"He always used to go off by hisself of a evening, and I used to wonder 'ow he passed the time. Then one night I found out.
"I had just come out of the Bear's Head, and stopped to look round afore going back to the wharf, when I see a couple o' people standing on the swing-bridge saying 'Good-bye' to each other. One of 'em was a man and the other wasn't.
"'Evening, cap'n,' I ses, as he came towards me, and gave a little start. 'I didn't know you 'ad brought your missis up with you this trip.'
"'Evening, Bill,' he ses, very peaceful. 'Wot a lovely evening!'
"'Bee-utiful!' I ses.
"'So fresh,' ses the skipper, sniffing in some of the air.
"'Makes you feel quite young agin,' I ses.
"He didn't say nothing to that, except to look at me out of the corner of 'is eye; and stepping on to the wharf had another look at the sky to admire it, and then went aboard his ship. If he 'ad only stood me a pint, and trusted me, things might ha' turned out different.
"Quite by chance I happened to be in the Bear's Head a week arterwards, and, quite by chance, as I came out I saw the skipper saying 'Good-bye' on the bridge agin. He seemed to be put out about something, and when I said 'Wot a lovely evening it would be if only it wasn't raining 'ard!' he said something about knocking my 'ead off.
"'And you keep your nose out o' my bisness,' he ses, very fierce.