h
was to sail the day arter. They parted bad friends all round, and Ginger
Dick gave Peter a nasty black eye, and Sam said that when Ginger came to
see things in a proper way agin he'd be sorry for wot 'e'd said. And 'e
said that 'im and Peter never wanted to look on 'is face agin.

"Ginger Dick was a bit lonesome arter they'd gone, but 'e thought it
better to let a few days go by afore 'e went and adopted the red-'aired
landlady. He waited a week, and at last, unable to wait any longer, 'e
went out and 'ad a shave and smartened hisself up, and went off to the
Blue Lion.

"It was about three o'clock when 'e got there, and the little
public-'ouse was empty except for two old men in the jug-and-bottle
entrance. Ginger stopped outside a minute or two to try and stop 'is
trembling, and then 'e walks into the private bar and raps on the
counter.

"'Glass o' bitter, ma'am, please,' he ses to the old lady as she came
out o' the little parlour at the back o' the bar.

"The old lady drew the beer, and then stood with one 'and holding the
beer-pull and the other on the counter, looking at Ginger Dick in 'is
new blue jersey and cloth cap.

"'Lovely weather, ma'am,' ses Ginger, putting his left arm on the
counter and showing the sailor-boy dancing the hornpipe.

"'Very nice,' ses the landlady, catching sight of 'is wrist an' staring
at it. 'I suppose you sailors like fine weather?'

"'Yes, ma'am,' ses Ginger, putting his elbows on the counter so that the
tattoo marks on both wrists was showing. 'Fine weather an' a fair wind
suits us.'

"'It's a 'ard life, the sea,' ses the old lady.

"She kept wiping down the counter in front of 'im over an' over agin,
an' 'e could see 'er staring at 'is wrists as though she could 'ardly
believe her eyes. Then she went back into the parlour, and Ginger 'eard
her whispering, and by and by she came out agin with the blue-eyed
barmaid.

"'Have you been at sea long?' ses the old lady.

"'Over twenty-three years, ma'am,' ses Ginger, avoiding the barmaid's
eye wot was fixed on 'is wrists, 'and I've been shipwrecked four times;
the fust time when I was a little nipper o' fourteen.'

"'Pore thing,' ses the landlady, shaking 'er 'ead. 'I can feel for you;
my boy went to sea at that age, and I've never seen 'im since.'

"'I'm sorry to 'ear it, ma'am,' ses Ginger, very respectful-like. 'I
suppose I've lost my mother, so I can feel for you.'

"'Suppose you've lost your mother!' ses the barmai