"Do you know, you little monkey, that you're the only soul in all God's world that could ever muster up a tear for me?
Thank you, my lad--you're a brick!"-- then gripped the grimy hand that was reached out with a sort of awe, wrung it heartily, patted the astonished boy on the shoulder; and fell to whistling merrily as he went on with his dressing.
"Sir, you do lick me, you fair do," said Dollops, laughing unsteadily, and drawing his sleeve across his eyes.

"Arfter wot you've been and went through, a-sittin' there and whistlin' as merry as can be--like as if life was all beer and skittles, and you hadn't a care in the world." "I haven't--for the minute, my lad," said Cleek with a laugh of utter happiness.

"Beer and skittles?
Lord, it's all roses my boy, roses! I've had the good luck to accomplish a thing that's going to give me--well, at least one moment in Paradise--and when a man has a prospect like that in view..." His voice trailed off; he laughed again; then fell to whistling once more--noisily, joyously, as if some schoolboy sort of madness was in his blood to-night--and was still whistling when the automobile pulled up sharply in front of the Hotel du Louvre..