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.

"'I'm so tired of the ship,' she ses, in a soft voice; 'it's like a
prison. Don't you get, tired of the wharf?'

"'Sometimes,' I ses; 'but it's my dooty.'

"'Yes,' she ses. 'Yes, of course. But you're a big, strong man, and
you can put up with things better.'

"She gave a little sigh, and we walked up and down for a time without
saying anything.

"'And it's all father's foolishness,' she ses, at last; 'that's wot
makes it so tiresome. I can't help a pack of silly young men writing to
me, can I?'

"'No, I s'pose not,' I ses.

"'Thank you,' she ses, putting 'er little 'and on my arm. 'I knew that
you were sensible. I've often watched you when I've been sitting alone
on the schooner, longing for somebody to speak to. And I'm a good judge
of character. I can read you like a book.'

"She turned and looked up at me. Beautiful blue eyes she'd got, with
long, curling lashes, and teeth like pearls.

"'Father is so silly,' she ses, shaking her 'ead and looking down; 'and
it's so unreasonable, because, as a matter of fact, I don't like young
men. Oh, I beg your pardon, I didn't mean that. I didn't mean to be
rude.'

"'Rude?' I ses, staring at her.

"'Of course it was a rude thing for me to say,' she ses, smiling;
'because you are still a young man yourself.'

"I shook my 'ead. 'Youngish,' I ses.

"'Young!' she ses, stamping 'er little foot.

"She gave me another look, and this time 'er blue eyes seemed large and
solemn. She walked along like one in a dream, and twice she tripped
over the planks and would 'ave fallen if I hadn't caught 'er round the
waist.

"'Thank you,' she ses. 'I'm very clumsy. How strong your arm is!'

"We walked up and down agin, and every time we went near the edge of the
jetty she 'eld on to my arm for fear of stumbling agin. And there was
that silly cook standing about on the schooner on tip-toe and twisting
his silly old neck till I wonder it didn't twis