“I won’t scream,” said Mrs. Gibbs, “not if I know it’s flesh and blood.  Oh, where is he?  Why don’t you bring ’im in?  Let me go to ’im.”

“All right,” said Mr. Kidd, with a satisfied smile at Mr. Brown; “all in good time.  I’ll go and fetch ’im now; but, mind, if you scream you’ll spoil everything.”

He bustled cheerfully out of the room and downstairs, and Mrs. Gibbs, motioning Mr. Brown to silence, stood by the door with parted lips, waiting.  Three or four minutes elapsed.

“’Ere they come,” said Mr. Brown, as footsteps sounded on the stairs.  “Now, no screaming, mind!”

Mrs. Gibbs drew back, and, to the gratification of all concerned, did not utter a sound as Mr. Kidd, followed by her husband, entered the room.  She stood looking expectantly towards the doorway.

“Where is he?” she gasped.

“Eh?” said Mr. Kidd, in a startled voice.  “Why here.  Don’t you know ’im?”

“It’s me, Susan,” said Mr. Gibbs, in a low voice.

“Oh, I might ’ave known it was a joke,” cried Mrs. Gibbs, in a faint voice, as she tottered to a chair.  “Oh,’ow cruel of you to tell me my pore Joe was alive!  Oh, ’ow could you?”

“Lor’ lumme,” said the incensed Mr. Kidd, pushing Mr. Gibbs forward.  “Here he is.  Same as you saw ’im last, except for ’is whiskers.  Don’t make that sobbing noise; people’ll be coming in.”

“Oh!  Oh!  Oh!  Take ’im away,” cried Mrs. Gibbs.  “Go and play your tricks with somebody else’s broken ’art.”

“But it’s your husband,” said Mr. Brown.

“Take ’im away,” wailed Mrs. Gibbs.

Mr. Kidd, grinding his teeth, tried to think. “’Ave you got any marks on your body, Joe?” he inquired.

“I ain’t got a mark on me,” said Mr. Gibbs with a satisfied air, “or a blemish.  My skin is as whi—­”

“That’s enough about your skin,” interrupted Mr. Kidd, rudely.

“If you ain’t all of you gone before I count ten,” said Mrs. Gibbs, in a suppressed voice, “I’ll scream.  ’Ow dare you come into a respectable woman’s place and talk about your skins?  Are you going?  One!  Two!  Three!  Four!  Five!”

Her voice rose with each numeral; and Mr. Gibbs himself led the way downstairs, and, followed by his friends, slipped nimbly round the corner.

“It’s a wonder she didn’t rouse the whole ’ouse,” he said, wiping his brow on his sleeve; “and where should we ha’ been then?  I thought at the time it was a mistake you making me ’ave my whiskers off, but I let you know best.  She’s never seen me without ’em.  I ’ad a remarkable strong growth when I was quite a boy.  While other boys was—­”

“Shut-up!” vociferated Mr. Kidd.

“Sha’n’t!” said Mr. Gibbs, defiantly.  “I’ve ’ad enough of being away from my comfortable little ’ome and my wife; and I’m going to let ’em start growing agin this very night.  She’ll never reckernize me without ’em, that’s certain.”