"Well, it's pretty here, ain't it? I took my eldest into the country once. When he got back he said to his mother, he said: 'There was parrots in all the trees, and as for cows there was more than one.' 'E'd never seen any bird but sparrows and a parrot. I s'pose he thought anything bigger than a sparrow must be a parrot. What they'll grow up like, Gawd knows, and He don't care. It makes me sick to think of another one coming. I'd like to know what the 'Ell Gawd's playing at making a man so that 'e 'as a great love o' women and can't get enough t'eat. Us workin'-men ought to be eunuchs, so we ought. If you got a spark o' spirit in you it does you down every time. You can take me back now, guvnor. I'll be good." He climbed up into the car, resumed his lordly attitude, lit a cigarette, and said: "'Ome, and drive like 'Ell. I'll stand the bally fines." The pathos of the man's grotesque humor springing up through his misery moved René so much that he forgot his own perplexity and desired only to please him. He drove back full tilt, guessing that it was late for the "controls" to be manned, and they reached the yard just as the lamps in the mews were being lit. As they came out of the yard they saw a policeman standing at the door opposite. Joe put René between himself and the constable, and they went up to Ann's room. There the electrician peeped out. "I say," he said, "I say. They've blabbed." "Blabbed! What do you mean? Who's blabbed?" "It's Click and Billy I mean. They'd got stuff. I don't know where they got it. They made me help get rid of it. I 'ad to get money somewheres. Click's a Catholic, and he says stealing isn't stealing if you're starving. They must have been nabbed. I ain't a thief, guvnor. I only helped get rid of the stuff. They said I could because I was known respectable. Respectability ain't done me no good afore." "Keep quiet," said René. "He'll hear you. Perhaps he isn't waiting for you." "'E ain't moved. I know how they look when they're on the cop. Devils! Sly devils! I seen 'em take Click afore now and old Bessie." "Be quiet, you fool. Sit down and have something to eat." He placed three cold sausages in front of Joe. They vanished. He produced a piece of ham. That was soon gnawed to the bone. Half a loaf of bread and a small tin of bloater paste soon followed, and Joe began to caress his stomach affectionately. "Look here," said René. "What will it mean if they get you?" "First offender. I'd get off, all right. But the crooks 'll never let me alone, and the police 'll have me marked down as a man to nab if ever they want a 'spected person." "All right. You sit here. I'll go and see how things are over there." The policeman eyed René as he went in. "Want anything?" "No, sir. No." "There's nothing going on here, nothing unusual. Confinement."