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."

"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,"