“Ginger Dick looks at ’em ’ard, ’e did, and then, ’e ses, jeering like:
“‘I ’spose you don’t want any Post Office money-orders sent you, then?’ he ses.
“‘No,’ says Sam and Peter, both together.
“‘You may have ’em all,’ ses Sam; ‘but if you’ll be ruled by us, Ginger, you’ll give it up, same as wot we ’ave—you’ll sleep the sweeter for it.’
“‘Give it up!’ shouts Ginger, dancing up an’ down the room, ‘arter being tattooed all over? Why, you must be crazy, Sam—wot’s the matter with you?’
“‘It ain’t fair play agin a woman,’ says old Sam, ‘three strong men agin one poor old woman; that’s wot we feel, Ginger.’
“‘Well, I don’t feel like it,’ ses Ginger; ‘you please yourself, and I’ll please myself.’
“’E went off in a huff, an’ next morning ’e was so disagreeable that Sam an’ Peter went and signed on board a steamer called the Penguin, which was to sail the day arter. They parted bad friends all round, and Ginger Dick gave Peter a nasty black eye, and Sam said that when Ginger came to see things in a proper way agin he’d be sorry for wot ’e’d said. And ’e said that ’im and Peter never wanted to look on ’is face agin.
“Ginger Dick was a bit lonesome arter they’d gone, but ’e thought it better to let a few days go by afore ’e went and adopted the red-’aired landlady. He waited a week, and at last, unable to wait any longer, ’e went out and ’ad a shave and smartened hisself up, and went off to the Blue Lion.
“It was about three o’clock when ’e got there, and the little public-’ouse was empty except for two old men in the jug-and-bottle entrance. Ginger stopped outside a minute or two to try and stop ’is trembling, and then ’e walks into the private bar and raps on the counter.