and the terrified animal retreated to his
straw. "You villain!" screamed Mrs. Spink, "you double-dyed, lyin'
villain, I've got you!" She was reaching as far as possible through the
bars, prodding at the man-monkey, and the audience were gazing in stupid
surprise.

"Madam, madam, my dear madam!" expostulated the Professor, "you must not
irritate the animals."

He pulled her back from the cage.

"Don't tell me," cried the justly-indignant widow. "I know him I'd know
him out of a thousand, robber of the widow and the orphan that he is."

The Professor spoke to her soothingly.

"There, there, madam, do not excite yourself, you'll be all right in the
morning."

"Meanin' I'm drunk!" shrieked the widow, raising her gingham
threateningly. "I know what I'm talking about. He promised me marriage."

She made another lunge at the Missing Link.

"Yes, he did; he said we'd be married in a fortnight, the villain, and
I'll have the law on him."

"Most distressing hallucination," said the Professor, pressing Mrs. Spink
through the crowd. "Will nobody take charge of the poor lady?"

He pushed her towards the door, the crowd following, delighted with the
unexpected diversion, confident that Mrs. Spink was drunk or mad. The
widow retired, fighting, the people pressing her.

"I'll have the law on him," screamed Mrs. Spink. "I'll have a thousand
pounds damages for breach of promise. I'll teach him, deceivin' a lone
widder, the villain!"

Outside she enlarged upon her wrongs, telling the crowd of the infamous
conduct of these actors, who go about the country imposing upon innocence
and virtue. She went off, still flourishing her sturdy gamp, and
reiterating her determination to have the law on the infamous Missing
Link.

"That widow means business, Crips, my boy," said the Professor after the
show; "somethin's got to be done. She swears she'll see a lawyer, and she
will. Now look here, I can't have my Missing Link dragged into a law
suit. If you get sued for breach of promise, you're no good to me, the
game's up so far as missing links are concerned, and my show's reputation
gone. Is this to be the end of a long and honoured public career? What's
to be done?"

Madame Marve, Letitia, Matty Cann, Nickie, and even the educated pig sat
in council to consider ways and means of averting the pending
catastrophe, and Nickie bore the fierce rebukes showered upon him with
proper humbleness. Never was seen a more depressed and humiliat