from Bassett, it's about time I did."

"Ho!" said Miss Jelks, taking a deep breath. "Ho, really!"

"I had it out of 'im this morning," continued Mr. Walters, eying her
sternly; "I waited for 'im as he come out of his 'ouse. He didn't want
to tell me at first, but when he found as 'ow he'd been late for the
office if he didn't, he thought better of it."

Miss Jelks leaned back in her chair with a ladylike sneer upon her
expressive features.

"I'll Bassett him," she said slowly.

"And I'll Filer _him_," said Mr. Walters, not to be outdone in the
coining of verbs.

"It's a pity he don't say them things to my face," said Rosa, "I'd soon
let him know."

"He's going to," said the boatswain readily. "I said we'd meet him on
Sunday arternoon by Kegg's boat-house. Then we'll see wot you've got to
say for yourself. Shut that door D'ye want to freeze me!"

"I'll shut it when you're gone," said Rosa calmly. "Make haste, else I
shall catch cold. I'll go with you on Sunday afternoon--just so as you
can beg my pardon--and after that I don't want anything more to do with
you. You'd try the temper of a saint, you would."

Mr. Walters looked round the warm and comfortable kitchen, and his face
fell. "I ain't going to judge you till I've heard both sides," he said
slowly, and then seeing no signs of relenting in Rosa's face, passed out
into the black night.

He walked down to the rendezvous on Sunday afternoon with a well-dressed
circle. Miss Jelks only spoke to him once, and that was when he trod
on her dress. A nipping wind stirred the surface of the river, and the
place was deserted except for the small figure of Bassett sheltering
under the lee of the boat-house. He came to meet them and raising a
new bowler hat stood regarding Miss Jelks with an expression in which
compassion and judicial severity were pretty evenly combined.

"Tell me, afore her, wot you told me the other day," said Mr. Walters,
plunging at once into business.

"I would rather not," said Bassett, adjusting his spectacles and looking
from one to the other, "but in pursuance of my promise, I have no
alternative."

"Fire away," commanded the boatswain.

Bassett coughed, and then in a thin but firm voice complied. The list of
Miss Jelks's misdeeds was a long one, and the day was cold, but he did
not miss a single item. Miss Jelks, eying him with some concern as he
proceeded, began to think he must have eyes at the back of his head. The
boatswain, whose