‘Quite well, my love,’ replied Squeers. ‘How’s the cows?’

"Perhaps we`d really better not wake him," he said hesitating.

This part of the conversation was rather unintelligible; but popular rumour in the neighbourhood asserted that Mr Squeers, being amiably opposed to cruelty to animals, not unfrequently purchased for by consumption the bodies of horned cattle who had died a natural death; possibly he was apprehensive of having unintentionally devoured some choice morsel intended for the young gentlemen.