Deep Waters, the Entire Collection. William Wymark Jacobs

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СКАЧАТЬ of chaps that want to borrow ten bob for a couple o’ days would surprise you.”

      “I ain’t so easy surprised,” I ses, shaking my ‘ead.

      “It ain’t safe with me,” he ses; “and the favour I want you to do is to take care of it for me. I know it’ll go if I keep it. I’ve got it locked up in this box. And if you keep the box I’ll keep the key, and when I want a bit I’ll come and see you about it.”

      He pulled a little box out of ‘is pocket and rattled it in my ear.

      “There’s five-and-twenty golden goblins in there,” he ses. “If you take charge of ‘em they’ll be all right. If you don’t, I’m pretty certain I sha’n’t ‘ave one of ‘em in a week or two’s time.”

      At fust I said I wouldn’t ‘ave anything to do with it, but he begged so ‘ard that I began to alter my mind.

      “You’re as honest as daylight, Bill,” he ses, very earnest. “I don’t know another man in the world I could trust with twenty-five quid— especially myself. Now, put it in your pocket and look arter it for me. One of the quids in it is for you, for your trouble.”

      He slipped the box in my coat-pocket, and then he said ‘is mind was so relieved that ‘e felt like ‘arf a pint. I was for going to the Bear’s Head, the place I generally go to, because it is next door to the wharf, so to speak, but George wanted me to try the beer at another place he knew of.

      “The wharf’s all right,” he ses. “There’s one or two ‘ands on the ship, and they won’t let anybody run away with it.”

      From wot he said I thought the pub was quite close, but instead o’ that I should think we walked pretty nearly a mile afore we got there. Nice snug place it was, and the beer was all right, although, as I told George Tebb, it didn’t seem to me any better than the stuff at the Bear’s Head.

      He stood me two ‘arf-pints and was just going to order another, when ‘e found ‘e ‘adn’t got any money left, and he wouldn’t hear of me paying for it, because ‘e said it was his treat.

      “We’ll ‘ave a quid out o’ the box,” he ses. “I must ‘ave one to go on with, anyway.” I shook my ‘ead at ‘im.

      “Only one,” he ses, “and that’ll last me a fortnight. Besides, I want to give you the quid I promised you.”

      I gave way at last, and he put his ‘and in ‘is trouser-pocket for the key, and then found it wasn’t there.

      “I must ha’ left it in my chest,” he ses. “I’ll ‘op back and get it.” And afore I could prevent ‘im he ‘ad waved his ‘and at me and gorn.

      My fust idea was to go arter ‘im, but I knew I couldn’t catch ‘im, and if I tried to meet ‘im coming back I should most likely miss ‘im through the side streets. So I sat there with my pipe and waited.

      I suppose I ‘ad been sitting down waiting for him for about ten minutes, when a couple o’ sailormen came into the bar and began to make themselves a nuisance. Big fat chaps they was, and both of ‘em more than ‘arf sprung. And arter calling for a pint apiece they began to take a little notice of me.

      “Where d’you come from?” ses one of ‘em. “‘Ome,” I ses, very quiet.

      “It’s a good place—‘ome,” ses the chap, shaking his ‘ead. “Can you sing ‘’Ome, Sweet ‘Ome’? You seem to ‘ave got wot I might call a ‘singing face.’”

      “Never mind about my face,” I ses, very sharp. “You mind wot you’re doing with that beer. You’ll ‘ave it over in a minute.”

      The words was ‘ardly out of my mouth afore ‘e gave a lurch and spilt his pint all over me. From ‘ead to foot I was dripping with beer, and I was in such a temper I wonder I didn’t murder ‘im; but afore I could move they both pulled out their pocket-’ankerchers and started to rub me down.

      “That’ll do,” I ses at last, arter they ‘ad walked round me ‘arf-a-dozen times and patted me all over to see if I was dry. “You get off while you’re safe.”

      “It was my mistake, mate,” ses the chap who ‘ad spilt the beer.

      “You get outside,” I ses. “Go on, both of you, afore I put you out.”

      They gave one look at me, standing there with my fists clenched, and then they went out like lambs, and I ‘eard ‘em trot round the corner as though they was afraid I was following. I felt a little bit damp and chilly, but beer is like sea-water—you don’t catch cold through it—and I sat down agin to wait for George Tebb.

      He came in smiling and out ‘o breath in about ten minutes’ time, with the key in ‘is ‘and, and as soon as I told ‘im wot had ‘appened to me with the beer he turned to the landlord and ordered me six o’ rum ‘ot at once.

      “Drink that up,” he ses, ‘anding it to me; “but fust of all give me the box, so as I can pay for it.”

      I put my ‘and in my pocket. Then I put it in the other one, and arter that I stood staring at George Tebb and shaking all over.

      “Wot’s the matter? Wot are you looking like that for?” he ses.

      “It must ha’ been them two,” I ses, choking. “While they was purtending to dry me and patting me all over they must ‘ave taken it out of my pocket.”

      “Wot are you talking about?” ses George, staring at me.

      “The box ‘as gorn,” I ses, putting down the ‘ot rum and feeling in my trouser-pocket. “The box ‘as gorn, and them two must ‘ave taken it.”

      “Gorn!” ses George. “Gorn! My box with twenty-five pounds in, wot I trusted you with, gorn? Wot are you talking about? It can’t be—it’s too crool!”

      He made such a noise that the landlord wot was waiting for ‘is money, asked ‘im wot he meant by it, and, arter he ‘ad explained, I’m blest if the landlord didn’t advise him to search me. I stood still and let George go through my pockets, and then I told ‘im I ‘ad done with ‘im and I never wanted to see ‘im agin as long as I lived.

      “I dare say,” ses George, “I dare say. But you’ll come along with me to the wharf and see the skipper. I’m not going to lose five-and-twenty quid through your carelessness.”

      I marched along in front of ‘im with my ‘ead in the air, and when he spoke to me I didn’t answer him. He went aboard the ship when we got to the wharf, and a minute or two arterwards ‘e came to the side and said the skipper wanted to see me.

      The airs the skipper gave ‘imself was sickening. He sat down there in ‘is miserable little rat-’ole of a cabin and acted as if ‘e was a judge and I was a prisoner. Most of the ‘ands ‘ad squeezed in there too, and the things they advised George to do to me was remarkable.

      “Silence!” ses the skipper. “Now, watchman, tell me exactly ‘ow this thing ‘appened.”

      “I’ve told you once,” I ses.

      “I know,” ses the skipper, “but I want you to tell me again to see if you contradict yourself. I can’t understand ‘ow such a clever man as you could be done so easy.”

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