"Not afore I know where I am," ses Mrs. Cook, with a laugh that was worse
than Charlie's.

"The chance of a lifetime," ses Charlie, trying to keep 'is temper. "I
can't tell you wot it is, because I've promised to keep it secret for a
time. You'll be surprised when I do tell you."

"If I wait till then till I'm surprised," ses Mrs. Cook, "I shall 'ave to
wait a long time. My advice to you is to take that shop and ha' done
with it."

Charlie sat there arguing all the evening, but it was no good, and the
idea o' them people sitting there and refusing to let 'im have his own
money pretty near sent 'im crazy. It was all 'e could do to kiss Emma
good-night, and 'e couldn't have 'elped slamming the front door if he'd
been paid for it. The only comfort he 'ad got left was the Sydney gal's
photygraph, and he took that out and looked at it under nearly every
lamp-post he passed.

He went round the next night and 'ad an-other try to get 'is money, but
it was no use; and all the good he done was to make Mrs. Cook in such a
temper that she 'ad to go to bed before he 'ad arf finished. It was no
good talking to old Cook and Emma, because they daren't do anything
without 'er, and it was no good calling things up the stairs to her
because she didn't answer. Three nights running Mrs. Cook went off to
bed afore eight o'clock, for fear she should say something to 'im as
she'd be sorry for arterwards; and for three nights Charlie made 'imself
so disagreeable that Emma told 'im plain the sooner 'e went back to sea
agin the better she should like it. The only one who seemed to enjoy it