“I didn’t see ’im saying ‘Good-bye’ the next week or the week arter that either, but the third week, arter just calling in at the Bear’s Head, I strolled on casual-like and got as far as the bottom of Tower Hill afore I remembered myself. Turning the corner, I a’most fell over the skipper, wot was right in the fair way, shaking ’ands with his lady-friend under the lamp-post. Both of ’em started, and I couldn’t make up my mind which gave me the most unpleasant look.
“‘Peep-bo!’ I ses, cheerful-like.
“He stood making a gobbling noise at me, like a turkey.
“‘Give me quite a start, you did,’ I ses. ‘I didn’t dream of you being there.’
“‘Get off!’ he ses, spluttering. ‘Get off, afore I tear you limb from limb! ’Ow dare you follow me about and come spying round corners at me? Wot d’ye mean by it?’
“I stood there with my arms folded acrost my chest, as calm as a cucumber. The other party stood there watching us, and wot ’e could ’ave seen in her, I can’t think. She was dressed more like a man than a woman, and it would have taken the good looks of twenty like her to ’ave made one barmaid. I stood looking at ’er like a man in a dream.
“‘Well, will you know me agin?’ she ses, in a nasty cracked sort of voice.
“‘I could pick you out of a million,’ I ses—‘if I wanted to.’
“‘Clear out!’ ses the skipper. ‘Clear out! And thank your stars there’s a lady present.’
“‘Don’t take no notice of ’im, Captain Pratt,’ ses the lady. ‘He’s beneath you. You only encourage people like that by taking notice of ’em. Good-bye.’