ered his
floral offering in the road. Then he made a bee-line for the Two
Schooners.

Though convivial by nature and ever free with his money, he sat there
drinking alone in silent misery. Men came and went, but he still sat
there noting with mournful pride the attention caused by his unusual
bearing. To casual inquiries he shook his head; to more direct ones he
only sighed heavily and applied himself to his liquor. Curiosity
increased with numbers as the day wore on, and the steward, determined to
be miserable, fought manfully against an ever-increasing cheerfulness due
to the warming properties of the ale within.

"I 'ope you ain't lost nobody, Sam?" said a discomfited inquirer at last.

Mr. Wilks shook his head.

"You look as though you'd lost a shilling and found a ha'penny," pursued
the other.

"Found a what?" inquired Mr. Wilks, wrinkling his forehead.

"A ha'penny," said his friend.

"Who did?" said Mr. Wilks.

The other attempted to explain and was ably assisted by two friends,
but without avail; the impression left on Mr. Wilks's mind being that
somebody had got a shilling of his. He waxed exceeding bitter, and said
that he had been missing shillings for a long time.

"You're labourin' under a mistake, Sam," said the first speaker.

Mr. Wilks laughed scornfully and essayed a sneer, while his friends,
regarding his contortions with some anxiety, expressed a fear that he was
not quite himself. To this suggestion the steward deigned no reply, and
turning to the landlord bade him replenish his mug.

"You've 'ad enough, Mr. Wilks," said that gentleman, who had been
watching him for some time.

Mr. Wilks, gazing at him mistily, did not at first understand the full
purport of this remark; but when he did, his wrath was so majestic and
his remarks about the quality of the brew so libellous that the landlord
lost all patience.

"You get off home," he said, sharply.

"Listen t' me," said Mr. Wilks, impressively.

"I don't want no words with you," said the land-lord. "You get off home
while you can."

"That's right, Sam," said one of the company, putting his hand on the
steward's arm. "You take his advice."

Mr. Wilks shook the hand off and eyed his adviser ferociously. Then he
took a glass from the counter and smashed it on the floor. The next
moment the bar was in a ferment, and the landlord, gripping Mr. Wilks
round the middle, skilfully piloted him to the door and thrust him into
the r