“If you have any private papers, or letters I will seal them in a packet and keep them for you until the morning. We have no desire to pry into your affairs; you understand that?”

I had not any papers, and I explained that I had spent the previous night in a doss house and should enjoy a hot bath immensely. She led the way into the bath room, and I had a hot tub, with decent soap and a good sized bath towel. The attendant watched me fairly closely.

“Why you’re quite clean,” she said, and seemed remarkably astonished. “It’s such a relief,” she continued, “to find someone who isn’t dirty. By the by, is your head all right?”

I bowed for her inspection, and my hair passed muster.

“You’ve no idea what some of them are like, you know. We have women in here who are fairly alive.”

“They can’t help it, really, can they?” I said protestingly. “It’s difficult to find the money for a wash, let alone a bath.”