"Wot does 'e owe you the money for?" ses Mrs. Cook.
"'Cos I lent it to 'im," ses Jack.
"Lent it? What for?" ses Mrs. Cook.
"'Cos I was a fool, I s'pose," ses jack Bates; "a good-natured fool.
Anyway, I'm sick and tired of asking for it, and if I don't get it
to-night I'm going to see the police about it."
He sat down on a chair with 'is hat cocked over one eye, and they all sat
staring at 'im as though they didn't know wot to say next.
"So this is wot you meant when you said you'd got the chance of a
lifetime, is it?" ses Mrs. Cook to Charlie. "This is wot you wanted it
for, is it? Wot did you borrow all that money for?"
"Spend," ses Charlie, in a sulky voice.
"Spend!" ses Mrs. Cook, with a scream; "wot in?"
"Drink and cards mostly," ses Jack Bates, remembering wot Charlie 'ad
told 'im about blackening 'is character.
You might ha' heard a pin drop a'most, and Charlie sat there without
saying a word.
"Charlie's been led away," ses Mrs. Cook, looking 'ard at Jack Bates. "I
s'pose you lent 'im the money to win it back from 'im at cards, didn't
you?"
"And gave 'im too much licker fust," ses old Cook. "I've 'eard of your
kind.
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