This was 'laisser-faire' with a vengeance! Such philosophy had always seemed to him to savor dangerously of anarchism.

And yet twenty years' experience as a neighbor had shown him that Tod was in himself perhaps the most harmless person in Worcestershire, and held in a curious esteem by most of the people about.

He was puzzled, and sat down again.
"I've never had a chance to talk things over with you," he said.

"There are a good few people, Freeland, who can't behave themselves; we're not bees, you know!" He stopped, having an uncomfortable suspicion that his hearer was not listening.
"First I've heard this year," said Tod.
For all the rudeness of that interruption, Malloring felt a stir of interest.

He himself liked birds.