t off.

"'Wot a beautiful evening it is!' she ses, at last, in a low voice. 'I
'ope father isn't coming back early. Do you know wot time he is coming
home?'

"'About twelve,' I ses; 'but don't tell 'im I told you so.'

"'O' course not,' she ses, squeezing my arm. 'Poor father! I hope he is
enjoying himself as much as I am.'

"We walked down to the jetty agin arter that, and sat side by side
looking acrost the river. And she began to talk about Life, and wot a
strange thing it was; and 'ow the river would go on flowing down to the
sea thousands and thousands o' years arter we was both dead and
forgotten. If it hadn't ha' been for her little 'ead leaning agin my
shoulder I should have 'ad the creeps.

"'Let's go down into the cabin,' she ses, at last, with a little shiver;
'it makes me melancholy sitting here and thinking of the "might-have-
beens."'

"I got up first and 'elped her up, and, arter both staring hard at the
cook, wot didn't seem to know 'is place, we went down into the cabin.
It was a comfortable little place, and arter she 'ad poured me out a
glass of 'er father's whisky, and filled my pipe for me, I wouldn't ha'
changed places with a king. Even when the pipe wouldn't draw I didn't
mind.

"'May I write a letter?' she ses, at last.

"'Sartainly,' I ses.

"She got out her pen and ink and paper, and wrote. 'I sha'n't be long,'
she ses, looking up and nibbling 'er pen. 'It's a letter to my
dressmaker; she promised my dress by six o'clock this afternoon, and I
am just writing to tell her that if I don't have it by ten in the
morning she can keep it.'

"'Quite right,' I ses; 'it's the on'y way to get things done.'

"'It's my way,' she ses, sticking the letter in an envelope and licking
it down. 'Nice name, isn't it?'

"She passed it over to me, and I read the name and address: 'Miss Minnie
Miller, 17, John Street, Mile End Road.'

"'That'll wake her up,' She ses, smiling. 'Will you ask Joe to take it
for me?'

"'He--he's on guard,' I ses, smiling back at 'er and shaking my 'ead.

"'I know,' she ses, in a low voice. 'But I don't want any guard--only
you. I don't like guards that peep down skylights.'

"I looked up just in time to see Joe's 'ead disappear. Then I nipped
up, and arter I 'ad told 'im part of wot I thought about 'im I gave 'im
the letter and told 'im to sheer off.

"'The skipper told me to stay 'ere,' he ses, looking obstinate.

"'You do as you're told,' I ses. 'I