e's.

It was a good long way, but being a fine evening, Tom determined to
walk. He felt that after his work the fresh air would do him good, and
besides, as he was in plenty of time, he could indulge himself in that
very cheap and harmless luxury, an inspection of the shop windows as he
went along. He therefore selected a longer and more crowded route than
perhaps he need have done, and certainly, as far as the shops went, was
rewarded for his pains.

However, Tom seemed to me to have as much interest in watching the
people who passed to and fro as in the shops. He amused himself by
wondering where this one was going and what that one was doing. With
his usual tendency, he chose to imagine they were all bent on mischief
or folly, and because they happened to be in a certain street, and
because in that street he had frequently heard some of his fellow-
students speak of a low theatre, he jumped to the conclusion that every
one he saw was bound for this place. Something impelled him to go
himself and take an exterior survey of this mysterious and much-spoken-
of building. He found it; and, as he expected, he found people
thronging in, though not in the numbers he had anticipated. He stood
and watched them for some time, and wondered what they were going to
see.

He went up and read the playbill. He read the name of the play, the
titles of its acts, and the names of its actors. He wondered if the man
who just then drove up in a hansom was one of the heroes of the piece,
or whether he was one of the performers in the farce announced to follow
the play. Still the people streamed in. There was no one he knew, and
no one knew him.

"Strange," thought he, "there are so many places in London where one
could go and no one ever know it."

He wished he could see what the place was like inside; it must surely be
crowded by this time.

Thus he dawdled for some time; then with a sigh and an effort he tore
himself away and walked quickly on to the Newcomes' house. Their
welcome was most cordial.

"We were afraid," said Mr Newcome, "you had quite deserted us. Come
in, it is pleasant to see you. We had a letter from Charlie only to-
day, telling us to see you did not overwork yourself, and to make you
come up here whether you would or not. Of course we could hardly follow
such instructions literally."

Tom spent a pleasant evening with the two good people.

He always had found Mr Newcome a clever and very enter