"But why are you so set upon it, Mr. Higgins?"
"'Cos I am ... that's enough ... that plant's mine, an' mine it's goin' to be."
I turned to Ted. "Cannot you make up your mind to do without it?" I asked. "Do you want it so very much?"
He nodded, and the tears now followed each other fast down his cheeks. "I mun hev it; I mun hev it," he moaned.
We were all gathered round now; not a soul was left in the roadway, and the flower-beds were suffering.
"But why?" I persisted. "What makes you so very anxious to have it? You shall have another just as fine. Why do you want this particular one so badly?"
He shook his head, and raised his sleeve to his brow with the old nervous, familiar action.
"Cannot you tell me?" I asked.
Then the answer came, low but clearly heard by everybody: "Shoo liked it!"
The shame of the confession made him shake from head to foot, but the revelation of unsuspected deeps thrilled us, every one, and set us on fire with indignation and contempt.