 upon the generous and
hospitable nature of his friend. Therefore he said again, »We must have some
lodgings, of course;« and said it as stoutly as if he had been a perfect
Directory and Guide-Book to all the lodgings in London.
    »Where shall we go and look for 'em?« said Tom. »What do you think?«
    Tom's sister was not much wiser on such a topic than he was. So she squeezed
her little purse into his coat-pocket, and folding the little hand with which
she did so on the other little hand with which she clasped his arm, said
nothing.
    »It ought to be a cheap neighbourhood,« said Tom, »and not too far from
London. Let me see. Should you think Islington a good place?«
    »I should think it was an excellent place, Tom.«
    »It used to be called Merry Islington, once upon a time,« said Tom. »Perhaps
it's merry now; if so, it's all the better. Eh?«
    »If it's not too dear,« said Tom's sister.
    »Of course, if it's not too dear,« assented Tom. »Well, where is Islington?
We can't do better than go there, I should think. Let's go.«
    Tom's sister would have gone anywhere with him; so they walked off, arm in
arm, as comfortably as possible. Finding, presently, that Islington was not in
that neighbourhood, Tom made inquiries respecting a public conveyance thither:
which they soon obtained. As they rode along they were very full of conversation
indeed, Tom relating what had happened to him, and Tom's sister relating what
had happened to her, and both finding a great deal more to say than time to say
it in: for they had only just begun to talk, in comparison with what they had to
tell each other, when they reached their journey's end.
    »Now,« said Tom, »we must first look out for some very unpretending streets,
and then look out for bills in the windows.«
    So they walked off again, quite as happily as if they had just stepped out
of a snug little house of their own, to look for lodgings on account of somebody
else. Tom's simplicity was unabated, Heaven knows; but now that he had somebody
to rely upon him, he was stimulated to rely a little more upon himself, and was,
in his
