"Live and let live."

A part of Malloring undoubtedly responded to that curt saying, a part of
him as strongly rebelled against it; and which impulse he was going to
follow was not at first patent.

"You see, YOU keep apart," he said at last. "You couldn't say that so
easily if you had, like us, to take up the position in which we find
ourselves."

"Why take it up?"

Malloring frowned. "How would things go on?"

"All right," said Tod.

Malloring got up from the sill. 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.