'ard that I began to alter my mind.

"You're as honest as daylight, Bill," he ses, very earnest. "I don't
know another man in the world I could trust with twenty-five quid--
especially myself. Now, put it in your pocket and look arter it for me.
One of the quids in it is for you, for your trouble."

He slipped the box in my coat-pocket, and then he said 'is mind was so
relieved that 'e felt like 'arf a pint. I was for going to the Bear's
Head, the place I generally go to, because it is next door to the wharf,
so to speak, but George wanted me to try the beer at another place he
knew of.

"The wharf's all right," he ses. "There's one or two 'ands on the ship,
and they won't let anybody run away with it."

From wot he said I thought the pub was quite close, but instead o' that I
should think we walked pretty nearly a mile afore we got there. Nice
snug place it was, and the beer was all right, although, as I told George
Tebb, it didn't seem to me any better than the stuff at the Bear's Head.

He stood me two 'arf-pints and was just going to order another, when 'e
found 'e 'adn't got any money left, and he wouldn't hear of me paying for
it, because 'e said it was his treat.

"We'll 'ave a quid out o' the box," he ses. "I must 'ave one to go on
with, anyway." I shook my 'ead at 'im.

"Only one," he ses, "and that'll last me a fortnight. Besides, I want to
give you the quid I promised you."