One evening Simmons was alone in the house, his cherished spouse having gone out to the market after charging him to do certain tasks and ordering him to try on his new trousers during her absence.
And when he contemplated it in fury, he found in himself the courage to say:
"Better I should throw it in the rubbish box — that's the place that befits it."
Nor did he forget to glance about for fear some person might hear him, and he should get from Anna a rebuke he would not like. After that Tommy heard a light knocking at the door, and he hastened to open the door to the knocker — and behold, he saw a thin man with his hands in his trouser pockets. No sooner had Simmons caught sight of him than the question was put:
"Isn't this the dwelling of Mrs. Ford?"
Simmons stared at him a moment, then said: "What?" And the stranger answered: "Mrs. Ford — or Mrs. Simmons, as they call her now."
"Ah — no, she is not in at present."
"Good. I take it you are her new husband, is that not so?"
"Yes."
The man drew his pipe from his mouth and stared a little at Simmons and said: "I was able to tell that from your general appearance." Simmons was irked by the man's impudence, and it seemed he was about to shut the door, when the strange man set his foot to prevent him, saying:
"Don't be hasty. I have come to talk with you as man talks with man."
"Who are you? I don't know you."
"Ah, true. Then permit me to introduce myself to you. I am Bob Ford." He said it, bowing a bow tinged with some mockery, then added: "I did not die as was rumored of me. I had the luck of escape, and I have come to see my wife, and to talk with you a little."
Simmons's mouth gaped in astonishment, his lower jaw dropping in a comical way... And the man spoke again: "I have come to talk with you both — won't you invite me in?" Simmons closed his
mouth and stepped aside from the entrance with a mechanical motion to allow the man to go up, and went up behind him while thoughts pulled him this way and that. Here was Ford appearing on the stage
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