g'in then, and at last the old gentleman told Henery
Walker to give Bob Pretty ten shillings for the week's notice and ha'
done with 'im. Henery Walker 'ad only got four shillings with 'im, but
'e borrowed the rest from Smith, and arter he 'ad told Bob Pretty wot he
thought of 'im he took old Mr. Walker by the arm and led him 'ome a'most
dancing for joy.

Mrs. Walker was nearly as pleased as wot 'e was, and the fuss they made
of the old gentleman was sinful a'most. He 'ad to speak about it 'imself
at last, and he told 'em plain that when 'e wanted arf-a-dozen sore-eyed
children to be brought down in their night-gowns to kiss 'im while he
was eating sausages, he'd say so.

Arter that Mrs. Walker was afraid that 'e might object when her and her
'usband gave up their bedroom to 'im; but he didn't. He took it all as
'is right, and when Henery Walker, who was sleeping in the next room
with three of 'is boys, fell out o' bed for the second time, he got up
and rapped on the wall.

Bob Pretty came round the next morning with a t tin box that belonged
to the old man, and 'e was so perlite and nice to 'im that Henery Walker
could see that he 'ad 'opes of getting 'im back ag'in. The box was
carried upstairs and put under old Mr. Walker's bed, and 'e was so
partikler about its being locked, and about nobody being about when 'e
opened it, that Mrs. Walker went arf out of her mind with curiosity.

"I s'pose you've looked to see that Bob Pretty didn't take anything out
of it?" ses Henery Walker.

"He didn't 'ave the chance," ses the old gentleman. "It's always kep'
locked."

"It's a box that looks as though it might 'ave been made in Australey,"
ses Henery Walker, who was longing to talk about them parts.

"If you say another word about Australey to me," ses old Mr. Walker,
firing up, "off I go. Mind that! You're arter my money, and if you're
not careful you sha'n't 'ave a farthing of it."

That was the last time the word "Australey" passed Henery Walker's lips,
and even when 'e saw his great-uncle writing letters there he didn't say
anything. And the old man was so suspicious of Mrs. Walker's curiosity
that all the letters that was wrote to 'im he 'ad sent to Bob Pretty's.
He used to call there pretty near every morning to see whether any 'ad
come for 'im.

In three months Henery Walker 'adn't seen the color of 'is money once,
and, wot was worse still, he took to giving Henery's things away. Mrs.
Walker 'ad been complainin