"'My missis,' I ses, in a loud voice. 'Thank goodness she's come.'

"'Open the door!' ses my missis, with a screech.

"'OPEN THE DOOR!'

"'I can't,' I ses. 'Somebody's locked it. This is Cap'n Tarbell's young
lady.'

"'I'll Cap'n Tarbell 'er when I get in!' ses my wife. 'You too. I'll
music-'all you! I'll learn you to go gallivanting about! Open the
door!'

"She walked up and down the alley-way in front of the window waiting for
me just like a lion walking up and down its cage waiting for its dinner,
and I made up my mind then and there that I should 'ave to make a clean
breast of it and let Cap'n Tarbell get out of it the best way he could.
I wasn't going to suffer for him.

"'Ow long my missis walked up and down there I don't know. It seemed
ages to me; but at last I 'eard footsteps and voices, and Bob and the
cook and the other two chaps wot we 'ad met at the music'all came along
and stood grinning in at the window.

"'Somebody's locked us in,' I ses. 'Go and fetch Cap'n Tarbell.'

"'Cap'n Tarbell?' ses the cook. 'You don't want to see 'im. Why, he's
the last man in the world you ought to want to see! You don't know 'ow
jealous he is.'