as what I intended to do. Instead of hoping to reach London in
six days, as at first, I would try to earn a little money by the way,
because I perceived that it would be no use entering in such a condition
as I was at present.

Polehampton appeared to be even a smaller place than Broughton, and by
no stretch of imagination could it be described as a town. Still, it
felt pleasant to see a few people about; and noticing a clean-looking
whitewashed cottage, with a few bottles of sweets and ginger-beer in the
window, I entered, sitting down on an empty box while a white-haired,
round-backed old woman opened a bottle of ginger-beer, and a spaniel
came from a back room and began to lick my hands. Having paid my penny,
I sat sipping the ginger-beer, when it occurred to me that it would be a
capital place to lodge, if only the old woman would take me.

'I say,' I exclaimed, 'do you know where I could get a lodging?'

She looked a little suspiciously at my muddy legs.

'For yourself?' she inquired.

'Yes.'

'How long for?'

'Till Monday morning,' I answered. 'You see, I want to know how much it
would cost for a bed and food until then.'

'That is three nights,' she said, thoughtfully. 'There is a small room I
might make up a bed in, on the floor, if that would suit you, and there
will be a joint of pork for Sunday.'

'To-day's only Friday,' I hinted.

'There is a bit of cheese and a bit of bacon,' she explained. 'Till
Monday morning, you say? I should not think five shillings would hurt
you.'

So I gave her five shillings, thus leaving only five and a penny in my
pocket; but so sorely at that moment did I feel the need of rest that I
did not hesitate. The old woman--Mrs. Riddles--lived alone with her old
brown spaniel. There was a room behind the shop, which served the
purpose of a kitchen, a sitting-room, and a wash-house. In one corner
stood a step-ladder, leading to one bedroom and a kind of cupboard,
without either window or fireplace, or any furniture but one bottomless
chair. This I discovered was intended for my own use, and, indeed, so
long as I might lie down in it, I cared about little else.

After an early supper, consisting of bread, some very fat cold streaky
bacon, and cheese, Mrs. Riddles put a sofa-cushion, a pillow, two thin
blankets, and a sheet on the cupboard floor, and advising me to leave
the door open for the sake of air, retired to her own room. It was a
vastly different kind of bed from th