Within a moment Alf Rylett appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, Emmy standing behind him until he moved forward, and then closing the door and leaning back against it.  His first glance was in the direction of Jenny, who, however, did not rise as she would ordinarily have done.  He glanced quickly at her face and from her face to her hands, so busily engaged in manipulating the materials from which she was to re-trim her hat.  Then he looked at Pa Blanchard, whom he touched lightly and familiarly upon the shoulder.  Alf was a rather squarely built young man of thirty, well under six feet, but not ungainly.  He had a florid, reddish complexion, and his hair was of a common but unnamed colour, between brown and grey, curly and crisp.  He was clean-shaven.  Alf was obviously one who worked with his hands:  in the little kitchen he appeared to stand upon the tips of his toes, in order that his walk might not be too noisy.  That fact might have suggested either mere nervousness or a greater liking for life out of doors.  When he walked it was as though he did it all of a piece, so that his shoulders moved as well as his legs.  The habit was shown as he lunged forward to grip Jenny’s hand.  When he spoke he shouted, and he addressed Pa as a boy might have done who was not quite completely at his ease, but who thought it necessary to pretend that he was so.

“Good evening, Mr. Blanchard!” he cried boisterously.  “Sitting by the fire, I see!”

Pa looked at him rather vacantly, apparently straining his memory in order to recognise the new-comer.  It was plain that as a personal matter he had no immediate use for Alf Rylett; but he presently nodded his head.

“Sitting by the fire,” he confirmed.  “Getting a bit warm.  It’s cold to-night.  Is there any noos, Alf Rylett?”

“Lots of it!” roared Alf, speaking as if it had been to a deaf man or a foreigner.  “They say this fire at Southwark means ten thousand pounds damage.  Big factory there—­gutted.  Of course, no outside fire escapes. As usual.  Fully insured, though.  It’ll cost them nothing.  You can’t help wondering what causes these fires when they’re heavily insured.  Eh?  Blazing all night, it was.  Twenty-five engines.  Twenty-five, mind you!  That shows it was pretty big, eh?  I saw the red in the sky, myself.  ‘Well,’ I thought to myself, ’there’s somebody stands to lose something,’ I thought.  But the insurance companies are too wide to stand all the risk themselves.  They share it out, you know.  It’s a mere flea-bite to them.  And ... a ... well then there’s a ...  See, then there’s a bigamy case.”

“Hey?” cried Pa sharply, brightening.  “What’s that about?”

“Nothing much.  Only a couple of skivvies.  About ten pound three and fourpence between the pair of them.  That was all he got.”  Pa’s interest visibly faded.  He gurgled at his pipe and turned his face towards the mantelpiece.  “And ... a ... let’s see, what else is there?” Alf racked his brains, puffing a little and arching his brows at the two girls, who seemed both to be listening, Emmy intently, as though she were repeating his words to herself.  He went on:  “Tram smash in Newcastle.  Car went off the points.  Eleven injured.  Nobody killed....”