e are plenty of gentlemen, and
noblemen, too, driven nowadays to live in worse places than that, and
hide about in holes and corners."

"Oh, I say, don't be so cross because a lot of idlers would not make
way."

"It isn't that," said the youth. "It half maddens me sometimes."

"Then don't think about it. You are always talking about politics. I
don't understand much about them, but it seems to me that if people obey
the laws they can live happily enough."

"Poor Frank!" said Andrew mockingly. "But never mind. You have got
everything to learn. This way."

The boy was thinking that he did not want to learn "everything" if the
studies were to make him as irritable and peppery as his companion, when
the imperative order to turn came upon him by surprise, and he followed
Andrew, who had suddenly turned into a narrower court than the one for
which he had first made, and out of the roaring street into comparative
silence.

"Where are you going?"

"This way. We can get round by the back. I want to see my friend."

The court was only a few feet wide, and the occupants of the opposing
houses could easily have carried on a conversation from the open
windows; but these occupants seemed to be too busy, for in the glimpses
he obtained as they passed, Frank caught sight of workmen in paper caps
and dirty white aprons, and boys hurrying to and fro, carrying packets
of paper.

But he had not much opportunity for noticing what business was being
carried on, for they soon reached the end of the court, where a fresh
group of men were standing listening to a speaker holding forth from an
open window, and the lad fully expected a similar scene to that which
had taken place in the main street.

But people made way here, and Andrew, apparently quite at home, turned
to the left along a very dirty lane, plunged into another court, and in
and out two or three times in silence, along what seemed to the boy
fresh from quaint old Winchester a perfect maze.

"I say, Drew," he said at last, "you must have been here before."

"I? Oh yes! I know London pretty well. Now down here."

He plunged sharply now round a corner and into the wide court he had at
first made for, but now from its northern end. So quick and sudden was
the movement made that the two lads, before they could realise the fact,
found themselves in another crowd, which filled this court from end to
end. The people composing it were principally of the rough cla