t. The knowledge that Mrs. Henshaw was watching him
from the door kept him silent until they had turned the corner, and
then, turning fiercely on Mr. Henshaw, he demanded to know what he meant
by it.

"I've done with you," he said, waving aside the other's denials. "I've
got you out of this mess, and now I've done with you. It's no good
talking, because I don't want to hear it."

"Good-by, then," said Mr. Henshaw, with unexpected hauteur, as he came
to a standstill.

"I'll 'ave my trousers first, though," said Mr. Stokes, coldly, "and
then you can go, and welcome."

"It's my opinion she recognized me, and said all that just to try us,"
said the other, gloomily.

Mr. Stokes scorned to reply, and reaching his lodging stood by in
silence while the other changed his clothes. He refused Mr. Henshaw's
hand with a gesture he had once seen on the stage, and, showing him
downstairs, closed the door behind him with a bang.

Left to himself, the small remnants of Mr. Hen-shaw's courage
disappeared. He wandered forlornly up and down the streets until past
ten o'clock, and then, cold and dispirited, set off in the direction of
home. At the corner of the street he pulled himself together by a great
effort, and walking rapidly to his house put the key in the lock and
turned it.

The door was fast and the lights were out. He knocked, at first lightly,
but gradually increasing in loudness. At the fourth knock a light
appeared in the room above, the window was raised, and Mrs. Henshaw
leaned out.

"_Mr. Bell!_" she said, in tones of severe surprise.

"_Bell?_" said her husband, in a more surprised voice still. "It's me,
Polly."

"Go away at once, sir!" said Mrs. Henshaw, indignantly. "How dare you
call me by my Christian name? I'm surprised at you!"

"It's me, I tell you--George!" said her husband, desperately. "What do
you mean by calling me Bell?"

"If you're Mr. Bell, as I suppose, you know well enough," said Mrs.
Henshaw, leaning out and regarding him fixedly; "and if you're George
you don't."

"I'm George," said Mr. Henshaw, hastily.

"I'm sure I don't know what to make of it," said Mrs. Henshaw, with
a bewildered air. "Ted Stokes brought round a man named Bell this
afternoon so like you that I can't tell the difference. I don't know
what to do, but I do know this--I don't let you in until I have seen you
both together, so that I can tell which is which."

"Both together!" exclaimed the startled Mr. Henshaw. "He