?" The last remark was addressed to
a heavy-looking man who seemed half-asleep.

"I'm goin' to wait an' see," the man replied, with a strange movement
of his lips, which his intimates were able to recognise as a smile.

"You're one of them bloomin' wait-an'-see radicals. One o' these days
they'll see things wot they won't wait for."

"If yer wait an' see," remarked Wilkes, "yer don't get married, an'
that saves a lot of trouble." He trailed off into a cough. Wilkes was
always coughing.

"Yes," said Bindle reflectively; "it also saves yer explainin' 'ow it
'appened. I'm glad you woke up, Wilkie.

"Marriage is a funny thing," continued Bindle, meditatively filling his
pipe. "I seen it quite change men, sometimes for better, sometimes for
worse, sometimes neither one thing nor the other. There was a mate o'
mine wot got married and it ruined 'im.

"'E was a rare sport; used to back 'orses and wink at women and get
drunk; yes, 'e used to do everythink wot a decent man ought to do.
Then he took up with a gal an' married 'er, an' she started a-dressin'
'im up so that all 'is mates used to laugh when they met 'im.

"Last time I saw 'im 'e was wearing a white weskit, a black coat, and a
pale-blue tie and top 'at. 'E saw me comin' and tried to look the
other way, but I crossed over, and takin' off me cap bowed to 'em both,
and 'e raised 'is 'at, and then I watched 'im after 'e'd passed, and 'e
couldn't get it on right again. 'E fidgeted about with the bloomin'
thing until 'e was out o' sight. No, yer 'as to be born to a top 'at,
just as yer 'ave to be born to an 'ump, like a camel."

"Women ain't wot they was." The remark came from a small man with grey
side-whiskers who, as soon as he had spoken and attracted to himself
the attention of the company, fidgeted as if he regretted his temerity.

"Wot jer know about the ornamental Jezebels?" Ruddy Bill struck in.

"'Ullo! you woke up too, Sweet William?" grinned Bindle. "You're
right, Tom Cave," he continued, turning to the man who had spoken.
"They ain't, an' it's all through the fashions."

"'Ow's that? Fashions don't make women, it's them as makes the
fashions," ventured Huggles.

"Fashions is funny things, 'Uggles. When I was a boy women was a bit
shy about their ankles, an' now they sort o' takes a pride in 'em. I
given up goin' in toobes," Bindle added with a grin. "I get 'ot all
over. Them short skirts, oh! naughty! naughty!" And he put his
fin