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'As you were taking so long I thought I'd have a little nap,' said the Doctor acidly. 'I mean, let's face it, Sergeant, even if the poor unfortunate I encountered was still alive when he entered the water, he'll have drowned by now.'

Tompkins's frown deepened. 'What are you suggesting, sir?'

'He's suggesting that you pull your finger out, mate,' Sam said, unable to contain herself, earning herself a startled look from Tompkins and a warning scowl from the Doctor.

Diplomatically the Doctor said, 'I'm simply asking you to send some of your men down to the river to scour the area. We need to act quickly if there's any hope of rescuing this poor fellow.'

The sergeant regarded the Doctor with a deadpan expression. 'I'll be sending someone down there in due course, sir, don't you worry.'

'In due course?' the Doctor snapped. 'It may have escaped your notice, Sergeant, but a man's life is in danger.'

Now Tompkins's expression became a little pitying. 'You're not from round these parts are you, sir?'

In one swift movement, the Doctor swung his legs from the desk and leaned forward. 'That's very intuitive of you, Sergeant,' he murmured.

Tompkins sighed.'What I mean, sir, is Whitechapel's not the sort of place you would normally expect to find a refined gentleman like yourself at this time of night, particularly not in the company of an equally refined young lady. And, meaning no disrespect, sir, but people such as yourselves don't really now what goes on in places like this.'

The Doctor sensed Sam bristling again. Those who questioned her self-image of streetwise rebel usually received short shrift. Hastily he said,

'Perhaps you would care to enlighten us then, Sergeant?'

Tompkins harrumphed and, discomforted by the Doctor's scrutiny, looked down at the open ledger, his already ruddy cheeks turning an even deeper shade of red. He appeared to chew on the ends of his heavy ginger moustache for a moment, and then he said, 'Well, sir, miss, it's like this. It may sound harsh, but if I sent my men down to the river every time some vagabond fell in, they'd spend all their time fishing, if you see what I mean.'

He held up a chunky hand to forestall any protestations. 'Now I'm not an uncaring man; far from it. But I am a practical one. And from the way you described this fellow to me, sir - thin and ill and the like - well, a man like that wouldn't have a deal of fight left in him, do you see? If he fell into the river in the middle of the night with the water so cold, you can guarantee that he will have dropped like a stone. Now, I can send a couple of men down there with lanterns and boathooks if it will ease your minds, but I can tell you now they would be wasting their time. We won't see that fellow again until the river decides to give him back to us.'

The Doctor sighed. 'You're probably right, Sergeant. All the same, we would like you to send some of your men down there - just, as you say, for our peace of mind.'

'As you wish, sir,' the Sergeant said heavily. He called over one of his constables and gave the order.

'Now, sir, miss,' he said when the constable had gone to do his bidding,

'perhaps you would be kind enough to satisfy my curiosity on one or two matters?'

'If we can, Sergeant,' said the Doctor wearily.

'Thank you. Your co-operation would be much appreciated. Now, I hope you won't think me impertinent, but I'd be grateful if you could tell me exactly what the two of you were doing, walking along that towpath in the early hours of the morning. It strikes me as rather a curious occupation for persons such as yourselves, if you don't mind me saying so.'

The Doctor gave a grin which seemed to light up his face. 'I'm an inventor, Sergeant,' he said smoothly.

'A what, sir?'

'An inventor. I invent things. Slide fasteners, the cylinder phonograph, the pneumatic tyre.'

Tompkins blinked.'You invented all those things, sir?'

'Well... no,' the Doctor admitted. 'But a number of my friends did. Some of them without my help.'