the streets we passed through, the drunken,
quarrelling, poverty-struck people, and the grim, dirty old houses.

"We shall be out of it directly," I whispered, and indeed in a few
minutes more Mr. Rowe turned up a shabby entry, and led us to one of
several lower buildings round a small court. The house he stopped at
was cleaner within than without, and the woman was very civil.

"It's a very poor place, sir," said she; "but we always keep a berth,
as his father calls it, for our son John."

"But we can't take your son's bed," said I; "we'll sit up here, if you
will let us."

"Bless ye, love," said the woman, "John's in foreign parts. He's a
sailor, sir, like his father before him; but John's in the merchant
service."

Mr. Rowe now bade us good-night. "I'll be round in the morning," said
he.

"What o'clock, Mr. Rowe?" I asked; I had a reason for asking.

"There ain't much in the way of return cargo," he replied; "but I've a
bit of business to do for your father, Mr. Fred, that'll take me until
half-past nine. I'll be here by then, young gentlemen, and show you
about a bit."

"It's roughish quarters for you," added the bargemaster, looking
round; "but you'll find rougher quarters at sea, Master Charles."

Mr. Howe's moralizings nettled me, and they did no good, for my whole
thoughts were now bent on evading his guardianship and getting to sea,
but poor Fred was quite overpowered. "I wish we were safe home again,"
he almost sobbed when I went up to the corner into which he had
huddled himself.

"You'll be all right when we're afloat," said I.

"I'm so hungry," he moaned.

I was hungry myself, and decided to order some supper, so when the
woman came up and civilly asked if she could do anything for us before
we went to bed, I said, "If you please we're rather hungry, but we
can't afford anything very expensive. Do you think you can get us
anything--rather cheap--for supper?"

"A red herring?" she suggested.

"What price are they?" I felt bound to inquire.

"Mrs. Jones has them beautiful and mild at two for a penny. You _can_
get 'em at three a penny, but you wouldn't like 'em, sir."

I felt convinced by the expression of her face that I should not, so I
ordered two.

"And a penny loaf?" suggested our landlady, getting her bonnet from
behind the door.

"If you please."

"And a bunch of radishes and a pint of fourpenny would be
fivepence-half-penny the lot, sir."

"If you please. And, if you please