a' done it without you."

"Eighty pounds," ses Mrs. Cook, smiling at Charlie. "With the money
Emma's got saved and your wages this trip you'll 'ave plenty. You must
come round arter tea and 'ave a look at it."

"Little place not arf a mile from 'ere," ses old Cook. "Properly worked
up, the way Emma'll do it, it'll be a little fortune. I wish I'd had a
chance like it in my young time."

He sat shaking his 'ead to think wot he'd lost, and Charlie Tagg sat
staring at 'im and wondering wot he was to do.

"My idea is for Charlie to go for a few more v'y'ges arter they're
married while Emma works up the business," ses Mrs. Cook; "she'll be all
right with young Bill and Sarah Ann to 'elp her and keep 'er company
while he's away."

"We'll see as she ain't lonely," ses George Smith, turning to Charlie.

Charlie Tagg gave a bit of a cough and said it wanted considering. He
said it was no good doing things in a 'urry and then repenting of 'em all
the rest of your life. And 'e said he'd been given to understand that
chandlery wasn't wot it 'ad been, and some of the cleverest people 'e
knew thought that it would be worse before it was better. By the time
he'd finished they was all looking at 'im as though they couldn't believe
their ears.

"You just step round and 'ave a look at the place," ses old Cook; "if
that don't make you alter your tune, call me a sinner."

Charlie Tagg felt as though 'e could ha' called 'im a lot o' worse things
than that, but he took up 'is hat and Mrs. Cook and Emma got their
bonnets on and they went round.

"I don't think much of it for eighty pounds," ses Charlie, beginning his
artfulness as they came near a big shop, with plate-glass and a double
front.

"Eh?" ses old Cook, staring at 'im. "Why, that ain't the place. Why,
you wouldn't get that for eight 'undred."

"Well, I don't think much of it," ses Charlie; "if it's worse than that I
can't look at it--I can't, indeed."

"You ain't been drinking, Charlie?" ses old Cook, in a puzzled voice.

"Certainly not," ses Charlie.

He was pleased to see 'ow anxious they all looked, and when they did come
to the shop 'e set up a laugh that old Cook said chilled the marrer in
'is bones. He stood looking in a 'elpless sort o' way at his wife and
Emma, and then at last he ses, "There it is; and a fair bargain at the
price."

"I s'pose you ain't been drinking?" ses Charlie.

"Wot's the matter with it?" ses Mrs. Cook flaring up.

"Come