ed and waited. A
lurid silence settled, and the far cries of one of the late dancers who
was receiving correction for dancing indecent dances seemed entirely to
fill space. The atmosphere was, as it were, about to crack and buckle,
and I was feeling that Luigi was a heroic fool, when a passing navvy,
not susceptible to influences, saved the situation by bursting into
song:--

"You're here and I'm here,
So what do we care?"

The wispy man looked round, reprovingly. "Easy on, there!" he implored.

"Whaffor?"

"Well ... chep's risking his life."

"Well ... 'at don't make no difference. Be 'appy while yeh can, I say."

"No, but ... chep's risking his life."

"Yew maide me love yew,
I didn't wanter do it!"

"Risking his life, and all!"

Then the climax was reached. A scream sounded from above, then silence,
then a confused rush of feet. The figure of Luigi filled the opening of
the low window, and those nearest surged in to help and see. He was
dragged through, head first, and set on his feet. The fire-engine raved
and jangled in Clerkenwell Road, but there was no way for it. The
firemen tried to clear the crowd, but it would not be denied its sight
of the hero. It struggled in to admire. It roared and yelled in one and
a hundred voices. The cafe proprietor gestured magnificently. Regard the
hero! How he was brave! The wispy man nearly had a fit. He skipped.
Risked his life, and all. For a blasted stranger.

Luigi dropped the bundle gently from his arms, and stood over it, a
little bewildered at his reception. The firemen fought furiously, and at
last they cleared a passage for their plant. Then, as they cleared, the
wispy man danced again, and seemed likely to die. He sprang forward and
capered before Luigi. I tried to get through to help Luigi out, but I
was wedged like a fishbone in the throat of the gang.

It was then that horrid screams came again from the house, winding off
in ragged ends. The wispy, man spluttered.

"Yeh damn fool! Look what yeh brought down. Look at it. Yeh damn fool!"

Luigi looked still bewildered, and now I fought with sharp elbows, and
managed to get to the front rank. The man's shaking finger pointed at
Luigi's feet. "D'you know what you done, Italiano? You made a mistake. A
blasted mistake. Aw ... yeh damn fool!"

I looked too. There was no woman at Luigi's feet. There was a bundle of
sheets, blanket, and carpet. A scream came from the house. Every