Page:The Works of H G Wells Volume 5.pdf/51

 to have some relic—some memento—of this particular brood at this particular day.

"By the bye," he said, "you don't give those little chicks meat?"

"Oh! no, Thir," said Skinner, "I can athure you, Thir, we know far too much about the management of fowlth of all dethcriptionth to do anything of that thort."

"Quite sure you don't throw your dinner refuse—I thought I noticed the bones of a rabbit scattered about the far corner of the run"

But when they came to look at them they found they were the larger bones of a cat picked very clean and dry.

III

"That's no chick," said Mr. Bensington's cousin Jane.

"Well, I should think I knew a chick when I saw it," said Mr. Bensington's cousin Jane hotly.

"It's too big for a chick, for one thing, and besides you can see perfectly well it isn't a chick.

"It's more like a bustard than a chick."

"For my part," said Redwood, reluctantly allowing Bensington to drag him into the argument, "I must confess that, considering all the evidence"

"Oh! if you do that," said Mr. Bensington's cousin Jane, "instead of using your eyes like a sensible person"

"Well, but really, Miss Bensington!"

"Oh! Go on!" said cousin Jane. "You men are all alike."