102 
THE STRAND MAGAZINE. 
the coat and dragging him towards the door. 
“ They’ve never seen ’im, and they won’t 
know the difference.” 
“ But ” exclaimed the astonished 
James. 
“ Quick ! ” she said, sharply. “ Go into 
the back room and undress, then nip into his 
room and get into bed. And mind, be fast 
asleep all the time.” 
Still holding the bewildered Mr. Flynn by 
the coat, she led him into the house and waved 
him upstairs, and stood below listening until 
a slight creaking of the bed announced that 
he had obeyed orders. Then she entered the 
parlour. 
“ He’s fast asleep,” she said, softly; “and 
mind, I won’t ’ave him disturbed. It’s the 
first real sleep he’s ’ad for nearly a week. If 
you promise not to wake ’im you may just 
have a peep.” 
“ We won’t disturb him,” said the doctor, 
and, followed by his companion, noiselessly 
ascended the stairs and peeped into the room. 
Mr. Flynn was fast asleep, and not a muscle 
moved as the two men approached the bed 
on tip-toe and stood looking at him. The 
doctor turned after a minute and led the way 
out of the room. 
“ We’ll call again,” he said, softly. 
“ Yes, sir,” said Mrs. Scutts. “ When ? ” 
The doctor and his companion exchanged 
glances. “I’m very busy just at present,” 
he said, slowly. “ We’ll look in some time, 
and take our chance of catching him awake.” 
Mrs. Scutts bowed them out, and in some 
perplexity returned to Mr. Flynn. “ I don’t 
like the look of ’em,” she said, shaking her 
head. “ You’d better stay in bed till Bill 
comes ’ome in case they come back.” 
“ Right-o,” said the obliging Mr. Flynn. 
“ Just step in and tell my landlady I'm aving 
a chat with Bill.” 
He lit his pipe and sat up in bed smoking 
until a knock at the front door at half-past 
eleven sent him off to sleep again. Mrs. 
Scutts, who was sitting downstairs, opened 
it and admitted her husband. 
“All serene?” he inquired. “What are 
you looking like that for ? What's up ? 
He sat quivering with alarm and rage as 
she told him, and then, mounting the stairs 
with a heavy tread, stood gazing in helpless 
fury at the slumbering form of Mr. James 
Flvnn. 
“ Get out o’ my bed,” he said at last, in a 
choking voice. 
“ What, Bill ! ” said Mr. Flynn, opening his 
eyes. 
“ Get out o’ my bed,” repeated the other. 
“ You’ve made a nice mess of it between you. 
It’s a fine thing if a man can’t go out for ’arf 
a pint without coming ’ome and finding all 
the riff-raff of the neighbourhood in ’is bed.” 
“ ’Ow’s the pore back, Bill ? ” inquired Mr. 
Flynn, with tenderness. 
Mr. Scutts gurgled at him. “ Outside ! ” 
he said as soon as he could get his breath. 
“ Bill,” said the voice of Mrs. Scutts, outside 
the door. 
“ Halloa,” growled her husband. 
“ He mustn’t go,” said Mrs. Scutts. 
“ Those gentlemen are coming again, and 
they think he is you.” 
“ What ! ” roared the infuriated Mr. 
Scutts. 
“ Don’t you see ? It’s me what’s got the 
pore back now, Bill,” said Mr. Flynn. “ You 
can’t pass yourself off as me, Bill; you ain’t 
good-looking enough.” 
Mr. Scutts, past speech, raised his clenched 
fists to the ceiling. 
“ He’ll 'ave to stay in your bed,” continued 
the voice of Mrs. Scutts. “ He’s got a good 
’art, and I know he’ll do it ; won’t you, Jim ? ” 
Mr. Flynn pondered. “ Tell my landlady 
in the morning that I’ve took your back 
room,” he said. “ What a fortunit thing it 
is I’m out o’ work. What are you walking 
up and down like that for, Bill ? 13ack coming 
on agin ? ” 
“ Then o’ course,” pursued the voice of Mrs. 
Scutts, in meditative accents, “ there’s the 
club doctor and the other gentleman that 
knows Bill. They might come at any moment, j 
There’s got to be two Bills in bed, so that if 
one party comes one Bill can nip into the 
back room, and if the other Bill— party, I 
mean — comes, the other Bill — you know what 
I mean ! ” 
Mr. Scutts swore himself faint. 
“ That’s ’ow it is, mate,” said Mr. Flynn. ( 
“ It’s no good standing there saying your | 
little piece of poetry to yourself . Take off your j 
clo’es and get to bed like a little man. Now ! 
now ! Naughty ! Naughty ! ” 
“ P’raps I oughtn’t to ’ave let ’em up, 
Bill,” said his wife; “ but I was afraid they’d 
smell a rat if I didn’t. Besides, I was took 
by surprise.” 
“ You get off to bed,” said Mr. Scutts. 
“ Get off to bed while you’re safe.” 
“ And get a good night’s rest,” added the 
thoughtful Mr. Flynn. “ If Bill’s back is 
took bad in the night I’ll look after it.” 
Mr. Scutts turned a threatening face on 
him. “ For two pins ” he began. 
“ For two pins I’ll go back ’ome and stay 
there,” said Mr. Flynn. 
