ter--leastways, I did for
'er--and she told Bill that, if 'e loved 'er so much that he'd 'ave 'is
sinful pride took down by letting you beat 'im, she'd think diff'rent of
'im. Why, 'e could 'ave settled you in a minute if he'd liked. He was
on'y playing with you."

Ginger stared at 'im as if 'e couldn't believe 'is eyes. "Playing?" he
ses, feeling 'is face very gently with the tips of his fingers.

"Yes," ses the landlord; "and if he ever hits you agin you'll know I'm
speaking the truth."

Ginger sat back all of a heap and tried to think. "Is Miss Tucker going
to keep company with 'im agin, then?" he ses, in a faint voice.

"No," ses the landlord; "you can make your mind easy on that point."

"Well, then, if I walk out with 'er I shall 'ave to fight Bill all over
agin," ses Ginger.

The landlord turned to 'im and patted 'im on the shoulder. "Don't you
take up your troubles afore they come, my lad," he ses, kindly; "and mind
and keep wot I've told you dark, for all our sakes."

He put 'im down at the door of 'is lodgings and, arter shaking 'ands with
'im, gave the landlady a shilling and told 'er to get some beefsteak and
put on 'is face, and went home. Ginger went straight off to bed, and the
way he carried on when the landlady fried the steak afore bringing it up
showed 'ow upset he was.

[Illustration: "The way he carried on when the landlady fried the steak
showed 'ow upset he was."]

It was over a week afore he felt 'e could risk letting Miss Tucker see
'im, and then at seven o'clock one evening he felt 'e couldn't wait any
longer, and arter spending an hour cleaning 'imself he started out for
the Jolly Pilots.

He felt so 'appy at the idea o' seeing her agin that 'e forgot all about
Bill Lumm, and it gave 'im quite a shock when 'e saw 'im standing outside
the Pilots. Bill took his 'ands out of 'is pockets when he saw 'im and
came toward 'im.

"It's no good to-night, mate," he ses; and to Ginger's great surprise
shook 'ands with 'im.

"No good?" ses Ginger, staring.

"No," ses Bill; "he's in the little back-parlour, like a whelk in 'is
shell; but we'll 'ave 'im sooner or later."

"Him? Who?" ses Ginger, more puzzled than ever.

"Who?" ses Bill; "why, Webson, the landlord. You don't mean to tell me
you ain't heard about it?"

"Heard wot?" ses Ginger. "I haven't 'card any-thing. I've been indoors
with a bad cold all the week."

"Webson and Julia Tucker was married at eleven o'clock