woodwork of the window by tintacks. She tried the second window (the
room boasted two), with the same result, owing to a like cause. For her
safety's sake, she was relieved to find that the room overlooked the
Euston Road.

After turning back the chintz curtains, she looked about her. She had
never been in such a truly awful-looking room before. She had never
imagined that any four walls could enclose such hopeless, dejected
desolation as she saw. A round table stood in the middle of the
carpetless room. There were several other tables about this one. Upon
one stood a basin, in which was water that had some time ago been used
for the ablutionary purposes of someone sadly in need of a wash. Thick
rims of dirt encrusted the sides of the basin where the water had not
reached. The looking glass was pimpled with droppings from lighted
candles. Upon a further table was a tumbler filthy to look upon. The
bed was painted iron; it wanted a leg, and to supply the deficiency a
grocer's box had been thrust underneath. The blankets of the bed (which
contained two pillows) were as grubby as the sheets. The pillows beside
the one on which she had slept bore the impress of somebody's head.
Over everything, walls, furniture, ceiling, and floor, lay a thick
deposit of dust and grime. Misspelt lewd words were fingered on the
dirt of the window-panes. The horror of the room seemed to grip Mavis
by the throat. She coughed, to sicken at a foul feeling in her mouth,
which seemed to be gritty from the unclean air of the room. This
atmosphere was not only as if the windows had not been opened for
years; it was as if it had been inhaled over and over again by
alcohol-breathing lungs; also, the horrid memories of sordid lusts, of
unnumbered bestial acts, seemed to lie heavy on the polluted fuggy air.
To get away from the all-pervading stench, Mavis hurried to the door.
This, she could not help noticing, hung loosely on its hinges; also,
that about the doorplate were innumerable lock marks and screw holes,
as if the door had been furnished with fastenings, times out of number,
till the rotten wood refused to support any more. Mavis pulled open the
door and walked on to a carpetless landing and stairs. She stamped with
her foot, but this not attracting any attention, she called aloud. Her
voice echoed as if she were in a vault. After some time, she heard a
door unbolted, and a rough, unkempt man came up the stairs.

"How much?" asked Mavis.

"Fi