What do you generally go in for when your friend Bull's-eye's at home?
I mean what do you do with yourselves of an evening ?" "Oh," said I, "they've got a parlour at Mrs Nash's, and books--" Once more Doubleday laughed loud, "What! a parlour and books included for three-and-six a week! My eye! young 'un, you're in luck; and you mean to say you--oh, I say, what a treat!--do you hear, Crow ?" "Please!" I exclaimed, "what's the use of telling any one ?" "Eh--oh, all right, I won't tell any one; but think of you and Bull's- eye sitting in a three-and-six parlour without carpets or wall-papers reading _Tim Goodyboy's Sunday Picture-book_, and all that." I smiled faintly, vexed though I was.

"They've novels there," I said, grandly.
"No! and all for three-and-six too! No wonder you're snug.

Well, no accounting for tastes.

I wonder you don't ask me to come and spend an evening with you.

It _would_ be a treat!" The result of this conversation and a good many of a similar character was to make me thoroughly discontented with, and more than half ashamed of, my lot.