“Tha was Bob Pretty all over, that was; the biggest raskel Claybury ’as ever had; and it wasn’t the fust bit o’ money ‘e made out o’ Mr. Bunnett coming to the place.

“It all come through Mr. Bunnett’s love for animals.  I never see a man so fond of animals as ’e was, and if he had ’ad ’is way Claybury would ’ave been overrun by ’em by this time.  The day arter ’e got to the farm he couldn’t eat ’is breakfuss because of a pig that was being killed in the yard, and it was no good pointing out to ’im that the pig was on’y making a fuss about it because it was its nature so to do.  He lived on wegetables and such like, and the way ’e carried on one day over ’arf a biled caterpillar ’e found in his cabbage wouldn’t be believed.  He wouldn’t eat another mossel, but sat hunting ’igh and low for the other ’arf.

“He ’adn’t been in Claybury more than a week afore he said ’ow surprised ’e was to see ’ow pore dumb animals was treated.  He made a little speech about it one evening up at the schoolroom, and, arter he ’ad finished, he up and offered to give a prize of a gold watch that used to belong to ’is dear sister wot loved animals, to the one wot was the kindest to ’em afore he left the place.

“If he’d ha’ known Claybury men better ‘e wouldn’t ha’ done it.  The very next morning Bill Chambers took ’is baby’s milk for the cat, and smacked ’is wife’s ’ead for talking arter he’d told ’er to stop.  Henery Walker got into trouble for leaning over Charlie Stubbs’s fence and feeding his chickens for ’im, and Sam Jones’s wife had to run off ’ome to ’er mother ’arf-dressed because she had ’appened to overlay a sick rabbit wot Sam ’ad taken to bed with ’im to keep warm.

“People used to stop animals in the road and try and do ’em a kindness—­ especially when Mr. Bunnett was passing—­and Peter Gubbins walked past ’is house one day with ole Mrs. Broad’s cat in ’is arms.  A bad-tempered old cat it was, and, wot with Peter kissing the top of its ’ead and calling of it Tiddleums, it nearly went out of its mind.

“The fust time Mr. Bunnett see Bob Pretty was about a week arter he’d offered that gold watch.  Bob was stooping down very careful over something in the hedge, and Mr. Bunnett, going up quiet-like behind ’im, see ’im messing about with a pore old toad he ’ad found, with a smashed leg.

“‘Wots the matter with it?’ ses Mr. Bunnett.

“Bob didn’t seem to hear ’im.  He was a-kneeling on the ground with ’is ’ead on one side looking at the toad; and by and by he pulled out ’is pocket’an’kercher and put the toad in it, as if it was made of egg-shells, and walked away.

“‘Wot’s the matter with it?’ ses Mr. Bunnett, a’most trotting to keep up with ’im.

“’Got it’s leg ‘urt in some way, pore thing,’ ses Bob.  ’I want to get it ‘ome as soon as I can and wash it and put it on a piece o’ damp moss.  But I’m afraid it’s not long for this world.’

“Mr. Bunnett said it did ’im credit, and walked home alongside of ’im talking.  He was surprised to find that Bob hadn’t ’eard anything of the gold watch ’e was offering, but Bob said he was a busy, ’ard-working man and didn’t ’ave no time to go to hear speeches or listen to tittle-tattle.