promised, unless he heard to the contrary, that he would
bring it home with him when he had done his work, he set off from the
station.

Deal is one of the quietest and most dreary places on the coast of
England, and Frank was perfectly astounded at the crowd and bustle which
filled the street, when he issued from the railway approach, at the foot
of London Bridge. The porter had told him that he was to turn to
his left, and keep straight along until he reached the "Elephant and
Castle." He had, therefore, no trouble about his road, and was able to
give his whole attention to the sights which met his eye. For a time
the stream of omnibuses, cabs, heavy wagons, and light carts, completely
bewildered him, as did the throng of people who hastened along the
footway. He was depressed rather than exhilarated at the sight of this
busy multitude. He seemed such a solitary atom in the midst of this
great moving crowd. Presently, however, the thought that where so
many millions gained their living there must be room for one boy more,
somewhat cheered him. He was a long time making his way to his place of
destination, for he stared into every shop window, and being, although
he was perfectly ignorant of the fact, on the wrong side of the
pavement, he was bumped and bustled continually, and was not long
in arriving at the conclusion that the people of London must be the
roughest and rudest in the world. It was not until he ran against a
gentleman, and was greeted with the angry, "now then, boy. Where are you
going? Why the deuce don't you keep on your own side of the pavement?"
that he perceived that the moving throng was divided into two currents,
that on the inside meeting him, while the outside stream was proceeding
in the same direction as himself. After this he got on better, and
arrived without adventure at the house of the porter, in the Old Kent
Road.

It was a small house, but was clean and respectable, and Frank found
that the room would suit him well.

"I do not wait upon the lodgers," the landlady said, "except to make the
beds and tidy the rooms in the morning. So if you want breakfast and tea
at home you will have to get them yourself. There is a separate place
downstairs for your coals. There are some tea things, plates and
dishes, in this cupboard. You will want to buy a small tea kettle, and a
gridiron, and a frying pan, in case you want a chop or a rasher. Do you
think you can cook them yourself?"

"Frank, a