"Here's where you'll sleep," said the female.
"Are there other boys here, then?" I asked, who had expected a solitary
lodging.
"Yes, lots of 'em; and a bad lot too."
"Are they Merrett, Barnacle, and Company's boys?" I inquired.
"Who?" inquired Mrs Nash, rather bewildered.
I saw my mistake in time. Of course this was a regular lodging-house
for office-boys generally.
"Leave your box there," said Mrs Nash, "and come along."
Leading to the floor below the dormitory, I was shown a room with a long
table down the middle, with a lot of dirty pictures stuck on the wall,
and one or two dirty books piled up in the corner.
"This is the parlour," said she. "Are you going to board, young man?"