rtridge nodded; his eyes were full of tears.

"Yous are a white man, an' I always knew it. Yer niver 'ad no cause
ter go crook on me, but I ain't complainin'," cried Chook hoarsely.

The tears were running a zigzag course over the grey stubble of
Partridge's cheeks.

"Yer'll be satisfied if I think as much of 'er as yous did of her
mother?" asked Chook, feeling a lump in his throat.

Partridge nodded, swallowing as if he were choking.

"She's my wife, an' the best pal I ever 'ad, an' a man can't say more
than that," cried Chook proudly, but his eyes were full of tears.

Without a word the grey-haired old man shook his head and hurried to
the front door, where Mrs Partridge was waiting impatiently. She had
forced the hat on Pinkey in a speech full of bitterness, and had
refused the loan of a hat to see her home. To explain her bare head,
she had prepared a little speech about running down without a hat
because of the fine night, but Partridge was too agitated to notice
what she wore.

When they stepped inside, the first thing that met Chook's eyes was the
hat with the wonderful feathers lying on a chair where Pinkey had
disdainfully thrown it. He stood and laughed till his ribs ached as he
thought of the figure cut by Mrs Partridge. He looked round for Pinkey
to join in, and was amazed to find her in tears.

"W'y, wot's the matter, Liz?" he cried, serious in a moment.

"Nuthin'," said Pinkey, drying her eyes "I was cryin' because I'm glad
father made it up with you. 'E's bin a good father to me. W'en Lil
an' me was kids, 'e used ter take us out every Saturday afternoon, and
buy us lollies," and the tears flowed again.

Chook wisely decided to say nothing about the banknotes till her nerves
were steadier.

"'Ere, cum an' try on yer new 'at," he cried, to divert her thoughts.

"Me?" cried Pinkey, blazing. "Do yer think I'd put anythin' on my 'ead
belongin' to 'er?"

"All right," said Chook, with regret, "I'll give it to mother fer one
of the kids."

"Yer can burn it, if yer like," cried Pinkey.

Chook held up the hat, and examined it with interest. It was quite
unlike any he had seen before.

"See 'ow it look on yer," he coaxed.

"Not me," said Pinkey, glaring at the hat as if it were Mrs Partridge.

But Chook had made up his mind, and after a short scuffle, he dragged
Pinkey before the glass with the hat on her head.

"That's back ter front, yer silly," she said, suddenly quiet.

A minut