She was silent for a few seconds, then she ses, “All right,” she ses, “I’ll bring it myself, then, by hand every week.  No, Bill sha’n’t come; I’ll promise that for ’im.  Do go away; he might put his ’ead up at any moment.”

She began to gasp and sob, and Bill began to think wot a good wife he ’ad got, when he felt ’er put a couple of pillers over where she judged his ’ead to be, and hold ’em down with her arm.

“Thank you, Mr. Winch,” she ses, very loud.  “Thank you.  Good-by, Good-by.”

She began to quieten down a bit, although little sobs, like wimmen use when they pretend that they want to leave off crying but can’t, kept breaking out of ’er.  Then, by and by, she quieted down altogether and a husky voice from near the foot of the bed ses:  “Has it gorn?”

“Oh, Bill,” she ses, with another sob, “I’ve seen the ghost!”

“Has it gorn?” ses Bill, agin.

“Yes, it’s gorn,” ses his wife, shivering.  “Oh, Bill, it stood at the foot of the bed looking at me, with its face and ’ands all shiny white, and damp curls on its forehead.  Oh!”

Bill came up very slow and careful, but with ’is eyes still shut.

“His wife didn’t get the money this week,” ses Mrs. Burtenshaw; “but as he thought there might be a mistake somewhere he appeared to me instead of to you.  I’ve got to take the money by hand.”

“Yes, I heard,” ses Bill; “and mind, if you should lose it or be robbed of it, let me know at once.  D’ye hear?  At once!”

“Yes, Bill,” ses ’is wife.

They lay quiet for some time, although Mrs. Burtenshaw still kept trembling and shaking; and then Bill ses.  “Next time a man tells you he ’as seen a ghost, p’r’aps you’ll believe in ’im.”

Mrs. Burtenshaw took out the end of the sheet wot she ’ad stuffed in ’er mouth when ’e began to speak.

“Yes, Bill,” she ses.

Bill Burtenshaw gave ’er the fifteen shillings next morning and every Friday night arterwards; and that’s ’ow it is that, while other wimmen ’as to be satisfied looking at new hats and clothes in the shop-winders, Mrs. Burtenshaw is able to wear ’em.