'er back.

"I wouldn't ha' minded so much if it 'adn't ha' been for that boy. He
used to pass me, as 'e went off of a evening, with a little sly smile on
'is ugly little face, and sometimes when I was standing at the gate he'd
give a sniff or two and say that he could smell beer, and he supposed it
came from the Bear's Head.

"It was about three weeks arter the guv'nor 'ad forgot 'imself, and I was
standing by the gate one evening, when I saw a woman coming along
carrying a big bag in her 'and. I 'adn't seen 'er afore, and when she
stopped in front of me and smiled I was on my guard at once. I don't
smile at other people, and I don't expect them to smile at me.

"'At last!' she ses, setting down 'er bag and giving me another smile.
'I thought I was never going to get 'ere."

"I coughed and backed inside a little bit on to my own ground. I didn't
want to 'ave that little beast of a office-boy spreading tales about me.

"'I've come up to 'ave a little fling,' she ses, smiling away harder than
ever. 'My husband don't know I'm 'ere. He thinks I'm at 'ome.'

"I think I went back pretty near three yards.

"'I come up by train,' she ses, nodding.

"'Yes,' I ses, very severe, 'and wot about going back by it?'

"'Oh, I shall go back by ship,' she ses. 'Wot time do you expect the
Eastern Monarch up?'

"'Well,' I ses, 'ardly knowing wot to make of 'er, 'she ought to be up
this tide; but there's no reckoning on wot an old washtub with a engine
like a sewing-machine inside 'er will do.'

"'Oh, indeed!' she ses, leaving off smiling very sudden. 'Oh, indeed!
My husband might 'ave something to say about that.'

"'Your 'usband?' I ses.

"'Captain Pratt,' she ses, drawing 'erself up. 'I'm Mrs. Pratt. He left
yesterday morning, and I've come up 'ere by train to give 'im a little
surprise.'

"You might ha' knocked me down with a feather, and I stood there staring
at her with my mouth open, trying to think.

"'Take care,' I ses at last. 'Take care as you don't give 'im too much
of a surprise!'

"'Wot do you mean?' she ses, firing up.

"'Nothing,' I ses. 'Nothing, only I've known 'usbands in my time as
didn't like being surprised--that's all. If you take my advice, you'll
go straight back home agin.'

"'I'll tell 'im wot you say,' she ses, 'as soon as 'is ship comes in.'

"That's a woman all over; the moment they get into a temper they want to
hurt somebody; and I made up my mind at once that, if anybody w