“She was quiet, and stupid, and bad-tempered.  When the bus-conductor came round for the fares she ’adn’t got any change; and when we got to the hall she did such eggsterrordinary things trying to find ’er pocket that I tried to look as if she didn’t belong to me.  When she left off she smiled and said she was farther off than ever, and arter three or four wot was standing there ’ad begged ’er to have another try, I ’ad to pay for the two.

“The ’ouse was pretty full when we got in, but she didn’t take no notice of that.  Her idea was that she could walk about all over the place looking for Cap’n Tarbell, and it took three men in buttons and a policeman to persuade ‘er different.  We were pushed into a couple o’ seats at last, and then she started finding fault with me.

“‘Where is Cap’n Tarbell?’ she ses.  ‘Why don’t you find him?’

“’I’ll go and look for ‘im in the bar presently,’ I ses.  ’He’s sure to be there, arter a turn or two.’

“I managed to keep ’er quiet for ’arf an hour—­with the ’elp of the people wot sat near us—­and then I ’ad to go.  I ‘ad a glass o’ beer to pass the time away, and, while I was drinking it, who should come up but the cook and one of the hands from the Lizzie and Annie.

“‘We saw you,’ ses the cook, winking; ‘didn’t we Bob?’

“‘Yes,’ ses Bob, shaking his silly ’ead; ’but it wasn’t no surprise to me.  I’ve ’ad my eye on ‘im for a long time past.’

“’I thought ‘e was married,’ ses the cook.

“‘So he is,’ ses Bob, ’and to the best wife in London.  I know where she lives.  Mine’s a bottle o’ Bass,’ he ses, turning to me.

“‘So’s mine,’ ses the cook.

“I paid for two bottles for ’em, and arter that they said that they’d ’ave a whisky and soda apiece just to show as there was no ill-feeling.

“‘It’s very good,’ ses Bob, sipping his, ’but it wants a sixpenny cigar to go with it.  It’s been the dream o’ my life to smoke a sixpenny cigar.’

“’So it ‘as mine,’ ses the cook, ‘but I don’t suppose I ever shall.’

“They both coughed arter that, and like a goodnatured fool I stood ’em a sixpenny cigar apiece, and I ’ad just turned to go back to my seat when up come two more hands from the Lizzie and Annie.

“‘Halloa, watchman!’ ses one of ’em.  ’Why, I thought you was a-taking care of the wharf.’

“‘He’s got something better than the wharf to take care of,’ ses Bob, grinning.

“’I know; we see ‘im,’ ses the other chap.  ’We’ve been watching ’is goings-on for the last ‘arf-hour; better than a play it was.’

“I stopped their mouths with a glass o’ bitter each, and went back to my seat while they was drinking it.  I told Miss Lamb in whispers that ’e wasn’t there, but I’d ‘ave another look for him by and by.  If she’d ha’ whispered back it would ha’ been all right, but she wouldn’t, and, arter a most unpleasant scene, she walked out with her ’ead in the air follered by me with two men in buttons and a policeman.