arrative.

CHAPTER TWO.

IN WHICH MORE IMPORTANT PERSONAGES ARE INTRODUCED, AND DISPLAY THEIR
CHARACTERS BY THEIR ACTIONS MORE OR LESS.

The "Three Jolly Tars" was one of those low taverns where seamen were
wont to congregate--not _because_ it was a low tavern, but because there
was no other sort of tavern--high or low--in that neighbourhood.

The world (that is to say, the delicately-nurtured and carefully-tended
world) is apt to form erroneous opinions in regard to low taverns, and
degradation, and sin in general,--arising from partial ignorance and
absolute inexperience, which it is important that we should correct in
order that the characters of our story may not be falsely judged. God
forbid that it should be for a moment supposed that we have a word to
say in favour of low taverns. Our aim just now is, not to consider
these, but, to convince the reader, if possible, that every man who
enters one of them is not necessarily a lost or utterly depraved
creature.

It is undoubtedly true that these low taverns are moral pig-sties. Nay,
we owe an apology to the pigs for the comparison. _Sties_ appear to be
places of abode suited to the nature and tastes of their occupants, and
the grumps who inhabit them seem not only to rejoice in them (for this
alone would be no argument, inasmuch as the same may be affirmed of men
who rejoice in low taverns), but to be utterly incapable of higher
enjoyment out of them. Let a pig out of his stye, afford him every
conceivable opportunity of intellectual and physical improvement, and he
will carefully search out the nearest mudhole--unhappy until he finds
it--will thrust not only his nose but his body into it, and will find
supreme enjoyment in wallowing in the mire; and no blame to him for
this; he is grumpish by nature. Yes, a low tavern is beneath the level
of a pig-stye!

Nevertheless, as it is possible that, _for a time_, man may, through
sin, or circumstances, or both, be reduced to such a condition as to
take shelter in a pig-stye, without exposing himself to the charge of
being a pig; so, it is possible that a man may frequent a low tavern,
_not_ without detriment, but, without becoming thereby worthy of being
classed with the lowest of the low. Do not misunderstand us, gentle
reader. We do not wish in the slightest degree to palliate the coarse
language, the debasement, the harsh villainy, which shock the virtuous
when visiting the haunts of poverty. Our simp