?"

Mr. Tasker eyed him forlornly. "It ain't my fault," he said, at last.
"I don't want her."

"Eh?" said the other, sternly. "Don't talk nonsense. What do you have
her here for, then?"

"Because I can't help myself," said Mr. Tasker, desperately; "that's why.
She's took a fancy to me, and, that being so, it would take more than you
and me to keep 'er away."

"Rubbish," said his master.

Mr. Tasker smiled wanly. "That's my reward for being steady," he said,
with some bitterness; "that's what comes of having a good name in the
place. I get Selina Vickers after me."

"You--you must have asked her to come here in the first place," said the
astonished captain.

"Ask her?" repeated Mr. Tasker, with respectful scorn. "Ask her? She
don't want no asking."

"What does she come for, then?" inquired the other.

"Me," said Mr. Tasker, brokenly. "I never dreamt o' such a thing. I was
going 'er way one night--about three weeks ago, it was--and I walked with
her as far as her road-Mint Street. Somehow it got put about that we
were walking out. A week afterwards she saw me in Harris's, the
grocer's, and waited outside for me till I come out and walked 'ome with
me. After she came in the other night I found we was keeping company.
To-night-tonight she got a ring out o' me, and now we're engaged."

"What on earth did you give her the ring for if you don't want her?"
inquired the captain, eyeing him with genuine concern.

"Ah, it seems easy, sir," said the unfortunate; "but you don't know
Selina. She bought the ring and said I was to pay it off a shilling a
week. She took the first shilling to-night."

His master sat back and regarded him in amazement.

"You don't know Selina, sir," repeated Mr. Tasker, in reply to this
manifestation. "She always gets her own way. Her father ain't 'it 'er
mother not since Selina was seventeen. He dursent. The last time Selina
went for him tooth and nail; smashed all the plates off the dresser
throwing 'em at him, and ended by chasing of him up the road in his
shirt-sleeves."

The captain grunted.

"That was two years ago," continued Mr. Tasker; "and his spirit's quite
broke. He 'as to give all his money except a shilling a week to his
wife, and he's not allowed to go into pubs. If he does it's no good,
because they won't serve 'im. If they do Selina goes in next morning and
gives them a piece of 'er mind. She don't care who's there or what she
says, and the conseq