“No, I thank you; I don’t care about going into any of these dens of vice and sin.”

“‘Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, As, to be hated, needs but to be seen,’”

repeated the captain with dramatic force.

“‘But seen too oft——’

You needn’t see it but once. Don’t you want to see the lions of the metropolis?”

“Don’t object to the lions; but, in my opinion, you will find only the donkeys in there.”

“Let us see, at any rate.”

“I will go in for a moment,” replied Somers, who did not like to seem over-squeamish.

They entered this outer gate to ruin. There was a bar at the end next to the street, while at the other end a band of music was playing the national airs. It looked like a very pleasant place to the young lieutenant, who had never entered one of these saloons before.