“Yes, sir.”
“What time is it?”
“I just heard it strike seven.”
“Well, go down if you like. I will be down by eight o’clock.”
Harry availed himself of the permission, and descended four flights of stairs, for they were on the fifth story, to the office.
As he emerged into the street, a ragged urchin came up and accosted him with the familiar question, “Shine yer boots?”
“Go ahead,” said Harry, perceiving that his boots were stained with mud.
The task was performed in a creditable style, and our hero was called upon to disburse ten cents. He resolved, as soon as he got settled in a boarding-house, to buy a brush and some blacking for himself, feeling that he was not yet in circumstances to pay ten cents daily for having his boots blacked.
He stood at the door of the hotel, and watched the throng of wayfarers, which, commencing two hours before, would flow without interruption through the busy street until the small hours. It was to our hero, born and bred in the quiet country, an animated and interesting spectacle, and he felt glad, in spite of a certain feeling of loneliness, that he was employed in the city.