worse they seemed. I've 'eard people say that if you have a clear
conscience nothing can hurt you. They didn't know my missus.

I got up at last and walked on to the jetty, and the woman, wot was
sitting on the deck of the John Henry, kept calling out: "Bill!" like a
sick baa-lamb crying for its ma. I went back, and 'ad four pints at the
Bear's Head, but it didn't seem to do me any good, and at last I went and
sat down in the office to wait for morning.

It came at last, a lovely morning with a beautiful sunrise; and that
woman sitting up wide awake, waiting to foller me 'ome. When I opened
the gate at six o'clock she was there with the mate and the skipper,
waiting, and when I left at five minutes past she was trotting along
beside me.

Twice I stopped and spoke to 'er, but it was no good. Other people
stopped too, and I 'ad to move on agin; and every step was bringing me
nearer to my house and the missus.

I turned into our street, arter passing it three times, and the first
thing I saw was my missus standing on the doorstep 'aving a few words
with the lady next door. Then she 'appened to look up and see us, just
as that silly woman was trying to walk arm-in-arm.

Twice I knocked her 'and away, and then, right afore my wife and the
party next door, she put her arm round my waist. By the time I got to
the 'ouse my legs was trembling so I could hardly stand, and when I got
into the passage I 'ad to lean up against the wall for a bit.

[Illustration: RIGHT AFORE MY WIFE AND THE PARTY NEXT DOOR SHE PUT HER