At the same moment the skipper walked
across the deck and whispered to me.
"Wot d'ye mean by it?" he ses. "Wot d'ye mean by 'aving letters from
Dorothy and not telling me about it?"
"I can't help 'aving letters any more than you can," I ses. "Now
p'r'aps you'll understand wot I meant by calling 'er a forward hussy."
"Fancy 'er writing to you!" he ses, wrinkling 'is forehead. "Pph! She
must be crazy."
"P'r'aps it ain't a gal at all," I ses. "My belief is somebody is
'aving a game with us."
"Don't be a fool," he ses. "I'd like to see the party as would make a
fool of me like that. Just see 'im and get my 'ands on him. He
wouldn't want to play any more games."
It was no good talking to 'im. He was 'arf crazy with temper. If I'd
said the letter was meant for 'im he'd 'ave asked me wot I meant by
opening it and getting 'im into more trouble with 'is missis, instead of
giving it to 'im on the quiet. I just stood and suffered in silence,
and thought wot a lot of 'arm eddication did for people.
"I want some money," ses my missis, coming back at last with Mrs.
Smithers.
That was the way she always talked when she'd got me in 'er power.
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