he told me to take a good look at 'im and tell him wot I thought of 'is
looks. There was no getting out of it, and at last I 'ad to tell him
plain that everybody 'ad diff'rent ideas about looks; that looks wasn't
everything; and that 'andsome is as 'andsome does. Even then 'e wasn't
satisfied, and at last I told 'im, speaking as a pal to a pal, that if I
was a gal and he came along trying to court me, I should go to the police
about it.

I remember two young fellers that was shipmates with me some years ago,
and they was such out-and-out pals that everybody called 'em the Siamese
twins. They always shipped together and shared lodgings together when
they was ashore, and Ted Denver would no more 'ave thought of going out
without Charlie Brice than Charlie Brice would 'ave thought of going out
without 'im. They shared their baccy and their money and everything
else, and it's my opinion that if they 'ad only 'ad one pair o' boots
between 'em they'd 'ave hopped along in one each.

They 'ad been like it for years, and they kept it up when they left the
sea and got berths ashore. Anybody knowing them would ha' thought that
nothing but death could part 'em; but it happened otherwise.

There was a gal in it, of course. A gal that Ted Denver got into
conversation with on top of a bus, owing to her steadying 'erself by
putting her hand on 'is shoulder as she passed 'im. Bright, lively sort
o' gal she seemed, and, afore Ted knew where he was, they was talking
away as though they 'ad known each other for years.

Charlie didn't seem to care much for it at fust, but he didn't raise no
objection; and when the gal got up to go he stopped the bus for 'er by
poking the driver in the back, and they all got off together. Ted went