Places like this always seemed to depress Fred's courage. Besides
which, he was never in good spirits when he had to go long without
food, which made me fear he would not bear being cast adrift at sea
without provisions as well as his grandfather had done. I was not
surprised when he said,
"_What_ a place! And I don't believe one can get anything fit to eat,
and I am so hungry!"
I looked at the houses. There was a pork-butcher's shop, and a real
butcher's shop, and a slop shop, and a seedy jeweller's shop with
second-hand watches, which looked as if nothing would ever make them
go, and a small toy and sweetmeat shop, but not a place that looked
like breakfast. I had taken Fred's bundle because he was so tired, and
I suppose it was because I was staring helplessly about that a dirty
boy a good deal bigger than either of us came up and pulled his dirty
hair and said,
"Carry your things for you, sir?"
"No, thank you," said I, moving on with the bundles and the pie-dish;
but as the boy would walk by me I said,
"We want some breakfast very much, but we haven't much money." And,
remembering the cost of our supper, I added, "Could we get anything
here for about twopence-half-penny or threepence apiece?"
There was a moment's pause, and then the boy gave a long whistle.
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