Bridgewater had a horror of monkeys; he had always considered the common organ-grinder's monkey to be the representative of all its kind, and the last production of nature in frightfulness; but here were monkeys of every shape, size, and colour, a symphony of monkeys, each "note" more horrible than the last. If you have ever studied monkeys and their ways you will know that they have their likes and dislikes just like men. That some people "appeal" to them at first sight, and some people do not. Bridgewater did not. When he saw Fanny entering at the door he retreated to the furthest limits of the place and pretended to be engaged in contemplation of a peculiarly sinister-looking ape, upon which, to judge from its appearance, a schoolboy had been at work with a brushful of blue paint. The azure and sinister one endured the human's gaze for a few mutterful moments, and then bursting into loud yells flew at the bars and attempted to tear them from their sockets; the mandrills shrieked and chattered, the lemur added his note, and Bridgewater beat a retreat. It was at this moment that Fanny's wandering gaze caught him. CHAPTER VI A CONFESSION Mr Hancock, asking Fanny to wait for him for a short time, took Bridgewater by the arm and led him outside. "Now, Bridgewater, what is the meaning of this? Why have you left the office? Why have you followed me? What earthly reason had you for doing such a thing? Speak out, man--are you dumb?" "I declare to God, Mr James," said the unhappy Bridgewater, "I had no reason----" "No reason!--are you mad? Bridgewater, you haven't been--drinking?" "Drinking!" cried Bridgewater, with what your melodramatist would call a hollow laugh. "Drinking!--oh yes--drinking? No! No!--don't mind me, Mr James. Drinking! One blessed glass of sherry, and not a bite have I had--waiting two hours and more--following you in a cab--three shillings the fare was--nearly torn in pieces by an ape--following you and hiding in all sorts of places, and then told I've been drinking. Do I look as if I had been drinking, Mr James? Am I given to drinking, Mr James? Have you known me for forty years, Mr James, and have you ever seen me do such a thing? Answer me that, Mr James----" "Hush, hush!--don't talk so loud," said Hancock, rather alarmed at the old man's hysterical manner. "No, you are the last person to do such a thing, but tell me, all the same, why you followed me." Bridgewater was dumb. Hungry, thirsty, frightened at being caught spying, startled by elephants and addled by apes as he was, still his manhood revolted at the idea of betraying Patience and sheltering himself at her expense. All the same, he attempted very feminine tactics in endeavouring to evade a direct reply. "Drinking! I have been in the office, man and boy, this fifty years and more come next Michaelmas; it's fifty-one years, fifty-one years next Michaelmas Day, every day at my place but Sundays and holidays, year in, year out----"