k 'is 'ead and looked at them sorrowful and severe at the same
time.

"'So I 'eard, and I couldn't believe my ears till I went and looked
for myself,' he ses, 'and wot I want to say is this: you know wot I'm
referring to. If any man 'as found wot don't belong to him 'e knows who
to give it to. It ain't wot I should 'ave expected of men wot's lived in
the same place as _me_ for years. Talk about honesty,' 'e ses, shaking
'is 'ead agin, 'I should like to see a little of it.'

"Peter Smith opened his mouth to speak, and 'ardly knowing wot 'e was
doing took a pull at 'is beer at the same time, and if Sam Jones 'adn't
been by to thump 'im on the back I b'lieve he'd ha' died there and then.

"'Mark my words,' ses George English, speaking very slow and solemn,
'there'll be no blessing on it. Whoever's made 'is fortune by getting
up and digging 'is garden over won't get no real benefit from it. He
may wear a black coat and new trousers on Sunday, but 'e won't be 'appy.
I'll go and get my little taste o' beer somewhere else,' 'e ses. 'I
can't breathe here.'

"He walked off before any one could say a word; Bill Chambers dropped
'is pipe and smashed it, Henery Walker sat staring after 'im with 'is
mouth wide open, and Sam Jones, who was always one to take advantage,
drank 'is own beer under the firm belief that it was Joe's.

"'I shall take care that Mrs. Pawlett 'ears o' this,' ses Henery, at
last.

"'And be asked wot you dug your garden up for,' ses Joe, 'and 'ave to
explain that you broke your promise to George. Why, she'd talk at us for
years and years.'

"'And parson 'ud preach a sermon about it,' ses Sam; 'where's your
sense, Henery?'

"'We should be the larfing-stock for miles round,' ses Bill Chambers.
'If anybody wants to know, I dug my garden up to enrich the soil for
next year, and also to give some other chap a chance of the prize.'

"Peter Smith 'as always been a unfortunit man; he's got the name for it.
He was just 'aving another drink as Bill said that, and this time we all
thought 'e'd gorn. He did hisself.

"Mrs. Pawlett and the parson came 'ome next day, an' 'er voice got that
squeaky with surprise it was painful to listen to her. All the chaps
stuck to the tale that they'd dug their garden up to give the others a
chance, and Henery Walker, 'e went further and said it was owing to a
sermon on unselfishness wot the curate 'ad preached three weeks afore.
He 'ad a nice little red-covered 'ymn-book the ne