"I didn't answer 'im a word. I might ha' told 'im that there was plenty of people arter me ready to give me double the money, but I knew he could never get anybody to do their dooty by the wharf like I 'ad done, so I kept quiet. It's the way I treat my missis nowadays, and it pays; in the old days I used to waste my breath answering 'er back. "I wouldn't ha' minded so much if it 'adn't ha' been for that boy. He used to pass me, as 'e went off of a evening, with a little sly smile on 'is ugly little face, and sometimes when I was standing at the gate he'd give a sniff or two and say that he could smell beer, and he supposed it came from the Bear's Head. "It was about three weeks arter the guv'nor 'ad forgot 'imself, and I was standing by the gate one evening, when I saw a woman coming along carrying a big bag in her 'and. I 'adn't seen 'er afore, and when she stopped in front of me and smiled I was on my guard at once. I don't smile at other people, and I don't expect them to smile at me. "'At last!' she ses, setting down 'er bag and giving me another smile. 'I thought I was never going to get 'ere." "I coughed and backed inside a little bit on to my own ground. I didn't want to 'ave that little beast of a office-boy spreading tales about me. "'I've come up to 'ave a little fling,' she ses, smiling away harder than ever. 'My husband don't know I'm 'ere. He thinks I'm at 'ome.' "I think I went back pretty near three yards. "'I come up by train,' she ses, nodding. "'Yes,' I ses, very severe, 'and wot about going back by it?' "'Oh, I shall go back by ship,' she ses. 'Wot time do you expect the Eastern Monarch up?' "'Well,' I ses, 'ardly knowing wot to make of 'er, 'she ought to be up this tide; but there's no reckoning on wot an old washtub with a engine like a sewing-machine inside 'er will do.' "'Oh, indeed!' she ses, leaving off smiling very sudden. 'Oh, indeed! My husband might 'ave something to say about that.' "'Your 'usband?' I ses. "'Captain Pratt,' she ses, drawing 'erself up. 'I'm Mrs. Pratt. He left yesterday morning, and I've come up 'ere by train to give 'im a little surprise.' "You might ha' knocked me down with a feather, and I stood there staring at her with my mouth open, trying to think. "'Take care,' I ses at last. 'Take care as you don't give 'im too much of a surprise!' "'Wot do you mean?' she ses, firing up. "'Nothing,' I ses. 'Nothing, only I've known 'usbands in my time as didn't like being surprised--that's all. If you take my advice, you'll go straight back home agin.' "'I'll tell 'im wot you say,' she ses, 'as soon as 'is ship comes in.' "That's a woman all over; the moment they get into a temper they want to hurt somebody; and I made up my mind at once that, if anybody was going to be 'urt, it wasn't me. And, besides, I thought it might be for the skipper's good--in the long run.