But it was Paolo who declared he
could give a pretty good guess as to what they were saying to each other in
their soft pigeon language.
"Well, what is it?" Andrea asked incredulously.
"She wants him to help her fix up the old nest," he asserted in a tone
of confidence that greatly impressed his audience; "like the rest of the
women-folks, she isn't satisfied with it as it is, I don't know as I blame
her--it's a pretty poor excuse for a home, even if Chico did manage to make
it do while he was a bachelor."
The children's faith in the old man increased tenfold when, the very next
day, they discovered Pepita returning from a short flight with a few coarse
straws in her beak, while in another moment Chico came flying around the
corner of the church with half a dozen more.
"You were right!" Andrea exclaimed, as he made an effort to restrain his
boisterous delight, and quietly looked in at the busy pair; "they are
working as hard as ever they can this very minute."
After that there were more straws brought, besides other things evidently
intended for lining, and though their home, when done, was not as smooth or
fine a piece of workmanship as many other birds can boast of, at least it
was comfortable, and exactly according to their ideas.
Chico had always loved his nest, but, with the appearance of two eggs under
Pepita's breast, he found it difficult to leave, even on necessary flights.
He was a devoted husband and was content to perch by her side the whole day
long, softly cooing in his efforts to entertain her, and always ready to
relieve her in keeping the eggs warm when she wished to take a turn around
the Square for exercise or in search of food.
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