ding me a kindly good-night, as he pointed my road
down the lane to the police-office, where, it seemed, Dr. Watts's guests
had to put in a preliminary appearance.

Crossing High Street, passing through a sort of courtyard, and down some
steps, I reached a snug-looking house, which I had some difficulty in
believing was a police-office. But it was, and the first thing I saw was
seven men lounging about the yard. They didn't seem like regular tramps,
but they had a look as if they had walked far, and each man carried a
little bundle and a stick. The verger had told me that only six men per
night were admitted to Watts's, and there were seven already.

"Are you for Watts's?" one of them, a little, sharp-looking fellow, with
short light hair pasted down over his forehead, asked me, seeing me
hesitate.

"Yes."

"Well, it ain't no go to-night. There's seven here, and fust come,
fust served."

"Don't believe him, young 'un," said an elderly man, "it's all one what
time you come, so as it's afore half-past five you'll take your chance
with the rest of us."

It was not yet five, so I loafed about with the rest of them, being
scowled upon by all except the elderly man till the arrival of two other
travellers removed to them the weight of the odium I had lightly borne.
At a quarter to six a police-sergeant appeared at the door of the office
and said:

"Now then."

This was generally interpreted as a signal to advance, and we stood
forward in an irregular line. The sergeant looked around us sternly
till his eye lighted upon the elderly man.

"So you're trying it on again, are you?"

"I've not been here for two months, if I may never sleep in a bed
again," whimpered the elderly man.

"You was here last Monday week that I know of, and may be since. Off you
go!" and the elderly gentleman went off with an alacrity that rather
reduced the wonderment I had felt at his disinterested intervention to
prevent my losing a chance, suggesting, as it did, that he felt the
probability of gaining admission was exceedingly remote.

I was the next upon whom the eye of the police-sergeant loweringly fell.

"What do you want?"

"A night's lodging at Watts's."

"Watts's is for decent workmen on the tramp. You ain't a labourer. Show
me your hands." I held out my hands, and the police-sergeant examined
the palms critically.

"What are you?"

"A paper stainer."

"Where have you been to?"

"I came from Canterbury last."

"Wher