“It’s no good to-night, mate,” he ses; and to Ginger’s great surprise shook ’ands with ’im.

“No good?” ses Ginger, staring.

“No,” ses Bill; “he’s in the little back-parlour, like a whelk in ’is shell; but we’ll ’ave ’im sooner or later.”

“Him?  Who?” ses Ginger, more puzzled than ever.

“Who?” ses Bill; “why, Webson, the landlord.  You don’t mean to tell me you ain’t heard about it?”

“Heard wot?” ses Ginger.  “I haven’t ’card any-thing.  I’ve been indoors with a bad cold all the week.”

“Webson and Julia Tucker was married at eleven o’clock yesterday morning,” ses Bill Lumm, in a hoarse voice.  “When I think of the way I’ve been done, and wot I’ve suffered, I feel ’arf crazy.  He won a ’undered pounds through me, and then got the gal I let myself be disgraced for.  I ’ad an idea some time ago that he’d got ’is eye on her.”

Ginger Dick didn’t answer ’im a word.  He staggered back and braced ’imself up agin the wall for a bit, and arter staring at Bill Lumm in a wild way for pretty near three minutes he crawled back to ’is lodgings and went straight to bed agin.