you, and knowing 'ow respectable you 'ave always purtended to be, and
also and likewise that you ain't no chicken----'

"I thought 'e was going to 'ave a fit. He 'opped about, waving his arms
and stuttering and going on in such a silly way that I didn't like to be
seen with 'im. Twice he knocked my 'at off, and arter telling him wot
would 'appen if 'e did it agin, I walked off and left him.

"Even then 'e wasn't satisfied, and arter coming on to the wharf and
following me up and down like a little dog, he got in front of me and
told me some more things he 'ad thought of.

"'If I catch you spying on me agin,' he ses, 'you'll wish you'd never
been born!'

"'You get aboard and 'ave a quiet sleep,' I ses. 'You're wandering in
your mind.'

"'The lady you saw me with,' he ses, looking at me very fierce, 'is a
friend o' mine that I meet sometimes for the sake of her talk.'

"'Talk!' I ses, staring at 'im. 'Talk! Wot, can't one woman talk enough
for you? Is your missis dumb? or wot?'

"'You don't understand,' he ses, cocking up 'is nose at me. 'She's a
interleckshal woman; full of eddication and information. When my missis
talks, she talks about the price o' things and says she must 'ave more
money. Or else she talks about things I've done, or sometimes things I
'aven't done. It's all one to her. There's no pleasure in that sort o'
talk. It don't help a man.'