coming along the wharf arm in arm with the young man she 'ad
told me she didn't like, and dancing for joy. They climbed on to the
schooner, and then they both stooped down with their hands on their
knees and looked at me.

"'Wot is it?' ses the young man, grinning.

"'It's a watchman,' ses the gal. 'It's here to take charge of the
wharf, you know, and see that nobody comes on.'

"'We ought to ha' brought some buns for it,' ses the young man; 'look at
it opening its mouth.'

"They both laughed fit to kill themselves, but I didn't move a muscle.

"'You open the companion,' I ses, 'or it'll be the worse for you. D'ye
hear? Open it!'

"'Oh, Alfred,' ses the gal, 'he's losing 'is temper. Wotever shall we
do?'

"'I don't want no more nonsense,' I ses, trying to fix 'er with my eye.
'If you don't let me out it'll be the worse for you.'

"'Don't you talk to my young lady like that,' ses the young man.

"'Your young lady?' I ses. 'H'mm! You should ha' seen 'er 'arf an hour
ago.'

"The gal looked at me steady for a moment.

"'He put 'is nasty fat arm round my waist, Alfred,' she ses.

"'Wot!' ses the young man, squeaking. 'WOT!'

"He snatched up the mop wot that nasty, untidy cook 'ad left leaning
agin the side, and afore I 'ad any idea of wot 'e was up to he shoved
the beastly thing straight in my face.

"'Next time,' he ses, 'I'll tear you limb from limb!'

"I couldn't speak for a time, and when I could 'e stopped me with the
mop agin. It was like a chained lion being tormented by a monkey. I
stepped down on to the cabin floor, and then I told 'em both wot I
thought of 'em.

"'Come along, Alfred,' ses the gal, 'else the cook'll be back before we
start.'

"'He's all right,' ses the young man. 'Minnie's looking arter him.
When I left he'd got 'arf a bottle of whisky in front of 'im.'

"'Still, we may as well go,' ses Miss Butt. 'It seems a shame to keep
the cab waiting.'

"'All right,' he ses. 'I just want to give this old chump one more lick
with the mop and then we'll go.'

"He peeped down the skylight and waited, but I kept quite quiet, with my
back towards 'im.

"'Come along,' ses Miss Butt.

"'I'm coming,' he ses. 'Hi! You down there! When the cap'n comes back
tell 'im that I'm taking Miss Butt to an aunt o' mine in the country.
And tell'im that in a week or two he'll 'ave the largest and nicest
piece of wedding-cake he 'as ever 'ad in his life. So long!'

"'Good-bye, watchman,