d arf a dozen of 'em.

The woman wanted to come on to the wharf, but I 'ad a word or two with
one o' the fore-men, who owed me arf-a-dollar, and he made that all
right.

"We all 'ave our faults, Bill," he ses as 'e went out, "and I suppose she
was better looking once upon a time?"

I didn't answer 'im. I shut the wicket arter 'im, quick, and turned the
key, and then I went on with my work. For a long time everything was as
quiet as the grave, and then there came just one little pull at the bell.
Five minutes arterwards there was another.

I thought it was that woman, but I 'ad to make sure. When it came the
third time I crept up to the gate.

"Halloa!" I ses. "Who is it?"

"Me, darling," ses a voice I reckernized as the potman's. "Your missus
wants to come in and sit down."

I could 'ear several people talking, and it seemed to me there was quite
a crowd out there, and by and by that bell was going like mad. Then
people started kicking the gate, and shouting, but I took no notice
until, presently, it left off all of a sudden, and I 'eard a loud voice
asking what it was all about. I suppose there was about fifty of 'em all
telling it at once, and then there was the sound of a fist on the gate.

"Who is it?" I ses.

"Police," ses the voice.

I opened the wicket then and looked out. A couple o' policemen was
standing by the gate and arf the riff-raff of Wapping behind 'em.

"Wot's all this about?" ses one o' the policemen.

I shook my 'ead. "Ask me another," I ses. "Your missus is causing a
disturbance," he ses.

"She's not my missus," I ses; "she's a complete stranger to me."

"And causing a crowd to collect and refusing to go away," ses the other
policeman.

"That's your business," I ses. "It's nothing to do with me."

They talked to each other for a moment, and then they spoke to the woman.
I didn't 'ear wot she said, but I saw her shake her 'ead, and a'most
direckly arterwards she was marching away between the two policemen with
the crowd follering and advising 'er where to kick 'em.

I was a bit worried at fust--not about her--and then I began to think
that p'raps it was the best thing that could have 'appened.

I went 'ome in the morning with a load lifted off my mind; but I 'adn't
been in the 'ouse two seconds afore my missus started to put it on agin.
Fust of all she asked me 'ow I dared to come into the 'ouse, and then she
wanted to know wot I meant by leaving her at 'ome and goin