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tling still, winked back. Harris told Philip that the man was
called Prior; he had been in the army and now served in the
silks; he kept pretty much to himself, and he went off every
night, just like that, without so much as a good-evening, to
see his girl. Harris went out too, and only the boy remained
to watch Philip curiously while he unpacked his things. His
name was Bell and he was serving his time for nothing in
the haberdashery. He was much interested in Philip’s eve-
ning clothes. He told him about the other men in the room
and asked him every sort of question about himself. He was
a cheerful youth, and in the intervals of conversation sang
in a half-broken voice snatches of music-hall songs. When
Philip had finished he went out to walk about the streets
and look at the crowd; occasionally he stopped outside the
doors of restaurants and watched the people going in; he felt
hungry, so he bought a bath bun and ate it while he strolled
along. He had been given a latch-key by the prefect, the man
who turned out the gas at a quarter past eleven, but afraid of
being locked out he returned in good time; he had learned
already the system of fines: you had to pay a shilling if you
came in after eleven, and half a crown after a quarter past,
and you were reported besides: if it happened three times
you were dismissed.
All but the soldier were in when Philip arrived and two
were already in bed. Philip was greeted with cries.
‘Oh, Clarence! Naughty boy!’
He discovered that Bell had dressed up the bolster in his
evening clothes. The boy was delighted with his joke.
‘You must wear them at the social evening, Clarence.’