"Oh, he'll quieten down again in a day or two."
The Menagerie Man shook his head.
"A brute like that never forgets—and never forgives. He'll brood on it. I shall have to strengthen that cage. Already he's bent a couple of the bars. . . ."
"But surely he's shown signs of a temper before this!"
"Yes! But not spitefully. Once a brute like that gets spiteful it's the very devil to pay. He'll start flinging earth about, screaming at people—doing anything he can to annoy or destroy."
Gran'pa looked a little ashamed of himself (but very interested).
"I can hardly believe that this affair will change his whole nature," he said. "At any rate, I sincerely hope not. I can only express my deepest regret, Mr. Boswell; and, as I said before, if there is anything I can do in the way of . . ."
"It's knocked at least a good fifty pounds off his value . . ." observed the Menagerie Man, half to himself.
"That's a rather high figure."
"Well, we'll say forty. . . ."