an　imitation　of　the　bagpipes；　which　Mercantile　Jack　seemed　to
  understand　much　the　best。　　A　good　girl；　said　Mr。　Licensed
  Victualler。　　Kept　herself　select。　　Sat　in　Snug；　not　listening　to
  the　blandishments　of　Mates。　　Lived　with　mother。　　Father　dead。　　Once
  a　merchant　well　to　do；　but　over…speculated　himself。　　On　delicate
  inquiry　as　to　salary　paid　for　item　of　talent　under　consideration；
  Mr。　Victualler's　pounds　dropped　suddenly　to　shillings　…　still　it
  was　a　very　comfortable　thing　for　a　young　person　like　that；　you
  know；　she　only　went　on　six　times　a　night；　and　was　only　required　to
  be　there　from　six　at　night　to　twelve。　　What　was　more　conclusive
  was；　Mr。　Victualler's　assurance　that　he　'never　allowed　any
  language；　and　never　suffered　any　disturbance。'　　Sharpeye　confirmed
  the　statement；　and　the　order　that　prevailed　was　the　best　proof　of
  it　that　could　have　been　cited。　　So；　I　came　to　the　conclusion　that
  poor　Mercantile　Jack　might　do　（as　I　am　afraid　he　does）　much　worse
  than　trust　himself　to　Mr。　Victualler；　and　pass　his　evenings　here。
  But　we　had　not　yet　looked；　Mr。　Superintendent　…　said　Trampfoot；
  receiving　us　in　the　street　again　with　military　salute　…　for　Dark
  Jack。　　True；　Trampfoot。　　Ring　the　wonderful　stick；　rub　the
  wonderful　lantern；　and　cause　the　spirits　of　the　stick　and　lantern
  to　convey　us　to　the　Darkies。
  There　was　no　disappointment　in　the　matter　of　Dark　Jack；　HE　was
  producible。　　The　Genii　set　us　down　in　the　little　first　floor　of　a
  little　public…house；　and　there；　in　a　stiflingly　close　atmosphere；
  were　Dark　Jack；　and　Dark　Jack's　delight；　his　WHITE　unlovely　Nan；
  sitting　against　the　wall　all　round　the　room。　　More　than　that：　　Dark
  Jack's　delight　was　the　least　unlovely　Nan；　both　morally　and
  physically；　that　I　saw　that　night。
  As　a　fiddle　and　tambourine　band　were　sitting　among　the　company；
  Quickear　suggested　why　not　strike　up？　　'Ah；　la'ads！'　said　a　negro
  sitting　by　the　door；　'gib　the　jebblem　a　darnse。　　Tak'　yah　pardlers；
  jebblem；　for　'um　QUAD…rill。'
  This　was　the　landlord；　in　a　Greek　cap；　and　a　dress　half　Greek　and
  half　English。　　As　master　of　the　ceremonies；　he　called　all　the
  figures；　and　occasionally　addressed　himself　parenthetically　…　after
  this　manner。　　When　he　was　very　loud；　I　use　capitals。
  'Now　den！　　Hoy！　　ONE。　　Right　and　left。　　（Put　a　steam　on；　gib　'um
  powder。）　　LA…dies'　chail。　　BAL…loon　say。　　Lemonade！　　TWO。　　AD…
  warnse　and　go　back　（gib　'ell　a　breakdown；　shake　it　out　o'　yerselbs；
  keep　a　movil）。　　SWING…corners；　BAL…loon　say；　and　Lemonade！　　（Hoy！）
  THREE。　　GENT　come　for'ard　with　a　lady　and　go　back；　hoppersite　come
  for'ard　and　do　what　yer　can。　　（Aeiohoy！）　　BAL…loon　say；　and　leetle
  lemonade。　　（Dat　hair　nigger　by　'um　fireplace　'hind　a'　time；　shake
  it　out　o'　yerselbs；　gib　'ell　a　breakdown。）　　Now　den！　　Hoy！　　FOUR！
  Lemonade。　　BAL…loon　say；　and　swing。　　FOUR　ladies　meet　in　'um
  middle；　FOUR　gents　goes　round　'um　ladies；　FOUR　gents　passes　out
  under　'um　ladies'　arms；　SWING　…　and　Lemonade　till　'a　moosic　can't
