“He’s right, Bob,” said Mr. Brown, with conviction.

“D’ye mean to tell me we’ve got to wait till ’is blasted whiskers grow?” cried Mr. Kidd, almost dancing with fury.  “And go on keeping ’im in idleness till they do?”

“You’ll get it all back out o’ my share,” said Mr. Gibbs, with dignity.  “But you can please yourself.  If you like to call it quits now, I don’t mind.”

Mr. Brown took his seething friend aside, and conferred with him in low but earnest tones.  Mr. Gibbs, with an indifferent air, stood by whistling softly.

“’Ow long will they take to grow?” inquired Mr. Kidd, turning to him with a growl.

Mr. Gibbs shrugged his shoulders.  “Can’t say,” he replied; “but I should think two or three weeks would be enough for ’er to reckernize me by.  If she don’t, we must wait another week or so, that’s all.”

“Well, there won’t be much o’ your share left, mind that,” said Mr. Kidd, glowering at him.

“I can’t help it,” said Mr. Gibbs.  “You needn’t keep reminding me of it.”

They walked the rest of the way in silence; and for the next fortnight Mr. Gibbs’s friends paid nightly visits to note the change in his appearance, and grumble at its slowness.

“We’ll try and pull it off to-morrow night,” said Mr. Kidd, at the end of that period.  “I’m fair sick o’ lending you money.”

Mr. Gibbs shook his head and spoke sagely about not spoiling the ship for a ha’porth o’ tar; but Mr. Kidd was obdurate.

“There’s enough for ’er to reckernize you by,” he said, sternly, “and we don’t want other people to.  Meet us at the Monument at eight o’clock to-morrow night, and we’ll get it over.”

“Give your orders,” said Mr. Gibbs, in a nasty voice.

“Keep your ’at well over your eyes,” commanded Mr. Kidd, sternly.  “Put them spectacles on wot I lent you, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea if you tied your face up in a piece o’ red flannel.”

“I know wot I’m going to do without you telling me,” said Mr. Gibbs, nodding.  “I’ll bet you pots round that you don’t either of you reckernize me tomorrow night.”

The bet was taken at once, and from eight o’clock until ten minutes to nine the following night Messrs. Kidd and Brown did their best to win it.  Then did Mr. Kidd, turning to Mr. Brown in perplexity, inquire with many redundant words what it all meant.

[Illustration:  “Gone!” exclaimed both gentlemen.  “Where?”]

“He must ’ave gone on by ’imself,” said Mr. Brown.  “We’d better go and see.”

In a state of some disorder they hurried back to Wapping, and, mounting the stairs to Mrs. Gibbs’s room, found the door fast.  To their fervent and repeated knocking there was no answer.

“Ah, you won’t make her ’ear,” said a woman, thrusting an untidy head over the balusters on the next landing.  “She’s gone.”

“Gone!” exclaimed both gentlemen.  “Where?”