"Where did you sleep last night?"
"Hammersmith," I answered—as I hope to be forgiven.
"How many times have you been here?"
"Never before, sir."
"Where do you mean to go to when you are turned out in the morning?"
"Back to Hammersmith, sir."
These humble answers being entered in a book, the clerk called to the porter, saying, "Take him through. You may as well take his bread with you."
Near the clerk stood a basket containing some pieces of bread of equal size. Taking one of these, and unhitching a bunch of keys from the wall, the porter led me through some passages all so scrupulously clean that my most serious misgivings were laid to rest. Then we passed into a dismal yard. Crossing this, my guide led me to a door, calling out, "Hillo! Daddy, I've brought you another!" Whereupon Daddy opened unto us, and let a little of his gaslight stream into the dark where we stood.
"Come in," said Daddy, very hospitably. "There's enough of you to-night, anyhow! What made you so late?"