  play　no　more！　　（Hoy；　Hoy！）'
  The　male　dancers　were　all　blacks；　and　one　was　an　unusually　powerful
  man　of　six　feet　three　or　four。　　The　sound　of　their　flat　feet　on　the
  floor　was　as　unlike　the　sound　of　white　feet　as　their　faces　were
  unlike　white　faces。　　They　toed　and　heeled；　shuffled；　double…
  shuffled；　double…double…shuffled；　covered　the　buckle；　and　beat　the
  time　out；　rarely；　dancing　with　a　great　show　of　teeth；　and　with　a
  childish　good…humoured　enjoyment　that　was　very　prepossessing。　　They
  generally　kept　together；　these　poor　fellows；　said　Mr。
  Superintendent；　because　they　were　at　a　disadvantage　singly；　and
  liable　to　slights　in　the　neighbouring　streets。　　But；　if　I　were
  Light　Jack；　I　should　be　very　slow　to　interfere　oppressively　with
  Dark　Jack；　for；　whenever　I　have　had　to　do　with　him　I　have　found　him
  a　simple　and　a　gentle　fellow。　　Bearing　this　in　mind；　I　asked　his
  friendly　permission　to　leave　him　restoration　of　beer；　in　wishing
  him　good　night；　and　thus　it　fell　out　that　the　last　words　I　heard
  him　say　as　I　blundered　down　the　worn　stairs；　were；　'Jebblem's　elth！
  Ladies　drinks　fust！'
  The　night　was　now　well　on　into　the　morning；　but；　for　miles　and
  hours　we　explored　a　strange　world；　where　nobody　ever　goes　to　bed；
  but　everybody　is　eternally　sitting　up；　waiting　for　Jack。　　This
  exploration　was　among　a　labyrinth　of　dismal　courts　and　blind
  alleys；　called　Entries；　kept　in　wonderful　order　by　the　police；　and
  in　much　better　order　than　by　the　corporation：　　the　want　of　gaslight
  in　the　most　dangerous　and　infamous　of　these　places　being　quite
  unworthy　of　so　spirited　a　town。　　I　need　describe　but　two　or　three
  of　the　houses　in　which　Jack　was　waited　for　as　specimens　of　the
  rest。　　Many　we　attained　by　noisome　passages　so　profoundly　dark　that
  we　felt　our　way　with　our　hands。　　Not　one　of　the　whole　number　we
  visited；　was　without　its　show　of　prints　and　ornamental　crockery；
  the　quantity　of　the　latter　set　forth　on　little　shelves　and　in
  little　cases；　in　otherwise　wretched　rooms；　indicating　that
  Mercantile　Jack　must　have　an　extraordinary　fondness　for　crockery；
  to　necessitate　so　much　of　that　bait　in　his　traps。
  Among　such　garniture；　in　one　front　parlour　in　the　dead　of　the
  night；　four　women　were　sitting　by　a　fire。　　One　of　them　had　a　male
  child　in　her　arms。　　On　a　stool　among　them　was　a　swarthy　youth　with
  a　guitar；　who　had　evidently　stopped　playing　when　our　footsteps　were
  heard。
  'Well　I　how　do　YOU　do？'　says　Mr。　Superintendent；　looking　about　him。
  'Pretty　well；　sir；　and　hope　you　gentlemen　are　going　to　treat　us
  ladies；　now　you　have　come　to　see　us。'
  'Order　there！'　says　Sharpeye。
  'None　of　that！'　says　Quickear。
  Trampfoot；　outside；　is　heard　to　confide　to　himself；　'Meggisson's
  lot　this　is。　　And　a　bad　'un！'
  'Well！'　says　Mr。　Superintendent；　laying　his　hand　on　the　shoulder　of
  the　swarthy　youth；　'and　who's　this？'
  'Antonio；　sir。'
  'And　what　does　HE　do　here？'
  'Come　to　give　us　a　bit　of　music。　　No　harm　in　that；　I　suppose？'
