“Do you live here?” said the face.
“I’m staying here for a few weeks.”
“What’s your name?”
“Pepper. But——”
“Pepper? Any relation to Edward Pepper, the colliery owner?”
“My uncle. But——”
“I used to know him well. Dear old Edward Pepper! I wish I was with him
now.”
“I wish you were,” I said.
He beamed down at me.
“This is most fortunate,” he said. “We were wondering what we were to
do with Tootles. You see, we have the mumps here. My daughter Bootles
has just developed mumps. Tootles must not be exposed to the risk of
infection. We could not think what we were to do with him. It was most
fortunate your finding him. He strayed from his nurse. I would hesitate
to trust him to the care of a stranger, but you are different. Any
nephew of Edward Pepper’s has my implicit confidence. You must take
Tootles to your house. It will be an ideal arrangement. I have written
to my brother in London to come and fetch him. He may be here in a few
days.”
“May!”
“He is a busy man, of course; but he should certainly be here within a
week. Till then Tootles can stop with you. It is an excellent plan.
Very much obliged to you. Your wife will like Tootles.”
“I haven’t got a wife,” I yelled; but the window had closed with a
bang, as if the man with the whiskers had found a germ trying to
escape, don’t you know, and had headed it off just in time.