Night Watches | Page 4

and sat up in bed smoking.
"Penny for your thoughts," said his wife.
"I'm going out," said Mr. Scutts, in a voice that defied opposition. "I'm going to 'ave a walk, and when I'm far enough away I'm going to 'ave one or two drinks. I believe this fog is sent a-purpose to save my life."
Mrs. Scutts remonstrated, but in vain, and at half-past six the invalid, with his cap over his eyes and a large scarf tied round the lower part of his face, listened for a moment at his front door and then disappeared in the fog.
Left to herself, Mrs. Scutts returned to the bedroom and, poking the tiny fire into a blaze, sat and pondered over the willfulness of men.
She was awakened from a doze by a knocking at the street-door. It was just eight o'clock, and, inwardly congratulating her husband on his return to common sense and home, she went down and opened it. Two tall men in silk hats entered the room.
"Mrs. Scutts?" said one of them.
Mrs. Scutts, in a dazed fashion, nodded.
"We have come to see your husband," said the intruder. "I am a doctor."
The panic-stricken Mrs. Scutts tried in vain to think.
"He-he's asleep," she said, at last.
"Doesn't matter," said the doctor.
"Not a bit," said his companion.
"You--you can't see him," protested Mrs. Scutts. "He ain't to be seen."
"He'd be sorry to miss me," said the doctor, eyeing her keenly as she stood on guard by the inner door. "I suppose he's at home?"
"Of course," said Mrs. Scutts, stammering and flushing. "Why, the pore man can't stir from his bed."
"Well, I'll just peep in at the door, then," said the doctor. "I won't wake him. You can't object to that. If you do--"
Mrs. Scutts's head began to swim. "I'll go up and see whether he's awake," she said.
She closed the door on them and stood with her hand to her throat, thinking. Then, instead of going upstairs, she passed into the yard and, stepping over the fence, opened Mr. Flynn's back door.
"Halloa!" said that gentleman, who was standing in the scullery removing mud from his boots. "What's up?"
In a frenzied gabble Mrs. Scutts told him. "You must be 'im," she said, clutching him by 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 Flynn.
"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 home and finding all the riffraff of the neighbourhood in 'is bed."
"'Ow's the pore back, Bill?" inquired Mr. Flynn, with tenderness.
Mr. Scutts gurgled at