Then, uncertain how to direct my steps, I quickened my pace and overtook him.
"Please can you tell me the way to Hawk Street ?" He took two or three good puffs out of his big pipe, and blew the smoke gracefully out of the corners of his mouth, and, by way of variety, out of his nose, and then said, in a condescending voice, "Yes, my man; first to the left and second to the right." He certainly was a very self-assured young man, and struck me as quite grand in his manners.

I had positively to screw up my courage to ask him, "I say, you are one of Mrs Nash's lodgers, aren't you ?" He stared at me, not quite sure what to make of me.
"Only," said I, by way of explanation, "I saw you there just now, and Mrs Nash said I'd better follow you." "Mrs Nash is a jolly sight too familiar.

So are you." With which the stately youth marched on, his nose higher in the air than ever.
I was not greatly reassured by this first introduction, but for the time being I was too intent on reaching Merrett, Barnacle, and Company's in good time to think of much beside.

Fortunately my fellow-lodger's direction was correct, and in a few minutes I found myself standing on familiar ground in Hawk Street.
When I entered the office the youth who rejoiced in the name of Crow was the only representative of the firm present.

He was engaged in the intellectual task of filling up the ink-pots out of a big stone jar, and doing it very badly too, as the small puddles of ink on nearly every desk testified.