at?"

Mrs. Billing made no reply, and her husband sprang to his feet as a long,
thin wailing sounded through the house. A note of temper crept into it
and strengthened it.

"Wot is it?" demanded Mr. Billing again. "It's--it's Mrs. Smith's
Charlie," stammered his wife.

"In--in my bedroom?" exclaimed her husband, in incredulous accents.
"Wot's it doing there?"

"I took it for the night," said his wife hurriedly. "Poor thing, what
with the others being ill she's 'ad a dreadful time, and she said if I'd
take Charlie for a few--for a night, she might be able to get some
sleep."

Mr. Billing choked. "And what about my sleep?" he shouted. "Chuck it
outside at once. D'ye hear me?"

His words fell on empty air, his wife having already sped upstairs to
pacify Master Smith by a rhythmical and monotonous thumping on the back.
Also she lifted up a thin and not particularly sweet voice and sang to
him. Mr. Billing, finishing his supper in indignant silence, told
himself grimly that he was "beginning to have enough of it."

He spent the evening at the Charlton Arms, and, returning late, went
slowly and heavily up to bed. In the light of a shaded candle he saw a
small, objectionable-looking infant fast asleep on two chairs by the side
of the bed.

"H'sh!" said his wife, in a thrilling whisper. "He's just gone off."

"D'ye mean I mustn't open my mouth in my own bedroom?" demanded the
indignant man, loudly.

"H'sh!" said his wife again.

It was too late. Master Smith, opening first one eye and then the other,
finished by opening his mouth. The noise was appalling.

"H'sh! H'sh!" repeated Mrs. Billing, as her husband began to add to the
noise. "Don't wake 'im right up."

"Right up?" repeated the astonished man. "Right up? Why, is he doing
this in 'is sleep?"

He subsided into silence, and, undressing with stealthy care, crept into
bed and lay there, marvelling at his self-control. He was a sound
sleeper, but six times at least he was awakened by Mrs. Billing slipping
out of bed--regardless of draughts to her liege lord--and marching up and
down the room with the visitor in her arms. He rose in the morning and
dressed in ominous silence.

"I 'ope he didn't disturb you," said his wife, anxiously.

"You've done it," replied Mr. Billing. "You've upset everything now.
Since I joined the Purnip lot everybody's took advantage of me; now I'm
going to get some of my own back. You wouldn't ha' dreamt of b