  'A　young　foreign　sailor？'
  'Yes。　　He's　a　Spaniard。　　You're　a　Spaniard；　ain't　you；　Antonio？'
  'Me　Spanish。'
  'And　he　don't　know　a　word　you　say；　not　he；　not　if　you　was　to　talk
  to　him　till　doomsday。'　　（Triumphantly；　as　if　it　redounded　to　the
  credit　of　the　house。）
  'Will　he　play　something？'
  'Oh；　yes；　if　you　like。　　Play　something；　Antonio。　　YOU　ain't　ashamed
  to　play　something；　are　you？'
  The　cracked　guitar　raises　the　feeblest　ghost　of　a　tune；　and　three
  of　the　women　keep　time　to　it　with　their　heads；　and　the　fourth　with
  the　child。　　If　Antonio　has　brought　any　money　in　with　him；　I　am
  afraid　he　will　never　take　it　out；　and　it　even　strikes　me　that　his
  jacket　and　guitar　may　be　in　a　bad　way。　　But；　the　look　of　the　young
  man　and　the　tinkling　of　the　instrument　so　change　the　place　in　a
  moment　to　a　leaf　out　of　Don　Quixote；　that　I　wonder　where　his　mule
  is　stabled；　until　he　leaves　off。
  I　am　bound　to　acknowledge　（as　it　tends　rather　to　my　uncommercial
  confusion）；　that　I　occasioned　a　difficulty　in　this　establishment；
  by　having　taken　the　child　in　my　arms。　　For；　on　my　offering　to
  restore　it　to　a　ferocious　joker　not　unstimulated　by　rum；　who
  claimed　to　be　its　mother；　that　unnatural　parent　put　her　hands
  behind　her；　and　declined　to　accept　it；　backing　into　the　fireplace；
  and　very　shrilly　declaring；　regardless　of　remonstrance　from　her
  friends；　that　she　knowed　it　to　be　Law；　that　whoever　took　a　child
  from　its　mother　of　his　own　will；　was　bound　to　stick　to　it。　　The
  uncommercial　sense　of　being　in　a　rather　ridiculous　position　with
  the　poor　little　child　beginning　to　be　frightened；　was　relieved　by
  my　worthy　friend　and　fellow…constable；　Trampfoot；　who；　laying　hands
  on　the　article　as　if　it　were　a　Bottle；　passed　it　on　to　the　nearest
  woman；　and　bade　her　'take　hold　of　that。'　　As　we　came　out　the　Bottle
  was　passed　to　the　ferocious　joker；　and　they　all　sat　down　as　before；
  including　Antonio　and　the　guitar。　　It　was　clear　that　there　was　no
  such　thing　as　a　nightcap　to　this　baby's　head；　and　that　even　he
  never　went　to　bed；　but　was　always　kept　up　…　and　would　grow　up；　kept
  up　…　waiting　for　Jack。
  Later　still　in　the　night；　we　came　（by　the　court　'where　the　man　was
  murdered；'　and　by　the　other　court　across　the　street；　into　which　his
  body　was　dragged）　to　another　parlour　in　another　Entry；　where
  several　people　were　sitting　round　a　fire　in　just　the　same　way。　　It
  was　a　dirty　and　offensive　place；　with　some　ragged　clothes　drying　in
  it；　but　there　was　a　high　shelf　over　the　entrance…door　（to　be　out　of
  the　reach　of　marauding　hands；　possibly）　with　two　large　white　loaves
  on　it；　and　a　great　piece　of　Cheshire　cheese。
  'Well！'　says　Mr。　Superintendent；　with　a　comprehensive　look　all
  round。　　'How　do　YOU　do？'
  'Not　much　to　boast　of；　sir。'　　From　the　curtseying　woman　of　the
  house。　　'This　is　my　good　man；　sir。'
  'You　are　not　registered　as　a　common　Lodging　House？'
  'No；　sir。'
  Sharpeye　（in　the　Move…on　tone）　puts　in　the　pertinent　inquiry；　'Then