“‘Somebody’s locked us in,’ I ses.  ‘Go and fetch Cap’n Tarbell.’

“‘Cap’n Tarbell?’ ses the cook.  ’You don’t want to see ’im.  Why, he’s the last man in the world you ought to want to see!  You don’t know ’ow jealous he is.’

“’You go and fetch ’im, I ses. ’’Ow dare you talk like that afore my wife!’

“‘I dursen’t take the responserbility,’ ses the cook.  ’It might mean bloodshed.’

“’You go and fetch ‘im,’ ses my missis.  ’Never mind about the bloodshed.  I don’t.  Open the door!’

“She started banging on the door agin, and arter talking among themselves for a time they moved off to the ship.  They came back in three or four minutes, and the cook ’eld up something in front of the window.

“’The boy ‘ad got it,’ he ses.  ’Now shall I open the door and let your missis in, or would you rather stay where you are in peace and quietness?’

“I saw my missis jump at the key, and Bob and the others, laughing fit to split their sides, ’olding her back.  Then I heard a shout, and the next moment Cap’n Tarbell came up and asked ’em wot the trouble was about.

“They all started talking at once, and then the cap’n, arter one look in at the window, threw up his ’ands and staggered back as if ’e couldn’t believe his eyesight.  He stood dazed-like for a second or two, and then ’e took the key out of the cook’s ’and, opened the door, and walked in.  The four men was close be’ind ’im, and, do all she could, my missis couldn’t get in front of ’em.

“‘Watchman!’ he ses, in a stuck-up voice, ’wot does this mean?  Laura Lamb! wot ’ave you got to say for yourself?  Where ’ave you been all the evening?’

“‘She’s been to a music-’all with Bill,’ ses the cook.  ’We saw ’em.’

“‘Wot?’ ses the cap’n, falling back again.  ‘It can’t be!’

“‘It was them,’ ses my wife.  ’A little boy brought me a note telling me.  You let me go; it’s my husband, and I want to talk to ‘im.’

“‘It’s all right,’ I ses, waving my ’and at Miss Lamb, wot was going to speak, and smiling at my missis, wot was trying to get at me.

“‘We went to look for you,’ ses Miss Lamb, very quick.  ’He said you were at the music-’all, and as you ’adn’t got my letter I thought it was very likely.’

“‘But I did get your letter,’ ses the cap’n.

“‘He said you didn’t,’ ses Miss Lamb.

“’Look ‘ere,’ I ses.  ’Why don’t you keep quiet and let me explain?  I can explain everything.’

“‘I’m glad o’ that, for your sake, my man,’ ses the cap’n, looking at me very hard.  ’I ’ope you will be able to explain ’ow it was you came to leave the wharf for three hours.’

“I saw it all then.  If I split about Mrs. Plimmer, he’d split to the guv’nor about my leaving my dooty, and I should get the sack.  I thought I should ha’ choked, and, judging by the way they banged me on the back, Bob and the cook thought so too.  They ’elped me to a chair when I got better, and I sat there ’elpless while the cap’n went on talking.