e afore I was born," ses Henery Walker,
firing up.

"He knew your father," ses Bob Pretty, "and he didn't want to take no
risks."

They 'ad words then, and arter that every time Bob Pretty met 'im he
asked arter his great-uncle's 'ealth, and used to pretend to think 'e
was living with 'im.

"You ought to get the old gentleman out a bit more, Henery," he
would say; "it can't be good for 'im to be shut up in the 'ouse so
much--especially your 'ouse."

Henery Walker used to get that riled he didn't know wot to do with
'imself, and as time went on, and he began to be afraid that 'is uncle
never would come back to England, he used to get quite nasty if anybody
on'y so much as used the word "uncle" in 'is company.

It was over six months since he 'ad had the letter from 'is uncle, and
'e was up here at the "Cauliflower" with some more of us one night, when
Dicky Weed, the tailor, turns to Bob Pretty and he ses, "Who's the old
gentleman that's staying with you, Bob?"

Bob Pretty puts down 'is beer very careful and turns round on 'im.

"Old gentleman?" he ses, very slow. "Wot are you talking about?"

"I mean the little old gentleman with white whiskers and a squeaky
voice," ses Dicky Weed.

"You've been dreaming," ses Bob, taking up 'is beer ag'in.

"I see 'im too, Bob," ses Bill Chambers.

"Ho, you did, did you?" ses Bob Pretty, putting down 'is mug with a
bang. "And wot d'ye mean by coming spying round my place, eh? Wot d'ye
mean by it?"

"Spying?" ses Bill Chambers, gaping at 'im with 'is mouth open; "I
wasn't spying. Anyone 'ud think you 'ad done something you was ashamed
of."

"You mind your business and I'll mind mine," ses Bob, very fierce.

"I was passing the 'ouse," ses Bill Chambers, looking round at us, "and
I see an old man's face at the bedroom winder, and while I was wondering
who 'e was a hand come and drawed 'im away. I see 'im as plain as ever I
see anything in my life, and the hand, too. Big and dirty it was."

"And he's got a cough," ses Dicky Weed--"a churchyard cough--I 'eard
it."

"It ain't much you don't hear, Dicky," ses Bob Pretty, turning on 'im;
"the on'y thing you never did 'ear, and never will 'ear, is any good of
yourself."

He kicked over a chair wot was in 'is way and went off in such a temper
as we'd never seen 'im in afore, and, wot was more surprising still, but
I know it's true, 'cos I drunk it up myself, he'd left over arf a pint
o' beer in 'is mug.

"He's up to some