as going
to be 'urt, it wasn't me. And, besides, I thought it might be for the
skipper's good--in the long run.

"I broke it to her as gentle as I could. I didn't tell 'er much, I just
gave her a few 'ints. Just enough to make her ask for more.

"'And mind,' I ses, 'I don't want to be brought into it. If you should
'appen to take a fancy into your 'ed to wait behind a pile of empties
till the ship comes in, and then slip out and foller your 'usband and
give 'im the little surprise you spoke of, it's nothing to do with me.'

"'I understand,' she ses, biting her lip. 'There's no need for 'im to
know that I've been on the wharf at all.'

"I gave 'er a smile--I thought she deserved it--but she didn't smile
back. She was rather a nice-looking woman in the ordinary way, but I
could easy see 'ow temper spoils a woman's looks. She stood there giving
little shivers and looking as if she wanted to bite somebody.

"'I'll go and hide now,' she ses.

"'Not yet,' I ses. 'You'll 'ave to wait till that little blackbeetle in
the office 'as gorn.' 'Blackbeetle?' she ses, staring.

"'Office-boy,' I ses. 'He'd better not see you at all. S'pose you go
off for a bit and come back when I whistle?'

"Afore she could answer the boy came out of the office, ready to go 'ome.
He gave a little bit of a start when 'e saw me talking to a lady, and
then 'e nips down sudden, about a couple o' yards away, and begins to do
'is bootlace up. It took 'im some time, because he 'ad to undo it fust,
but 'e finished it at last, and arter a quick look at Mrs. Pratt, and one
at me that I could ha' smacked his 'ed for, 'e went off whistling and
showing 'is little cuffs.

"I stepped out into the road and watched 'im out o' sight. Then I told
Mrs. Pratt to pick up 'er bag and foller me.

"As it 'appened there was a big pile of empties in the corner of the
ware'ouse wall, just opposite the Eastern Monarch's berth. It might ha'
been made for the job, and, arter I 'ad tucked her away behind and given
'er a box to sit on, I picked up my broom and began to make up for lost
time.

"She sat there as quiet as a cat watching a mouse'ole, and I was going on
with my work, stopping every now and then to look and see whether the
Monarch was in sight, when I 'appened to turn round and see the office-
boy standing on the edge of the wharf with his back to the empties,
looking down at the water. I nearly dropped my broom.

"''Ullo!' I ses, going up to 'i