“‘She—­she’s shy,’ I ses.  ’Always was, all ’er life.  She can’t bear other people.  She likes to be alone with me.’

“‘Oh, watchman!’ ses the boy.  ‘I wonder where you expect to go to?’

“‘Missis my grandmother!’ ses the skipper, with a wink.  ’I’m going to ‘ave a peep.’

“‘Stand back!’ I ses, pushing ’im off.  ’I don’t spy on you, and I don’t want you to come spying on me.  You get off!  D’ye hear me?  Get off!’

“We had a bit of a struggle, till my foot slipped, and while I was waving my arms and trying to get my balance back ’e made a dash for the empties.  Next moment he was roaring like a mad bull that ’ad sat down in a sorsepan of boiling water, and rushing back agin to kill me.

“I believe that if it ‘adn’t ha’ been for a couple o’ lightermen wot ’ad just come on to the jetty from their skiff, and two of his own ’ands, he’d ha’ done it.  Crazy with passion ’e was, and it was all the four of ’em could do to hold ’im.  Every now and then he’d get a yard nearer to me, and then they’d pull ‘im back a couple o’ yards and beg of ’im to listen to reason and ’ear wot I ’ad to say.  And as soon as I started and began to tell ’em about ’is lady-friend he broke out worse than ever.  People acrost the river must ha’ wondered wot was ’appening.  There was two lightermen, two sailormen, me and the skipper, and Mrs. Pratt all talking at once, and nobody listening but the office-boy.  And in the middle of it all the wicket was pushed open and the ’ed of the lady wot all the trouble was about peeped in, and drew back agin.

“‘There you are!’ I ses, shouting my ’ardest.  ’There she is.  That’s the lady I was telling you about.  Now, then:  put ’em face to face and clear my character.  Don’t let ‘er escape.’

“One o’ the lightermen let go o’ the skipper and went arter ’er, and, just as I was giving the other three a helping ’and, ’e came back with ’er.  Mrs. Pratt caught ’er breath, and as for the skipper, ’e didn’t know where to look, as the saying is.  I just saw the lady give ’im one quick look, and then afore I could dream of wot was coming, she rushes up to me and flings ’er long, bony arms round my neck.

“‘Why, William!’ she ses, ’wot’s the matter?  Why didn’t you meet me?  Didn’t you get my letter?  Or ’ave you ceased to care for me?”

“‘Let go!’ I ses, struggling.  ’Let go!  D’ye ’ear?  Wot d’ye mean by it?  You’ve got ‘old of the wrong one.’

“’Oh, ‘William!’ she ses, arf strangling me. ’’Ow can you talk to me like that?  Where’s your ‘art?’

“I never knew a woman so strong.  I don’t suppose she’d ever ’ad the chance of getting ’er arms round a man’s neck afore, and she hung on to me as if she’d never let go.  And all the time I was trying to explain things to them over ’er shoulder I could see they didn’t believe a word I was saying.  One o’ the lightermen said I was a ‘wonder,’ and the other said I was a ‘fair cough-drop.’  Me!