Silas’s face got longer than ever.  “As a matter o’ fact,” he ses, “I’m a bit down on my luck, and I called round with the ’ope that Bill could lend me a bit, just till I can pull round.”

Mrs. Burtenshaw shook her ’ead.

“Well, I s’pose I can stay and see ’im?” ses Silas.  “Me and ’im used to be great pals at one time, and many’s the good turn I’ve done him.  Wot time’ll he be ’ome?”

“Any time after twelve,” ses Mrs. Burtenshaw; “but you’d better not be here then.  You see, ’im being in that condition, he might think you was your own ghost come according to promise and be frightened out of ’is life.  He’s often talked about it.”

Silas Winch scratched his head and looked at ’er thoughtful-like.

“Why shouldn’t he mistake me for a ghost?” he ses at last; “the shock might do ’im good.  And, if you come to that, why shouldn’t I pretend to be my own ghost and warn ’im off the drink?”

Mrs. Burtenshaw got so excited at the idea she couldn’t ’ardly speak, but at last, arter saying over and over agin she wouldn’t do such a thing for worlds, she and Silas arranged that he should come in at about three o’clock in the morning and give Bill a solemn warning.  She gave ’im her key, and Silas said he’d come in with his ’air and cap all wet and pretend he’d been drowned.

“It’s very kind of you to take all this trouble for nothing,” ses Mrs. Burtenshaw as Silas got up to go.

“Don’t mention it,” ses Silas.  “It ain’t the fust time, and I don’t suppose it’ll be the last, that I’ve put myself out to help my feller-creeturs.  We all ought to do wot we can for each other.”

“Mind, if he finds it out,” ses Mrs. Burtenshaw, all of a tremble, “I don’t know nothing about it.  P’r’aps to make it more life-like I’d better pretend not to see you.”

“P’r’aps it would be better,” ses Silas, stopping at the street door.  “All I ask is that you’ll ’ide the poker and anything else that might be laying about handy.  And you ’ad better oil the lock so as the key won’t make a noise.”

Mrs. Burtenshaw shut the door arter ’im, and then she went in and ’ad a quiet sit-down all by ’erself to think it over.  The only thing that comforted ’et was that Bill would be in licker, and also that ’e would believe anything in the ghost line.

It was past twelve when a couple o’ pals brought him ’ome, and, arter offering to fight all six of ’em, one after the other, Bill hit the wall for getting in ’is way, and tumbled upstairs to bed.  In less than ten minutes ’e was fast asleep, and pore Mrs. Burtenshaw, arter trying her best to keep awake, fell asleep too.