“Left it? Lord, love ye, long――long ago! Haven’t had any regular employment for ever so long. They gave me the sack soon after you left Bradford. I get a job when I can, and that’s not very often. I’m on the tramp now to see and find something to do, and haven’t a blessed mag about me.” “All this is very sad. And your wife?” “My wife? She took her hook without giving me an hour’s warning.” “Where is she?” “Umph! I should like to know, but I never shall now, I suppose. Oh, she’s turned me up. You see, we had a bit of a quarrel, and――――” “You were always having quarrels when I knew you, but whose fault was it――not hers?” “That’s true enough――it was mine. Well, I bear her no ill will. I hope she’s happier now. But look here, Charlie, we had some words. I’m sorry for what I said. You don’t bear malice, I suppose――there’s my hand.” “Let bygoes be bygones,” said Peace. “You’ve been your own enemy more than anyone else’s. I’m sorry to see you so down, but――――” “I know what you are going to say――it is my own fault. Well, if it is I am the sufferer; but, I say, do you happen to have a trifle you can spare an old chum? Something to help me on my road. I hope to get a job at Saltwich, and if I do I will return you what you may be able to lend――upon my soul I will, and no gammon.” “I am a struggling man myself, but still I’ll do something――here’s ten shillings. When you have the means to pay it me back do so.” “You’re a right down good fellow, Charlie,” exclaimed Bristow, in evident delight, “and I am sorry I said what I did, but you know well enough that I didn’t mean it.” “That will do――enough upon that head. Pull yourself together, and keep away from that cursed drink; it is that alone which has made you the wreck you are.” “Ah, I am a wreck――you are right enough! I am a wreck, that is true enough. I’m not the Jack Bristow you knew some three or four years ago.” “And what about Bessie?” said Peace. “What of her? She left her old quarters about――――” “About the same time as the missus. Ah, they both took their hook at the same time. I don’t think the old woman would have had the heart to go by herself. I’ll never be brought to believe that. She wouldn’t ha’ gone had it not a’ been for Bessie.” “And have you no idea where they went?” “Said they were going abroad, that’s all I know. Gone to America, Australia, or some such place. But, lord, I’ve given over thinking about ’em. What’s the use?” “I don’t know that it is of much use, but I cannot understand the reason for so sudden a flight.” “Oh, there’s good reason for the matter of that, leastways as far as my old woman is concerned. I don’t believe she ever cared a great deal about me, and that’s the honest truth. Well, latterly you see, she got fairly sick of me.” “You have nobody but yourself to blame for that.” “So you always told me. Well, one thing is quite clear, I can’t afford to keep a wife now――can’t keep myself.”