She fumbled in her pocket and produced a purse, from which she extricated the required article.
"I'm not gen'rally in bed—not much before midnight, sir," she said. "If you should be later per'aps you'd be kind enough to turn out the gas in the 'all. I'll send you up some 'ot water by the girl."
She went off, closing the door behind her; and picking up my parcels and bags I carried them into the bedroom and started to unpack. I decided that the blue suit was most in keeping with my mood, so I laid this out on the bed together with a complete change of underclothes. I was eyeing the latter with some satisfaction, when there came a knock at the door, and in answer to my summons the "girl" entered with the hot water. She was the typical lodging-house drudge, a poor little object of about sixteen, with a dirty face and her hair twisted up in a knot at the back of her head.
"If yer please, sir," she said, with a sniff, "Mrs. Oldbury wants ter know if yer'll be likin' a barf in the mornin'."
"You can tell Mrs. Oldbury that the answer is yes," I said gravely.
Then I paused. "What's your name?" I asked.
She sniffed again, and looked at me with round, wondering eyes.
"Gertie, sir. Gertie 'Uggins."
I felt in my pocket and found a couple of half-crowns.
"Take these, Gertie," I said, "and go and have a damned good dinner the first chance you get."
She clasped the money in her grubby little hand.
"Thank you, sir," she murmured awkwardly.