alone, as Isaac's face took their appetite away.

"Very good," ses the old man. "I don't want to force my company on
nobody," and after thinking 'ard for a minute or two he put 'is 'and in
'is trouser-pocket and gave them eighteen-pence each.

[Illustration: "'Wot's this for?' ses Ginger."]

"Wot's this for?" ses Ginger, staring at the money. "Matches?"

"That's your day's allowance," ses Isaac, "and it's plenty. There's
ninepence for your dinner, fourpence for your tea, and twopence for a
crust o' bread and cheese for supper. And if you must go and drown
yourselves in beer, that leaves threepence each to go and do it with."

Ginger tried to speak to 'im, but 'is feelings was too much for 'im, and
'e couldn't. Then Peter Russet swallered something 'e was going to say
and asked old Isaac very perlite to make it a quid for 'im because he was
going down to Colchester to see 'is mother, and 'e didn't want to go
empty-'anded.

"You're a good son, Peter," ses old Isaac, "and I wish there was more
like you. I'll come down with you, if you like; I've got nothing to do."

Peter said it was very kind of 'im, but 'e'd sooner go alone, owing to
his mother being very shy afore strangers.

"Well, I'll come down to the station and take a ticket for you," ses
Isaac.

Then Peter lost 'is temper altogether, and banged 'is fist on the table
and smashed 'arf the crockery. He asked Isaac whether 'e thought 'im and
Ginger Dick was a couple o' children, and 'e said if 'e didn't give 'em
all their money right away 'e'd give 'im in charge to the first policeman
they met.

"I'm afraid you didn't intend for to go and see your mother, Peter," ses
the old man.

"Look 'ere," ses Peter, "are you going to give us that money?"

"Not if you went down on your bended knees," ses the old man.

"Very good," says Peter, getting up and walking outside; "then come along
o' me to find a police-man."

"I'm agreeable," ses Isaac, "but I've got the paper you signed."

Peter said 'e didn't care twopence if 'e'd got fifty papers, and they
walked along looking for a police-man, which was a very unusual thing for
them to do.

"I 'ope for your sakes it won't be the same police-man that you and
Ginger Dick set on in Gun Alley the night afore you shipped on the
Planet," ses Isaac, pursing up 'is lips.

"'Tain't likely to be," ses Peter, beginning to wish 'e 'adn't been so
free with 'is tongue.

"Still, if I tell 'im, I dessay he'll soon find