"Why did you leave your happy 'ome and your children wot loved
you?"
The potman let off a whistle that you could have 'eard acrost the river,
and as for me, I thought I should ha' dropped. To have a woman standing
sobbing and taking my character away like that was a'most more than I
could bear.
"Did he run away from you?" ses the potman.
"Ye-ye-yes," she ses. "He went off on a vy'ge to China over nine years
ago, and that's the last I saw of 'im till to-night. A lady friend o'
mine thought she reckernized 'im yesterday, and told me."
"I shouldn't cry over 'im," ses the potman, shaking his 'ead: "he ain't
worth it. If I was you I should just give 'im a bang or two over the
'ead with my umberella, and then give 'im in charge."
I stepped inside the wicket--backwards--and then I slammed it in their
faces, and putting the key in my pocket, walked up the wharf. I knew it
was no good standing out there argufying. I felt sorry for the pore
thing in a way. If she really thought I was her 'usband, and she 'ad
lost me---- I put one or two things straight and then, for the sake of
distracting my mind, I 'ad a word or two with the skipper of the John
Henry, who was leaning against the side of his ship, smoking.
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