To his relief, he saw that Mr.Silk was alone.
"Good evening, Teddy," he said, with a genial smile, as he entered slowly and closed the door behind him.

"I 'ope I see you well ?" "I'm quite well," returned Mr.Silk, gazing at him with unconcealed surprise.
"I'm glad to 'ear it," said Mr.Kybird, in a somewhat reproachful voice, "for your sake; for every-body's sake, though, p'r'aps, I did expect to find you looking a little bit down.

Ah! it's the wimmen that 'ave the 'arts after all." Mr.Silk coughed.

"What d'ye mean ?" he inquired, somewhat puzzled.
"I came to see you, Teddy, on a very delikit business," said Mr.Kybird, taking a seat and gazing diffidently at his hat as he swung it between his hands; "though, as man to man, I'm on'y doing of my dooty.

But if you don't want to 'ear wot I've got to say, say so, and Dan'l Kybird'll darken your door no more." "How can I know whether I want to 'ear it or not when I don't know wot it is ?" said Mr.Silk, judiciously.
Mr.Kybird sat biting his thumb-nail, then he looked up suddenly.
"'Melia," he said, with an outburst of desperate frankness, "'Melia is crying 'er eyes out." Mr.Silk, with a smothered exclamation, started up from his chair and regarded him eagerly.
"If she knew I'd been 'ere," pursued Mr.Kybird, "she'd I don't know wot she wouldn't do.