are.'

"'But can't he be stopped?' I asked. 'It is horrible, monstrous that he
should be allowed to murder our pets.'

"'You don't know for certain that he has,' was the reply, 'you only
suppose so from what you say you saw, and evidence of that immaterial
nature is no evidence at all. No, you can do nothing except to be extra
careful in future, and if you have another dog make him steer clear of
No. 90 H---- Street.'

"I was sensible enough to see that he was right, and the matter dropped.
I soon noticed one thing, however, namely, that there were no more
pieces of meat temptingly displayed in the box, so it is just possible
K---- got wind of my enquiries, and thought it policy to desist from his
nefarious practices.

"Poor Robert! To think of him suffering such a cruel and ignominious
death, and my being powerless to avenge it. Surely if vivisection is
really necessary, and the welfare of mankind cannot be advanced by any
less barbarous system, why not operate on creatures less deserving of
our love and pity than dogs? On creatures which whilst being nearer
allied to man in physiology and anatomy, are at the same time far below
the level of brute creation in character and disposition.

"For example, why not experiment on wife-beaters and cowardly street
ruffians, and, one might reasonably add, on all those
pseudo-humanitarians who, by their constant petitions to Parliament for
the abolition of the lash, encourage every form of blackguardism and
bestiality?"