Page:Gissing - The Nether World, vol. I, 1889.djvu/18

 at the public-house could not aid his search. He thanked them, paused for a moment with his eyes down, then again sighed slightly and went forth into the gathering gloom.

Less than five minutes later there ran into the same house of refreshment a little slight girl, perhaps thirteen years old; she carried a jug, and at the bar asked for "a pint of old six." The barman, whilst drawing the ale, called out to a man who had entered immediately after the child:

"Don't know nobody called Snowdon about 'ere, do you, Mr. Squibbs?"

The individual addressed was very dirty, very sleepy, and seemingly at odds with mankind. He replied contemptuously with a word which, in phonetic rendering, may perhaps be spelt "Nay-oo."

But the little girl was looking eagerly from one man to the other; what had been said appeared to excite keen interest in her. She forgot all about the beer-jug that was waiting, and, after a brief but obvious struggle with timidity, said in an uncertain voice: