, and
among 'em several very nice-looking young wimmen.

"My eye, Joseph," ses the cook, who 'ad been staring hard at one of 'em,
"there's a fine gal--lively, too. Look 'ere!"

He kissed 'is dirty paw--which is more than I should 'ave liked to 'ave
done it if it 'ad been mine--and waved it, and the gal turned round and
shook her 'ead at 'im.

"Here, that'll do," ses Joseph, very cross, "That's my gal; that's my
Emily."

"Eh?" says the cook. "Well, 'ow was I to know? Besides, you're a-giving
of her up."

Joseph didn't answer 'im. He was staring at Emily, and the more he
stared the better-looking she seemed to grow. She really was an uncommon
nice-looking gal, and more than the cook was struck with her.

"Who's that chap standing alongside of her?" ses the cook.

"It's one o' Bill's sister's lodgers," ses Joseph, who was looking very
bad-tempered. "I should like to know wot right he 'as to come 'ere to
welcome me 'ome. I don't want 'im."

"P'r'aps he's fond of 'er," ses the cook. "I could be, very easy."

"I'll chuck 'im in the dock if he ain't careful," ses Joseph, turning
red in the face.

He waved his 'and to Emily, who didn't 'appen to be looking at the
moment, but the lodger waved back in a careless sort of way and then
spoke to Emily, and they both waved to old Bill who was standing on his
crutches further aft.

By the time the ship was berthed and everything snug it was quite dark,
and old Bill didn't know whether to take the cook 'ome with 'im and
break the news that night, or wait a bit. He made up his mind at last to
get it over and done with, and arter waiting till the cook 'ad cleaned
'imself they got a cab and drove off.

Bert Simmons, the lodger, 'ad to ride on the box, and Bill took up so
much room with 'is bad leg that Emily found it more comfortable to sit
on Joseph's knee; and by the time they got to the 'ouse he began to see
wot a silly mistake he was making.

"Keep that dream o' yours to yourself till I make up my mind," he ses to
the cook, while Bill and the cabman were calling each other names.

"Bill's going to speak fust," whispers the cook.

The lodger and Emily 'ad gone inside, and Joseph stood there, fidgeting,
while the cabman asked Bill, as a friend, why he 'adn't paid twopence
more for his face, and Bill was wasting his time trying to think of
something to say to 'urt the cabman's feelings. Then he took Bill by
the arm as the cab drove off and told 'im not to say nothing ab