give `isself. He didn't get angry, as I `oped he would, but he
smiled a kind of insolent smile, with a mouth full of white, sharp
teeth. `Oh no, they wouldn't like me,' `e says.
" `Ow yes, they would,' says I, a-imitatin'of him.`They always
like a bone or two to clean their teeth on about tea time, which
you `as a bagful.'
"Well, it was a odd thing, but when the animiles see us
a-talkin' they lay down, and when I went over to Bersicker he let
me stroke his ears same as ever. That there man kem over, and
blessed but if he didn't put in his hand and stroke the old wolf's
ears too!
" `Tyke care,' says I. `Bersicker is quick.'
" `Never mind,' he says. I'm used to `em!'
" `Are you in the business yourself?"I says, tyking off my `at,
for a man what trades in wolves, anceterer, is a good friend to
keepers.
" `Nom' says he, `not exactly in the business, but I `ave made
pets of several.' and with that he lifts his `at as perlite as a
lord, and walks away. Old Bersicker kep' a-lookin' arter `im till
`e was out of sight, and then went and lay down in a corner and
wouldn't come hout the `ole hevening. Well, larst night, so soon as
the moon was hup, the wolves here all began a-`owling. There warn't
nothing for them to `owl at. There warn't no one near, except some
one that was evidently a-callin' a dog somewheres out back of the
gardings in the Park road. Once or twice I went out to see that all
was right, and it was, and then the `owling stopped. Just before
twelve o'clock I just took a look round afore turnin' in, an', bust
me, but when I kem opposite to old Bersicker's cage I see the rails
broken and twisted about and the cage empty. And that's all I know
for certing."
"Did any one else see anything?"
"One of our gard`ners was a-comin' `ome about that time from a
`armony, when he sees a big gray dog comin' out through the garding
`edges. At least, so he says, but I don't give much for it myself,
for if he did `e never said a word about it to his missis when `efor if he did `e never said a word about it to his missis when `e
got `ome, and it was only after the escape of the wolf was made
known, and we had been up all night a-huntin' of the Park for
Bersicker, that he remembered seein' anything. My own belief was
that the `armony `ad got into his `ead."
"Now, Mr. Bilder, can you account in any way for the escape of
the wolf?"
"Well, Sir,"he said, with a suspicious sort of modesty, "I think
I can, but I don't know as `ow you'd be satisfied with the
theory."
"Certainly I shall. If a man like you, who knows the animals
from experience, can't hazard a good guess at any rate, who is even
to try?"
"well then, Sir, I accounts for it this way. It seems to me that
`ere wolf escaped—simply because he wanted to get out."
From the hearty way that both Thomas and his wife laughed at the
joke I could see that it had done service before, and that the
whole explanation was simply an elaborate sell. I couldn't cope in
badinage with the worthy Thomas, but I thought I knew a surer way
to his heart, so I said,"Now, Mr. Bilder, we'll consider that first
half-sovereign worked off, and this brother of his is waiting to be
claimed when you've told me what you think will happen."
"Right y`are, Sir," he said briskly. "Ye`ll excoose me, I know,
for a-chaffin' of ye, but the old woman her winked at me, which was
as much as telling me to go on."
"Well, I never!" said the old lady.
"My opinion is this. That `ere wolf is a`idin' of, somewheres.
The gard`ner wot didn't remember said he was a-gallopin' northward
faster than a horse could go, but I don't believe him, for, yer
see, Sir, wolves don't gallop no more nor dogs does, they not bein'
built that way. Wolves is fine things in a storybook, and I dessay
when they gets in packs and does be chivyin' somethin' that's more
afeared than they is they can make a devil of a noise and chop it
up, whatever it is. But, Lor' bless you, in real life a wolf is
only a low creature, not half so clever or bold as a good dog, andonly a low creature, not half so clever or bold as a good dog, and
not half a quarter so much fight in `im. This one ain't been used
to fightin' or even to providin' for hisself, and more like he's
somewhere round the Park a'hidin' an' a'shiverin' of, and if he
thinks at all, wonderin' where he is to get his breakfast from. Or
maybe he's got down some area and is in a coal cellar. My eye,
won't some cook get a rum start when she sees his green eyes
a-shinin' at her out of the dark! If he can't get food he's bound
to look for it, and mayhap he may chance to light on a butcher's
shop in time. If he doesn't, and some nursemaid goes out walkin' or
orf with a soldier, leavin' of the hinfant in the
perambulator—well, then I shouldn't be surprised if the census is
one babby the less. That's all."
I was handing him the half-sovereign, when something came
bobbing up against the window, and Mr. Bilder's face doubled its
natural length with surprise.
"God bless me!" he said. "If there ain't old Bersicker come back
by `isself!"
He went to the door and opened it, a most unnecessary proceeding
it seemed to me. I have always thought that a wild animal never
looks so well as when some obstacle of pronounced durability is
between us. A personal experience has intensified rather than
diminished that idea.
After all, however, there is nothing like custom, for neither
Bilder nor his wife thought any more of the wolf than I should of a
dog. The animal itself was a peaceful and well-behaved as that
father of all picture-wolves, Red Riding Hood's quondam friend,
whilst moving her confidence in masquerade.
The whole scene was a unutterable mixture of comedy and pathos.
The wicked wolf that for a half a day had paralyzed London and set
all the children in town shivering in their shoes, was there in a
sort of penitent mood, and was received and petted like a sort of
vulpine prodigal son. Old Bilder examined him all over with most
tender solicitude, and when he had finished with his penitent
said,