Madame went to the back of the cage. "Howl!" she whispered. "Howl! Do you
want to ruin us?"

Mahdi howled, he growled ferociously, he made an attempt to savage
Ammonia. His paroxysms were fearful to look upon, but the woman did not
seem to mind in the least.

"Open the door," she said.

"Madame, are you quite resolved to take this terrible risk?" said
Thunder, gravely, feeling keenly the approaching loss of a hard-earned
pound.

"Terrible pickles!" said the woman. "I've bin managin' men fer twenty
years, an' I ain't goin' t be stopped be no monkey."

"Very well, madam, the consequences be upon your own head." (Aside to
Nickie) "Roar, curse you, roar!"

The Missing Link crept to the back bars in an imploring attitude. "No,
no; for the love of heaven! don't let her in!" he whispered to Madame
Marve.

Professor Thunder burst into one of his frenzied street orations to drown
the voice of the Missing Link, and threw open the cage door. The crowd
huddled hack, horrified. One girl screamed, but the heroine from the
old-established lodging-house boldly entered the cage, swinging her gamp.

It was expected that the strange monster from the dim, damp jungles of
Darkest Africa would spring upon her, but he did nothing of the kind; he