to her, and 'er mother, arter looking at 'er very hard, went
to the doctor and said she wanted an inquest.

He went on talking for a long time, but I was busy doing a bit of 'ead-
work and didn't pay much attention to 'im. I was thinking o' twelve
pounds, two lozenges, and a postage stamp laying in the mud at the bottom
of my dock, and arter a time 'e said 'e see as 'ow I was waiting to get
back to my night's rest, and went off--stamping.

I locked the wicket when he 'ad gorn away, and then I went to the edge of
the dock and stood looking down at the spot where the purse 'ad been
chucked in. The tide was on the ebb, but there was still a foot or two
of water atop of the mud. I walked up and down, thinking.

I thought for a long time, and then I made up my mind. If I got the
purse and took it to the police-station, the police would share the money
out between 'em, and tell me they 'ad given it back to the lady. If I
found it and put a notice in the newspaper--which would cost money--very
likely a dozen or two ladies would come and see me and say it was theirs.
Then if I gave it to the best-looking one and the one it belonged to
turned up, there'd be trouble. My idea was to keep it--for a time--and
then if the lady who lost it came to me and asked me for it I would give
it to 'er.

Once I had made up my mind to do wot was right I felt quite 'appy, and
arter a look up and down, I stepped round to the Bear's Head and 'ad a
couple o' goes o' rum to keep the cold out. There was nobody in there
but the landlord, and 'e started at once talking about the thief, and 'ow
he 'ad run arter him in 'is shirt-sleeves.

"My opinion is," he ses, "that 'e bolted on one of the wharves and 'id
'imself. He disappeared like magic. Was that little gate o' yours
open?"

"I was on the wharf," I ses, very cold.

"You might ha' been on the wharf and yet not 'ave seen anybody come on,"
he ses, nodding.

"Wot d'ye mean?" I ses, very sharp. "Nothing," he ses. "Nothing."

"Are you trying to take my character away?" I ses, fixing 'im with my
eye.

"Lo' bless me, no!" he ses, staring at me. "It's no good to me."

He sat down in 'is chair behind the bar and went straight off to sleep
with his eyes screwed up as tight as they would go. Then 'e opened
his mouth and snored till the glasses shook. I suppose I've been one of
the best customers he ever 'ad, and that's the way he treated me. For
two pins I'd ha' knocked 'is ugly 'ea