."

"Did you use to go down to the ship to see 'im off?" ses the woman.

"No," ses my wife. "I'd something better to do."

"Neither did I," ses the woman. "P'raps that's where we both made a
mistake."

"You get out of my 'ouse!" ses my missus, very sudden. "Go on, afore I
put you out."

"Not without my Bill," ses the woman. "If you lay a finger on me I'll
scream the house down."

"You brought her 'ere," ses my wife, turning to me, "now you can take 'er
away?"

"I didn't bring 'er," I ses. "She follered me."

"Well, she can foller you agin," she ses. "Go on!" she ses, trembling
all over. "Git out afore I start on you."

I was in such a temper that I daren't trust myself to stop. I just gave
'er one look, and then I drew myself up and went out. 'Alf the fools in
our street was standing in front of the 'ouse, 'umming like bees, but I
took no notice. I held my 'ead up and walked through them with that
woman trailing arter me.

I was in such a state of mind that I went on like a man in a dream. If
it had ha' been a dream I should ha' pushed 'er under an omnibus, but you
can't do things like that in real life.

"Penny for your thoughts, Bill," she ses. I didn't answer her.

"Why don't you speak to me?" she ses.

"You don't know wot you're asking for," I ses.

I was hungry and sleepy, and 'ow I was going to get through the day I
couldn't think. I went into a pub and 'ad a couple o' pints o' stout and
a crust o' bread and cheese for brekfuss. I don't know wot she 'ad, but
when the barman tried to take for it out o' my money, I surprised 'im.

We walked about till I was ready to drop. Then we got to Victoria Park,
and I 'ad no sooner got on to the grass than I laid down and went
straight off to sleep. It was two o'clock when I woke, and, arter a
couple o' pork-pies and a pint or two, I sat on a seat in the Park
smoking, while she kep' dabbing 'er eyes agin and asking me to come 'ome.

At five o'clock I got up to go back to the wharf, and, taking no notice
of 'er, I walked into the street and jumped on a 'bus that was passing.
She jumped too, and, arter the conductor had 'elped 'er up off of 'er
knees and taken her arms away from his waist, I'm blest if he didn't turn
on me and ask me why I 'adn't left her at 'ome.

We got to the wharf just afore six. The John Henry 'ad gorn, but the
skipper 'ad done all the 'arm he could afore he sailed, and, if I 'adn't
kept my temper, I should ha' murdere