et used to everything, don't we, Jenny?"

Amelius could bear no more. "It's enough to break one's heart to hear
you, and see you!" he burst out--and suddenly turned his head aside. His
generous nature was touched to the quick; he could only control himself
by an effort of resolution that shook him, body and soul. "I can't and
won't let that unfortunate creature go back to be beaten and starved!"
he said, passionately addressing himself to the policeman. "Oh, look at
her! How helpless, and how young!"

The policeman stared. These were strange words to him. But all true
emotion carries with it, among all true people, its own title to
respect. He spoke to Amelius with marked respect.

"It's a hard case, sir, no doubt," he said. "The girl's a quiet,
well-disposed creature--and the other two there are the same. They're of
the sort that keep to themselves, and don't drink. They all of them do
well enough, as long as they don't let the liquor overcome them. Half
the time it's the men's fault when they do drink. Perhaps the workhouse
might take her in for the night. What's this you've got girl, in your
hand? Money?"

Amelius hastened to say that he had given her the money. "The
workhouse!" he repeated. "The very sound of it is horrible."

"Make your mind easy, sir," said the policeman; "they won't take her in
at the workhouse, with money in her hand."

In sheer despair, Amelius asked helplessly if there was no hotel near.
The policeman pointed to Simple Sally's threadbare and scanty clothes,
and left them to answer the question for themselves. "There's a place
they call a coffee-house," he said, with the air of a man who thought
he had better provoke as little further inquiry on that subject as
possible.

Too completely pre-occupied, or too innocent in the ways of London,
to understand the man, Amelius decided on trying the coffee-house. A
suspicious old woman met them at the door, and spied the policeman in
the background. Without waiting for any inquiries, she said, "All full
for to-night,"--and shut the door in their faces.

"Is there no other place?" said Amelius.

"There's a lodging-house," the policeman answered, more doubtfully than
ever. "It's getting late, sir; and I'm afraid you'll find 'em packed
like herrings in a barrel. Come, and see for yourself."

He led the way into a wretchedly lighted by-street, and knocked with
his foot on a trap-door in the pavement. The door was pushed open from
below, by a stu