egs of a pot of beer.

Yesterday morning Patsey waylaid me, but I waved him off. At night he
caught me going in at the back gate of The Chequers; his hand trembled
as he clutched my arm, and he said with chattering teeth, "Give me a
dollar, and I'll tell you somethin'."

"Tell me the something first, and then we'll see about the dollar."

"Don't you go near Blackey's place to-night. They're a goin' to ast you
if they kin. Blackey's found out as you've got respectable relations as
wouldn't like to see your name in the papers, and he's goin' to 'ave a
new lay on. 'Taint no bloomin' error neither. The gal--Tilley,
don't-cherknow--she'll say, 'I'll walk home with you a bit,' when
Blackey's out. He meets you, and he says, 'Wot 'cher doin' 'long o' my
wife? Didn't I trust you at home? I'll expose you.' _She ain't no more
his wife than I am_, so you look out."

"That's worth a dollar, Patsey. Now sneak you into the stables, and
don't come near me all night."

I was quite at ease, and became convivial with Blackey and his worthy
father-in-law. The only thing that worried me was the knowledge that I
had one note in my watch-pocket besides my loose spending money. Still I
felt sure of dodging the gang, and I tried to appear innocent as
possible while the artless Blackey offered me liquor after liquor; and
he remarked at about ten, "My missus orfen says to me, 'Why don't you
fetch him home?' she says. If he brings a bottle we'll find our lot, and
he'll be just as jolly as he is at Billy Devine's. What say to come down
to-night?"

"All right, only not too late."

At twelve we departed, and I was taken to a row of low cottages, which,
however, were fairly solid and neat. At first we sat in a kitchen, and I
was accommodated with a tub for a seat. Our light came from the fire and
a dull lamp, which only made a reddened twilight in the air. The fat
woman watched me like a cat, and I fancied that her mouth was like that
of a carnivorous beast. The sly old man looked on the ground, but his
stealthy eye--like the eye of a cunning magpie--glittered sometimes as
he turned it on me. Blackey was most cordial, and soon proposed a song.
He obliged first, and warbled some ghastly affair which aimed at being
nautical in sentiment. The chorus contained some observations like
"Hilley-hiley-Hilley-ho," and it also gave us the information that
gentleman named Jack would shortly come home from the sea. The thing was
a silly Cockney travesty of