Q: Chapter XIII. August 1st, 1714

"Does my mistress know of this?" Esmond asked of Frank, as they walked along.

"My mother found the letter in the book, on the toilet-table. She had writ it ere she had left home," Frank said. "Mother met her on the stairs, with her hand upon the door, trying to enter, and never left her after that till she went away. He did not think of looking at it there, nor had Martin the chance of telling him. I believe the poor devil meant no harm, though I half killed him; he thought 'twas to Beatrix's brother he was bringing the letter."

Frank never said a word of reproach to me, for having brought the villain amongst us. As we knocked at the door I said; "When will the horses be ready?" Frank pointed with his cane, they were turning the street that moment.

We went up and bade adieu to our mistress; she was in a dreadful state of agitation by this time, and that bishop was with her whose company she was so fond of.

"Did you tell him, my lord," says Esmond, "that Beatrix was at Castlewood?" The bishop blushed and stammered:

"Well," says he, "I"

"You served the villain right," broke out Mr. Esmond, "and he has lost a crown by what you told him."

My mistress turned quite white. "Henry, Henry," says she, "do not kill him."

"It may not be too late," says Esmond; "he may not have gone to Castlewood; pray God, it is not too late." The bishop was breaking out with some _banales_ phrases about loyalty and the sacredness of the sovereign's person; but Esmond sternly bade him hold his tongue, burn all papers, and take care of Lady Castlewood; and in five minutes he and Frank were in the saddle, John Lockwood behind them, riding towards Castlewood at a rapid pace.

1. mistress
2. toilet-table
3. the book
4. Frank
5. yes
6. mistress
7. bishop
8. yes
9. Beatrix
10. unknown
11. Esmond
12. Esmond
13. John Lockwood
14. Castlewood
15. The bishop
16. cane
17. turning the street
18. yes
19. ere she had left home
20. We

Numbered questions:
1. Who turned really white?
2. Where was the letter found?
3. What was it in?
4. Who never said a word of reproach?
5. Was anyone agitated?
6. Who?
7. Who was with her?
8. DId she like him?
9. Who was at Castlewood?
10. Who said it might be too late?
11. Who was in the saddle with Frank?
12. Who said it might not be too late?
13. Who rode behind Esmond and Frank?
14. Where were they going?
15. Who was blushing and stammering?
16. What did Frank point with?
17. Where were the horses then?
18. Did Beatix have a brother?
19. When was the letter written?
20. Who said adieu to the mistress?

Recently, a small group of birdwatchers spent three weeks around Mount Vernon. They were busy counting wild birds on Mount Vernon's wetlands, south of Washington, D.C. They began in the middle of December and worked until the beginning of January, 2015.

The birdwatchers were among 70,000 volunteers who collected information for the National Audubon Society, a U.S. conservation group. They counted birds in more than 2,400 areas in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean Sea and other parts of the Americas.

The Audubon Society's first "Christmas Bird Count" took place 115 years ago in 1900. At that time, a man named Frank Chapman suggested a new Christmas tradition that people count birds instead of shooting them around the holiday.

Harry Glasgow has taken part in the Christmas Bird Count for the past 10 years. This year, he was one of the volunteer birdwatchers at Mount Vernon.

"I think it's a tremendous use of a lot of unofficial talent around the nation to keep track of birds. Birds are one of the surest indicators of the health of ecology."

Last year, the bird count recorded over 66 million birds of 2,403 different species.

Gary Langham is chief scientist with the National Audubon Society.

"The Audubon climate report says that half the birds in North America -- 314 out of 588 species -- are seriously threatened by climate change. The impacts sort of cut across all birds, all sizes, all kinds, all places."

Information from the bird counts has shown that birds are staying farther north during the winter months because of warmer weather. Birdwatcher Jaime Reidy has noted the difference close to Washington, in the state of Virginia.

"You get to see them at odd times of the year, a little earlier, staying a little later."

Gary Langham says other conditions are affecting bird populations.

"You can imagine the birds that live along the beach or along the rocky shore line as sea levels are rising around the world. That is impacting them, you know."

David Yarnold is president of the Audubon Society. In his words, "Christmas Bird Count data is becoming important not only in documenting current climate change, but in predicting the future effects of climate change on North American bird populations. If we know what to expect, we can start taking actions now to do something about it." What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Who were people volunteering for?
2. What were they doing?
3. In how many parts of the U.S.?
4. Any other countries?
5. Does this counting event have a name?
6. What?
7. Who's idea was it?
8. What year did it start?
9. What is the information used for?
10. Can it help with understanding climate change?
11. Who says it can help?
12. Who is he?
13. Where does he work?
14. How long has Harry Glasgow helped out?
15. Where did he go this year?
16. What month did they start?
17. When did they stop?
18. Was he part of a group?
19. How many birds were counted the previous year?
20. What portion of North American birds have a problem with climate change?
Answer:
1. National Audubon Society,
2. Counted birds.
3. More than 2,400.
4. Yes.
5. Yes.
6. "Christmas Bird Count"
7. Frank Chapman.
8. 1900.
9. Keep track of birds.
10. Yes.
11. Gary Langham.
12. Chief scientist.
13. National Audubon Society.
14. 10 years.
15. Mount Vernon.
16. December
17. Beginning of January.
18. Yes.
19. Over 66 million.
20. Half.