"I thought I should find you waiting for me here; your presence is not at all unexpected. So, as in this neighbourhood the police are not much protection, and I suspected that I might stand in need of protection, I brought my two friends here with me. They think little of putting a woman of your sort into the river, as gentlemen of their profession generally do, so I'll leave them to deal with you after the mode with which they are most familiar." "Is this 'er?" inquired one of the friends, a beetle-browed person, with an open gash running right down his filthy cheek. "That's her, my good friend. You talk to her, in any way you please, while I go inside." As he produced his latch-key Mrs. Lamb moved towards him in a forlorn-hope sort of spirit. "Let me come in! There's something which I must say to you." Without giving her a hint of his intention the beetle-browed person struck her with his clenched fist on the shoulder in such fashion that, had she not lurched against the wall, Mrs. Lamb would have gone headlong to the ground. Mr. Luker stood to comment on the action. "That's right, my friend; that's how she likes to talk to others." He disappeared into the house; they heard him locking and bolting the door. The beetle-browed person placed himself in unpleasant proximity to Mrs. Lamb; his manner was, if possible, even more eloquent than his words. "Now then, are you going to take yourself off, or have we got to move you? Make up your mind, because our time's valuable." She made up her mind, there and then. Realising that she was doomed to still another disappointment, she took herself off, with Mr. Luker's two "friends" at her heels. When she was back again into Stamford Street she stopped and spoke to them. "There are police here, as, if you try to follow me another step, you'll find." "We don't want to follow you--not much! We only want to keep you off the governor, that's all. You can go where you like, and you can do what you like, but if you come near his crib again we'll mark you." Hailing another hansom Mrs. Lamb left Mr. Luker's two "friends" standing on the pavement. CHAPTER XXVII PURE ETHER