“I’ve seen a few things in the way of boats, but this ’ere’s a—­well, what do you make of it?” He pulled the tarpaulin back, and disclosed a vessel whose hull was nearing completion.  I did not ask if it was Pascoe’s work.  It was such an amusing and pathetic surprise, that, with the barge-builder’s leering face turned to me waiting for my guess, there was no need to answer.  “He reckons,” said the barge-builder, “that he can do a bit of cruising about the mouth of the Thames in that.  ’Bout all she wants now is to have a mast fitted, and to keep the water out, and she’ll do.”  He chuckled grimly.  Her lines were crude, and she had been built up, you could see, as Pascoe came across timber that was anywhere near being possible.  Her strakes were a patchwork of various kinds of wood, though when she was tarred their diversity would be hidden from all but the searching of the elements.  It was astonishing that Pascoe had done so well.  It was still more astonishing that he should think it would serve.

“I’ve given him a hand with it,” remarked the barge-builder, “an’ more advice than the old ’un ’ud take.  But I dessay ’e could potter about with the dam’ tub round about as far as Canvey, if ’e keeps it out of the wash of the steamers.  He’s been at this job two years now, and I shan’t be sorry to see my yard shut of it. . . .  Must humour the old boy, though. . . .  Nigglin’ job, mending boots, I reckon.  If I mended boots, I’d ’ave to let orf steam summow.  Or go on the booze.”

I felt hurt that Pascoe had not taken me into his confidence, and that his ship, so far as I was concerned, did not exist.  One Saturday evening, when I called, his room was in darkness.  Striking a match, there was his apron shrouding his hobbing foot.  This had never happened before, and I turned into the barge-builder’s.  The proprietor there faced me silently for a moment, treasuring a jest he was going to give me when I was sufficiently impatient for it.  “Come to see whether your boots are done?  Well, they ain’t.  Pascoe’s gone.  Christened his boat this morning, and pushed off.  Gone for a trial trip.  Gone down river.”

“Good Lord,” I said, or something of the sort.

“Yes,” continued the barge-builder, luxuriating in it, “and I’ve often wondered what name he’d give her, and he done it this morning, in gold leaf.  D’yer remember what she looked like?  All right.  Well, ’er name is the Heart’s Desire, and her skipper will be back soon, if she don’t fall apart too far off.”

Her skipper was not back soon, nor that day.  We had no news of him the next day.  A few women were in his workshop, when I called, hunting about for footwear that should have been repaired and returned, but was not. “’Ere they are,” cried one. “’Ere’s young Bill’s boots, and nothing done to ’em.  The silly old fool.  Why didn’t ’e tell me ’e was going to sea?  ’Ow’s young Bill to go to school on Monday now?” The others found their boots, all urgently wanted, and all as they were when Pascoe got them.  A commination began of light-minded cripples who took in young and innocent boots, promising them all things, and then treacherously abandoned them, to do God knew what; and so I left.