'Liza,' he said. 'I ain't 'urt yer?' She didn't answer, and he took her in his arms. 'Liza, I ain't 'urt you, 'ave I? Say I ain't 'urt yer. I'm so sorry, I beg your pardon, Liza.' 'Arright, old chap,' she said, smiling charmingly on him. 'It wasn't the blow that 'urt me much; it was the wy you was talkin'.' 'I didn't mean it, Liza.' He was so contrite, he could not humble himself enough. 'I 'ad another bloomin' row with the missus ter-night, an' then when I didn't find you 'ere, an' I kept witin' an' witin'--well, I fair downright lost my 'air. An' I 'ad two or three pints of four 'alf, an'--well, I dunno--' 'Never mind, old cock. I can stand more than thet as long as yer loves me.' He kissed her and they were quite friends again. But the little quarrel had another effect which was worse for Liza. When she woke up next morning she noticed a slight soreness over the ridge of bone under the left eye, and on looking in the glass saw that it was black and blue and green. She bathed it, but it remained, and seemed to get more marked. She was terrified lest people should see it, and kept indoors all day; but next morning it was blacker than ever. She went to the factory with her hat over her eyes and her head bent down; she escaped observation, but on the way home she was not so lucky. The sharp eyes of some girls noticed it first. 'Wot's the matter with yer eye?' asked one of them. 'Me?' answered Liza, putting her hand up as if in ignorance. 'Nothin' thet I knows of.' Two or three young men were standing by, and hearing the girl, looked up. 'Why, yer've got a black eye, Liza!' 'Me? I ain't got no black eye!' 'Yus you 'ave; 'ow d'yer get it?' 'I dunno,' said Liza. 'I didn't know I 'ad one.' 'Garn! tell us another!' was the answer. 'One doesn't git a black eye without knowin' 'ow they got it.' 'Well, I did fall against the chest of drawers yesterday; I suppose I must 'ave got it then.' 'Oh yes, we believe thet, don't we?' 'I didn't know 'e was so 'andy with 'is dukes, did you, Ted?' asked one man of another. Liza felt herself grow red to the tips of her toes. 'Who?' she asked. 'Never you mind; nobody you know.' At that moment Jim's wife passed and looked at her with a scowl. Liza wished herself a hundred miles away, and blushed more violently than ever. 'Wot are yer blushin' abaht?' ingenuously asked one of the girls. And they all looked from her to Mrs. Blakeston and back again. Someone said: ''Ow abaht our Sunday boots on now?' And a titter went through them. Liza's nerve deserted her; she could think of nothing to say, and a sob burst from her. To hide the tears which were coming from her eyes she turned away and walked homewards. Immediately a great shout of laughter broke from the group, and she heard them positively screaming till she got into her own house. 11 A few days afterwards Liza was talking with Sally, who did not seem very much happier than when Liza had last seen her.