"Well, you go in and get them then. I'll----"

"Pass along, please," he said quite suddenly, as a new phase of his
duties seemed to occur to him, and I found myself edged back towards
the crowd.

Now I had to have those papers, and an idea occurred to me, so I
stopped. "I say, how about your dinner? You'll miss it altogether. I
don't want to keep you. Perhaps if you hurry off at once----"

"Dinner," he cried indignantly, gripping me fiercely by the arm--"what
is dinner compared with duty? Do you know, man, I've been doing this
bally Special business for over two years and never had a case yet,
and now that I've got a real fire--and this is my own fire, mind you,
my very own----"

"I thought it was mine," I ventured.

"You talk to me of dinner! Pass right along, please;" and I found
myself back among the crowd, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it.

There was a small cheer just then as the flames came through the
roof. Of Jones and his wife I saw nothing, but supposed they must have
stayed on to enjoy their saddle of mutton, and wondered if they had
kept mine hot for me. I could have kept it hot in my own house, I
reflected rather miserably.

* * * * *

The fire had been extinguished. As the crowd dispersed I felt a touch