“We’re not all alike,” growled the Chief, “some of us have got finer feelings than others have. I saw the chap next door looking at her as we passed him this morning.”
“Lor’,” said the Third
“I don’t want any of your damned impudence,” said the Chief sharply. “He put his hat on straighter when he passed us. What do you think of that?”
“Can’t say,” replied the other with commendable gravity, “it might mean anything.”
“If he has any of his nonsense while I’m away I’ll break his neck,” said the Chief passionately. “I shall know of it.”
The other raised his eyebrows.
“I’ve asked the landlady to keep her eyes open a bit,” said the Chief. “My wife was brought up in the country and she’s very young and simple, so that it is quite right and proper for her to have a motherly old body to look after her.”
“Told your wife?” queried Rogers.
“No,” said the other. “Fact is, I’ve got an idea about that parrot. I’m going to tell her it’s a magic bird, and will tell me everything she does while I’m away. Anything the landlady tells me I shall tell her I got from the parrot. For one thing, I don’t want her to go out after seven of an evening, and she’s promised me she won’t. If she does I shall know, and pretend that I know through the parrot. What do you think of it?”
“Think of it?” said the Third, staring at him. “Think of it? Fancy a man telling a grown-up woman a yarn like that!”