'What's that ?' sez 'e lookin' startled like.

'That's the cuckoo,' sez I.An' he takes off 'is 'at an' rubs 'is 'ead, which was a' fast goin' bald.
'Dear, dear me!' sez 'e--'I 'aven't 'eard the cuckoo since I was a boy!' An' he rubs 'is 'ead again, an' laughs to hisself--'Not since I was a boy!' 'e sez.

'An' that's the cuckoo, is it?
Dear, dear me!' 'You 'aven't bin much in the country p'r'aps ?' sez I.'I'm always in the country,' 'e sez--'I motor everywhere, but I've missed the cuckoo somehow!' An' then the chauffy puts the machine right, an' he jumps in an' gives me a shillin'.

'Thank-ye, my man!' sez 'e--'I'm glad you told me 'twas a _real_ cuckoo!' Hor--er--hor--er--hor--er!" And Peke gave vent to a laugh peculiarly his own.

"Mebbe 'e thought I'd got a Swiss clock with a sham cuckoo workin' it in my basket! 'I'm glad,' sez 'e, 'you told me 'twas a _real_ cuckoo!' Hor--er--hor--er--hor--er!" The odd chuckling sounds of merriment which were slowly jerked forth as it were from Peke's husky windpipe, were droll enough in themselves to be somewhat infectious, and Helmsley laughed as he had not done for many days.
"Ay, there's a mighty sight of tringum-trangums an' nonsense i' the world," went on Peke, still occasionally giving vent to a suppressed "Hor--er--hor"-- "an' any amount o' Tom Conys what don't know a real cuckoo from a sham un'.