"I put my broom agin the wall, and we walked round to the Bull"s Head like a couple o" brothers. We "ad two pints apiece, and then he put his "and on my shoulder and talked as man to man.
""I"m in a little bit o" difficulty about that gal o" mine," he ses, pa.s.sing me his baccy-box. "Six months ago she dropped a letter out of "er pocket, and I"m blest if it wasn"t from a young man. A young man!"
""You sur-prise me," I ses, meaning to be sarcastic.
""I surprised her," he ses, looking very fierce. "I went to "er box and I found a pile of "em-a pile of "em-tied up with a piece o" pink ribbon.
And a photygraph of my lord. And of all the narrer-chested, weak-eyed, slack-baked, spindly-legged sons of a gun you ever saw in your life, he is the worst. If I on"y get my "ands on him I"ll choke "im with his own feet."
"He washed "is mouth out with a drop o" beer and stood scowling at the floor.
""Arter I"ve choked "im I"ll twist his neck," he ses. "If he "ad on"y put his address on "is letters, I"d go round and do it now. And my daughter, my only daughter, won"t tell me where he lives."
""She ought to know better," I ses.
"He took hold o" my "and and shook it. "You"ve got more sense than one "ud think to look at you, Bill," he ses, not thinking wot he was saying.
"You see wot a mess I"m in."
""Yes," I ses.
""I"m a nurse, that"s wot I am," he ses, very savage. "Just a nursemaid.
I can"t move "and or foot without that gal. "Ow"d you like it, yourself, Bill?"
""It must be very orkard for you," I ses. "Very orkard indeed."
""Orkard!" he ses; "it"s no name for it, Bill. I might as well be a Sunday-school teacher, and ha" done with it. I never "ad such a dull time in all my life. Never. And the worst of it is, it"s spiling my temper. And all because o" that narrer-eyed, red-chested-you know wot I mean!"
"He took another mouthful o" beer, and then he took "old of my arm.
"Bill," he ses, very earnest, "I want you to do me a favour."
""Go ahead," I ses.
""I"ve got to meet a pal at Charing Cross at ha"-past seven," he ses; "and we"re going to make a night of it. I"ve left Winnie in charge o"
the cook, and I"ve told "im plain that, if she ain"t there when I come back, I"ll skin "im alive. Now, I want you to watch "er, too. Keep the gate locked, and don"t let anybody in you don"t know. Especially that monkey-faced imitation of a man. Here "e is. That"s his likeness."
"He pulled a photygraph out of "is coatpocket and "anded it to me.
""That"s "im," he ses. "Fancy a gal getting love-letters from a thing like that! And she was on"y twenty last birthday. Keep your eye on "er, Bill, and don"t let "er out of your sight. You"re worth two o" the cook."
"He finished "is beer, and, cuddling my arm, stepped back to the wharf.
Miss b.u.t.t was sitting on the cabin skylight reading a book, and old Joe, the cook, was standing near "er pretending to swab the decks with a mop.
""I"ve got to go out for a little while-on business," ses the skipper.
"I don"t s"pose I shall be long, and, while I"m away, Bill and the cook will look arter you."
"Miss b.u.t.t wrinkled up "er shoulders.
""The gate"ll be locked, and you"re not to leave the wharf. D"ye "ear?"
"The gal wriggled "er shoulders agin and went on reading, but she gave the cook a look out of "er innercent baby eyes that nearly made "im drop the mop.
""Them"s my orders," ses the skipper, swelling his chest and looking round, "to everybody. You know wot"ll "appen to you, Joe, if things ain"t right when I come back. Come along, Bill, and lock the gate arter me. An" mind, for your own sake, don"t let anything "appen to that gal while I"m away."
""Wot time"ll you be back?" I ses, as "e stepped through the wicket.
""Not afore twelve, and p"r"aps a good bit later," he ses, smiling all over with "appiness. "But young slab-chest don"t know I"m out, and Winnie thinks I"m just going out for "arf an hour, so it"ll be all right. So long."
"I watched "im up the road, and I must say I began to wish I "adn"t taken the job on. Arter all, I "ad on"y had two pints and a bit o"
flattery, and I knew wot "ud "appen if anything went wrong. Built like a bull he was, and fond o" using his strength. I locked the wicket careful, and, putting the key in my pocket, began to walk up and down the wharf.
"For about ten minutes the gal went on reading and didn"t look up once.
Then, as I pa.s.sed, she gave me a nice smile and shook "er little fist at the cook, wot "ad got "is back towards "er. I smiled back, o" course, and by and by she put her book down and climbed on to the side o" the ship and held out her "and for me to "elp her ash.o.r.e.
""I"m so tired of the ship," she ses, in a soft voice; "it"s like a prison. Don"t you get, tired of the wharf?"
""Sometimes," I ses; "but it"s my dooty."
""Yes," she ses. "Yes, of course. But you"re a big, strong man, and you can put up with things better."
"She gave a little sigh, and we walked up and down for a time without saying anything.
""And it"s all father"s foolishness," she ses, at last; "that"s wot makes it so tiresome. I can"t help a pack of silly young men writing to me, can I?"
""No, I s"pose not," I ses.
""Thank you," she ses, putting "er little "and on my arm. "I knew that you were sensible. I"ve often watched you when I"ve been sitting alone on the schooner, longing for somebody to speak to. And I"m a good judge of character. I can read you like a book."
"She turned and looked up at me. Beautiful blue eyes she"d got, with long, curling lashes, and teeth like pearls.
""Father is so silly," she ses, shaking her "ead and looking down; "and it"s so unreasonable, because, as a matter of fact, I don"t like young men. Oh, I beg your pardon, I didn"t mean that. I didn"t mean to be rude."
""Rude?" I ses, staring at her.
""Of course it was a rude thing for me to say," she ses, smiling; "because you are still a young man yourself."
"I shook my "ead. "Youngish," I ses.
""Young!" she ses, stamping "er little foot.
"She gave me another look, and this time "er blue eyes seemed large and solemn. She walked along like one in a dream, and twice she tripped over the planks and would "ave fallen if I hadn"t caught "er round the waist.
""Thank you," she ses. "I"m very clumsy. How strong your arm is!"
"We walked up and down agin, and every time we went near the edge of the jetty she "eld on to my arm for fear of stumbling agin. And there was that silly cook standing about on the schooner on tip-toe and twisting his silly old neck till I wonder it didn"t twist off.
""Wot a beautiful evening it is!" she ses, at last, in a low voice. "I "ope father isn"t coming back early. Do you know wot time he is coming home?"
""About twelve," I ses; "but don"t tell "im I told you so."