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“He washed ‘is mouth out with a drop o’ beer and stood scowling at the floor.

“‘Arter I’ve choked ‘im I’ll twist his neck,’ he ses. ‘If he ‘ad on’y put his address on ‘is letters, I’d go round and do it now. And my daughter, my only daughter, won’t tell me where he lives.’

“‘She ought to know better,’ I ses.

“He took hold o’ my ‘and and shook it. ‘You’ve got more sense than one ‘ud think to look at you, Bill,’ he ses, not thinking wot he was saying. ‘You see wot a mess I’m in.’

“‘Yes,’ I ses.

“‘I’m a nurse, that’s wot I am,’ he ses, very savage. ‘Just a nursemaid. I can’t move ‘and or foot without that gal. ‘Ow’d you like it, yourself, Bill?’

“‘It must be very orkard for you,’ I ses. ‘Very orkard indeed.’

“‘Orkard!’ he ses; ‘it’s no name for it, Bill. I might as well be a Sunday-school teacher, and ha’ done with it. I never ‘ad such a dull time in all my life. Never. And the worst of it is, it’s spiling my temper. And all because o’ that narrer-eyed, red-chested–you know wot I mean!’

“He took another mouthful o’ beer, and then he took ‘old of my arm. ‘Bill,’ he ses, very earnest, ‘I want you to do me a favour.’

“‘Go ahead,’ I ses.

“‘I’ve got to meet a pal at Charing Cross at ha’-past seven,’ he ses; ‘and we’re going to make a night of it. I’ve left Winnie in charge o’ the cook, and I’ve told ‘im plain that, if she ain’t there when I come back, I’ll skin ‘im alive. Now, I want you to watch ‘er, too. Keep the gate locked, and don’t let anybody in you don’t know. Especially that monkey-faced imitation of a man. Here ‘e is. That’s his likeness.’

“He pulled a photygraph out of ‘is coatpocket and ‘anded it to me.

“‘That’s ‘im,’ he ses. ‘Fancy a gal getting love-letters from a thing like that! And she was on’y twenty last birthday. Keep your eye on ‘er, Bill, and don’t let ‘er out of your sight. You’re worth two o’ the cook.’

“He finished ‘is beer, and, cuddling my arm, stepped back to the wharf. Miss Butt was sitting on the cabin skylight reading a book, and old Joe, the cook, was standing near ‘er pretending to swab the decks with a mop.

“‘I’ve got to go out for a little while–on business,’ ses the skipper. ‘I don’t s’pose I shall be long, and, while I’m away, Bill and the cook will look arter you.’

“Miss Butt wrinkled up ‘er shoulders.

“‘The gate’ll be locked, and you’re not to leave the wharf. D’ye ‘ear?’

“The gal wriggled ‘er shoulders agin and went on reading, but she gave the cook a look out of ‘er innercent baby eyes that nearly made ‘im drop the mop.

“‘Them’s my orders,’ ses the skipper, swelling his chest and looking round, ‘to everybody. You know wot’ll ‘appen to you, Joe, if things ain’t right when I come back. Come along, Bill, and lock the gate arter me. An’ mind, for your own sake, don’t let anything ‘appen to that gal while I’m away.’

“‘Wot time’ll you be back?’ I ses, as ‘e stepped through the wicket.

“‘Not afore twelve, and p’r’aps a good bit later,’ he ses, smiling all over with ‘appiness. ‘But young slab-chest don’t know I’m out, and Winnie thinks I’m just going out for ‘arf an hour, so it’ll be all right. So long.’

“I watched ‘im up the road, and I must say I began to wish I ‘adn’t taken the job on. Arter all, I ‘ad on’y had two pints and a bit o’ flattery, and I knew wot ‘ud ‘appen if anything went wrong. Built like a bull he was, and fond o’ using his strength. I locked the wicket careful, and, putting the key in my pocket, began to walk up and down the wharf.

“For about ten minutes the gal went on reading and didn’t look up once. Then, as I passed, she gave me a nice smile and shook ‘er little fist at the cook, wot ‘ad got ‘is back towards ‘er. I smiled back, o’ course, and by and by she put her book down and climbed on to the side o’ the ship and held out her ‘and for me to ‘elp her ashore.