“What shall we do next?” asked Arthur.
“I should like to get out of this place as soon as possible.”
“So should I, indeed,” said James; “but we must go to an inn for the night, ascertain where labour is most wanted in the interior, and how best to find our way there.”
“You and I can scarcely carry our traps any way up those streets; perhaps one or two of those poor fellows there would like to earn a shilling by helping us,” said Arthur, beckoning to some of the above-mentioned idlers.
The first summoned walked away without noticing them, another stared, a third exclaimed, “Egregious snob! what can he want?” and a fourth walked up with his fists doubled, crying out in a furious tone, “How do you dare to make faces at me, you young scoundrel?”
“Pardon me, sir,” said James, quietly; “my brother made no faces at you. We merely thought that you might be willing to assist in carrying our luggage.”
“I assist you in carrying your luggage! A good joke! But I see you are not quite what I took you for; and if you’ll stand a nobbler or two, I don’t mind calling a porter for you, and showing you to a slap-up inn to suit you,” said the man, his manner completely changing. “You’ll have to pay the porter pretty handsomely, my new chums! People don’t work for nothing in this country.”
While they were hesitating about accepting the man’s offer to get a porter, thinking that there could be no harm in that, a country lad, Sam Green by name, who had come out as a steerage passenger with them, approached. As soon as he saw them he ran up exclaiming—
“Oh, Master Gilpins, there’s a chap been and run off wi’ all my traps, and I’ve not a rag left, but just what I stand in!”
Sam was, of course, glad enough to assist in carrying their luggage. James apologised to the stranger, saying he would not trouble him.