William muttered something inaudible and set off down the road, his heart torn between relief at knowing himself guiltless of the crime of murder and indignant shame at being accused of an affection for cats—cats! But he was horrified at the duplicity of Mr. Gorton, and decided to confront him with it at once. He hastened to the cage-hung shop and, spending only ten minutes in front of the box of grass snakes, entered the cool, dark depths where Mr. Gorton, in his shirt sleeves, was chewing tobacco.
Mr. Gorton was a large, burly man with a fat, good-natured-looking face, and a gentle manner. But Mr. Gorton obeyed the Scriptures in combining with his dove-like gentleness a serpent-like cunning.
“Now look ’ere, young gent,” he said, when William had laid his accusation before him. “You say I sold that there hanimal. Now wot you wanted was to be rid of that hanimal, didn’t you? Well, you’re rid of it, haren’t you? So wot’ve you got to grumble at? See? ’As that there hanimal come back to trouble you? No. I’m as good a judge of a cat’s character, I am, as hanyone. I knowed that there cat soon’s I seed ’im. I says, ‘There’s a hanimal as will curl up anywheres you like ter put ’im an’ so long’s ’e’s got ’is cushion an’ ’is saucer o’ milk regular, ’e won’t ’anker after nuffin’ else. ’E won’t go no long torchurous road journeys tryin’ to find old ’omes. Not ’e. ’E’ll rub ’isself against hanyone wot’ll say ‘Puss, puss.’ ’Sides which it’s agin’ my feelings as a ’umane man to put to death a young an’ ’ealthy hanimal.”
William stared at him.
“Now the second one you brought, well, ’e was ripe fer death, all right, an’ it’s a pleasure an’ kindness to do it in those circs. ’Sides which,” Mr. Gorton went on as another argument occurred to him, “wot proof ’ave you that this ’ere hanimal of Miss Cliff’s is the same hanimal wot you brought to me Saturday? They’re both black cats—no marks on ’em. Well, there must be ’undreds of black cats same as that—thahsands—millions—just think of ’em—all hover the world. Well, jus’ you prove that these two hanimals is identical.”
William, having for once in his life met his match in eloquence, moved away despondently.
“All right,” he said, “I only asked.” He went to the parrot who was still there, and who greeted him with an ironical laugh and a cry of: “My word—what a nut! Oh, my word!”
William’s spirits rose.
“How much is the parrot?” he said.
“Five pounds,” said Mr. Gorton.