"Well, wot about my clothes?" ses Rupert, hardly able to speak.

"P'r'aps he didn't buy 'em arter all," ses the manager. "Let's try 'is
pockets."

He tried fust, and found some strawberries that George 'ad spoilt by
sitting on. Then he told Rupert to have a try, and Rupert found some
bits of string, a few buttons, two penny stamps, and twopence ha'penny in
coppers.

"Never mind," ses Mr. Alfredi; "I'll go round to the police-station in
the morning; p'r'aps the boy 'as taken them there. I'm disapp'inted in
George. I shall tell 'im so, too."

He bid Rupert good-night and went off with Mrs. Alfredi; and Rupert,
wishful to make the best o' things, decided that he would undress George
and go off in 'is clothes. He waited till Kumbo 'ad gone off to bed, and
then he started to take George's coat off. He got the two top buttons
undone all right, and then George turned over in 'is sleep. It surprised
Rupert, but wot surprised 'im more when he rolled George over was to find
them two buttons done up agin. Arter it had 'appened three times he see
'ow it was, and he come to the belief that George was no more drunk than
wot he was, and that it was all a put-up thing between 'im and Mr.
Alfredi.

He went to bed then to think it over, and by the morning he 'ad made up
his mind to keep quiet and bide his time, as the saying is. He spoke
quite cheerful to Mr. Alfredi, and pretended to believe 'im when he said
that he 'ad been to the police-station about the clothes.