricia Carey, but I don’t want you to think that that horrid bird is mine: he belongs to the old gentleman I work for. I ought not to be calling him names. I owe him a month’s leave on full pay.”
    â€œAbsolutely,” remarked the parrot with sepulchral decision.
    Dick Meredith started and looked round for the speaker. The girl laughed merrily.
    â€œJames gave you a start. ‘Absolutely’ is Mr. Vance’s favourite affirmative and James has caught it from him.”
    â€œHow did he get you a month’s leave on full pay?”
    â€œThe condition attached to my leave was that I should have to give a home to that bird while Mr. Vance was going round foreign prisons—they call him the ‘Second John Howard,’ you know—and he’s let me down on the very first day. Mr. Vance told me that if I let him sit on the top of his cage in the daytime he could be trusted to behave himself, and the first thing he did when I let him out just now was to fly straight on to the fire and sit on the coals as if he meant to hatch them.”
    â€œWell, he had the sense to get off in time. You’re a stout fellow, James.”
    The bird ruffled his neck and bowed his head to be stroked.
    â€œHe seems to have taken a fancy to you. He hates me.”
    â€œAbsolutely,” remarked James with marked distinctness.
    â€œDoes he talk much?” asked Dick, caressing him.
    â€œHe’s a good weather prophet. He’s much more reliable than the B.B.C. When it’s going to rain he goes down to the bottom of his cage and chatters gibberish. I suppose—” She hesitated.
    â€œYou were going to say?”
    The girl laughed nervously. “Oh, nothing. I nearly made a silly suggestion—that as he’s taken to you so quickly—well—that you might like to have him in your flat for a few days.”
    â€œI should love to, but it’s a big responsibility. Still—if you would look in from time to time to see that he’s all right—”
    â€œWell—I was going down to my people in the country for a few days if I hadn’t been saddled with James—” She had the grace to blush at the audacity of her manoeuvre.
    â€œI’ll take charge of him with pleasure if you’ll give me his diet chart. I suppose that it’s rather complicated.”
    â€œNot at all. The greedy little brute eats anything. I was just going to give him buttered toast when he chose to go and sit on the fire.” She caught Dick’s eye roving to the tea-table. “You’ll have some tea, won’t