What does it mean ? '' To give the greater force to his words , he checked himself in an involuntary imitation of two half-length stretching and yawning figures on the mantel-shelf , who were represented as in one eternal state of weariness from the waist upwards ; and hummed a fragment of a song . It was a Bacchanalian song , something about a Sparkling Bowl . He sang it with an assumption of a Devil-may-care voice , that made his face a thousand times more meagre and more thoughtful than ever . `` What ! You 're singing , are you ? '' said Tackleton , putting his head in at the door . `` Go it ! I ca n't sing . '' Nobody would have suspected him of it . He had n't what is generally termed a singing face , by any means . `` I ca n't afford to sing , '' said Tackleton . `` I 'm glad you can . I hope you can afford to work too . Hardly time for both , I should think ? '' `` If you could only see him , Bertha , how he 's winking at me ! '' whispered Caleb . `` Such a man to joke ! You 'd think , if you did n't know him , he was in earnest -- would n't you now ? '' The Blind Girl smiled and nodded .
`` The bird that can sing and wo n't sing must be made XXXXX sing , they say , '' grumbled Tackleton .
about by for if in of on than to with