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CXXI

hen the hops were picked, Philip with the news in his
Wpocket that he had got the appointment as assistant
house-physician at St. Luke’s, accompanied the Athelnys
back to London. He took modest rooms in Westminster
and at the beginning of October entered upon his duties.
The work was interesting and varied; every day he learned
something new; he felt himself of some consequence; and
he saw a good deal of Sally. He found life uncommonly
pleasant. He was free about six, except on the days on which
he had out-patients, and then he went to the shop at which
Sally worked to meet her when she came out. There were
several young men, who hung about opposite the ‘trade en-
trance’ or a little further along, at the first corner; and the
girls, coming out two and two or in little groups, nudged
one another and giggled as they recognised them. Sally in
her plain black dress looked very different from the country
lass who had picked hops side by side with him. She walked
away from the shop quickly, but she slackened her pace
when they met, and greeted him with her quiet smile. They
walked together through the busy street. He talked to her of
his work at the hospital, and she told him what she had been
doing in the shop that day. He came to know the names
of the girls she worked with. He found that Sally had a re-
strained, but keen, sense of the ridiculous, and she made

Of Human Bondage