d her young brother Ted out for some beer. Then
they all 'ad supper together, and Mrs. Mitchell drank good luck to George
in a glass o' beer, and said she 'oped that 'er own boy would grow up
like him. "Let 'im grow up a good and brave man, that's all I ask," she
ses. "I don't care about 'is looks."

"He might have both," ses George, sharp-like. "Why not?"

Mrs. Mitchell said she supposed he might, and then she cuffed young Ted's
ears for making a noise while 'e was eating, and then cuffed 'im agin for
saying that he'd finished 'is supper five minutes ago.

George and Bob walked 'ome together, and all the way there George said
wot a pretty gal Gerty was and 'ow lucky it was for Bob that he 'adn't
been drownded. He went round to tea with 'im the next day to Mrs.
Mitchell's, and arter tea, when Bob and Gerty said they was going out to
spend the evening together, got 'imself asked too.

They took a tram-car and went to a music-hall, and Bob paid for the three
of 'em. George never seemed to think of putting his 'and in his pocket,
and even arter the music-hall, when they all went into a shop and 'ad
stewed eels, he let Bob pay.

As I said afore, Bob Evans was chock-full of gratefulness, and it seemed
only fair that he shouldn't grumble at spending a little over the man wot
'ad risked 'is life to save his; but wot with keeping George at his room,
and paying for 'im every time they went out, he was spending a lot more
money than 'e could afford.

"You're on'y young once, Bob," George said to him when 'e made a remark
one arternoon as to the fast way his money was going, "and if it hadn't
ha' been for me you'd never 'ave lived to grow old."

Wot with spending the money and always 'aving George with them when they
went out, it wasn't long afore Bob and Gerty 'ad a quarrel. "I don't
like a pore-spirited man," she ses. "Two's company and three's none,
and, besides, why can't he pay for 'imself? He's big enough. Why should
you spend your money on 'im? He never pays a farthing."

Bob explained that he couldn't say anything because 'e owed his life to
George, but 'e might as well 'ave talked to a lamp-post. The more he
argued the more angry Gerty got, and at last she ses, "Two's company and
three's none, and if you and me can't go out without George Crofts, then
me and 'im 'll go out with-out you."

She was as good as her word, too, and the next night, while Bob 'ad gone
out to get some 'bacca, she went off alon