a' made your fortune," ses Charlie, looking down at
'is clothes. "I'd ha' been ashamed to come 'ome like that if it 'ad been
me."

"I'm wore out," ses Dixon, leaning agin the bar. "I've got no pride
left; it's all been knocked out of me. How's Julia?"

"She's all right," ses Charlie. "Here, Ju--"

"H'sh!" ses Dixon, reaching over the bar and laying his 'and on his arm.
"Don't let 'er know too sudden; break it to 'er gently."

"Fiddlesticks!" ses Charlie, throwing his 'and off and calling, "Here,
Julia! He's come back."

Mrs. Dixon came running downstairs and into the bar. "Good gracious!"
she ses, staring at her 'us-band. "Whoever'd ha' thought o' seeing you
agin? Where 'ave you sprung from?"

"Ain't you glad to see me, Julia?" ses George Dixon.

"Yes, I s'pose so; if you've come back to behave yourself," ses Mrs.
Dixon. "What 'ave you got to say for yourself for running away and then
writing them letters, telling me to get rid of my relations?"

"That's a long time ago, Julia," ses Dixon, raising the flap in the
counter and going into the bar. "I've gone through a great deal o'
suffering since then. I've been knocked about till I 'adn't got any
feeling left in me; I've been shipwrecked, and I've 'ad to fight for my
life with savages."

"Nobody asked you to run away," ses his wife, edging away as he went to
put his arm round 'er waist. "You'd better go upstairs and put on some
decent clothes."

[Illustration: "You'd better go upstairs and put on some decent
clothes."]

Dixon looked at 'er for a moment and then he 'ung his 'ead.

"I've been thinking o' you and of seeing you agin every day since I went
away, Julia," he ses. "You'd be the same to me if you was dressed in
rags."

He went upstairs without another word, and old Burge, who was coming
down, came down five of 'em at once owing to Dixon speaking to 'im afore
he knew who 'e was. The old man was still grumbling when Dixon came down
agin, and said he believed he'd done it a-purpose.

"You run away from a good 'ome," he ses, "and the best wife in Wapping,
and you come back and frighten people 'arf out o' their lives. I never
see such a feller in all my born days."

"I was so glad to get 'ome agin I didn't think," ses Dixon. "I hope
you're not 'urt."

He started telling them all about his 'ardships while they were at tea,
but none of 'em seemed to care much about hearing 'em. Bob said that the
sea was all right for men, and that