"Luke!" she cried, "I've found you at last!"

"It's his wife," the fat woman in front of me whispered. "She
ain't seen 'im in fifteen years, poor dear! What a lovely
re-union. I'm glad I came. I wouldn't have missed this for
anything!"

As soon as the judge had gone the noise broke out again; and now
the folks gathered round Luke and his wife and shook them by the
hand and congratulated them and laughed over them and cried over
them.

"Come along, Stubbins," said the Doctor, taking me by the arm,
"let's get out of this while we can."

"But aren't you going to speak to Luke?" I said--"to ask him if
he'll come on the voyage?"

"It wouldn't be a bit of use," said the Doctor. "His wife's come
for him. No man stands any chance of going on a voyage when his
wife hasn't seen him in fifteen years. Come along. Let's get
home to tea. We didn't have any lunch, remember. And we've
earned something to eat. We'll have one of those mixed meals,
lunch and tea combined--with watercress and ham. Nice change.
Come along."

Just as we were going to step out at a side door I heard the
crowd shouting,