brush. You ain't fit to be trusted out alone."

I believe 'e told his 'ands wot I said; anyway, two bits o' coke missed
me by 'arf an inch next evening, and for some weeks not one of 'em spoke
a word to me. When they see me coming they just used to stand up
straight and twist their nose.

It didn't 'urt me, o' course. I took no notice of 'em. Even when one of
'em fell over the broom I was sweeping with I took no notice of 'im. I
just went on with my work as if 'e wasn't there.

I suppose they 'ad been in the sulks about a month, and I was sitting
'ere one evening getting my breath arter a couple o' hours' 'ard work,
when one of 'em, George Tebb by name, came off the ship and nodded to me
as he passed.

"Evening, Bill," he ses.

"Evening," I ses, rather stiff.

"I wanted a word with you, Bill," he ses, in a low voice. "In fact, I
might go so far as to say I want to ask you to do me a favour."

I looked at him so 'ard that he coughed and looked away.

"We might talk about it over a 'arf-pint," he ses.

"No, thank you," I ses. "I 'ad a 'arf-pint the day before yesterday, and
I'm not thirsty."