“Yes, lots of ’em; and a bad lot too.”
“Are they Merrett, Barnacle, and Company’s boys?” I inquired.
“Who?” inquired Mrs Nash, rather bewildered.
I saw my mistake in time. Of course this was a regular lodging-house for office-boys generally.
“Leave your box there,” said Mrs Nash, “and come along.”
Leading to the floor below the dormitory, I was shown a room with a long table down the middle, with a lot of dirty pictures stuck on the wall, and one or two dirty books piled up in the corner.
“This is the parlour,” said she. “Are you going to board, young man?”
I looked at her inquiringly.
“Are you going to get your grub here or out of doors?” she said.
“Do the other boys get it here?” I asked.