by Jacob Abbott
CHAPTER V.
LODGINGS.
The whole system of providing for travellers at hotels and lodginghouses in England is entirely different from the one adopted in America.In America all persons, in respect to the rights and privileges whichthey enjoy, are, in theory, on a footing of perfect equality; and thus,in all public resorts, such as hotels, boarding houses, public places ofamusement, and travelling conveyances, all classes mingle togetherfreely and without reserve. At the hotels and boarding houses, theybreakfast, dine, and sup together at the public tables; and even if theyhave private parlors of their own, they do not, ordinarily, confinethemselves to them, but often seek society and amusement in the publicdrawing rooms. At the places of amusement and in the public conveyancesthey all pay the same price, and are entitled to the same privileges,and they only get the best seats when they come early to secure them.This, in America, is the general rule; though of course there are manyexceptions, especially in the great cities. In England it is altogetherdifferent. There society is divided into a great many different ranksand degrees, the people of each of which keep themselves entirelyseparate and distinct from all the others. The cars of the railwaytrains are divided into four or five classes, and travellers take one orthe other of them, according to their wealth or their rank, and payaccordingly. In the hotels and lodging houses every arrangement is madeto keep each guest or party of guests as separate as possible from allthe rest. There are no public tables or public drawing rooms. Eachparty, on its arrival at the hotel, takes a suit of rooms, consisting,at least, of a sitting room and bed room, and every thing that theyrequire is served to them separately there, just as if there were noother guests in the house. It is the same with the boarding houses, orlodging houses as they are commonly called. Each boarder has his ownapartment, and whatever he calls for is sent to him there. He pays somuch a day for his room or rooms, and then for his board he is chargedfor every separate article that he orders; so that, so far as he takeshis meals away from his lodgings, either by breakfasting or dining, ortaking tea at the houses of friends, or at public coffee rooms, he hasnothing to pay at his lodging house excepting the rent of his rooms.
There are a great many of these lodging houses about London. They arefound on all the side streets leading off from all the greatthoroughfares. They are known, generally, by a little card in thewindow, with the words, "FURNISHED APARTMENTS," written upon it. Mr.George and Rollo found lodgings, as was stated in the last chapter, in ahouse of this kind, situated in Northumberland Court.
Northumberland Court is so named from its being situated on a part ofwhat were formerly the grounds of the town mansion of the famous dukesof Northumberland. I have already stated, some chapters back, that informer times the English nobles built magnificent houses on the greatbanks of the Thames, between the road called the Strand, which led fromWestminster towards London, and the banks of the river. Since the dayswhen these mansions were erected, the whole space around them, betweenthe Strand and the river, has become completely filled with streets,squares, courts, and lanes, the names of which were often derived fromthose of the families on whose grounds they were built. The court whereMr. George and Rollo found their lodgings was called NorthumberlandCourt for this reason. The entrance to it was under an archway a fewsteps beyond the great Northumberland House itself--a massive andvenerable edifice, that is still standing. In fact, the Duke ofNorthumberland resides in it, when he is in town, to this day.
Mr. George and Rollo noticed the front of Northumberland House as theypassed it, on the day when they were looking out for lodgings, asdescribed in the last chapter, and, very soon coming to the archwaywhich led into the court, they stopped to look in. There was a smalliron gate across the entrance to the archway, but it was open.
"This is a cunning-looking place," said Mr. George; "let us look in."
So he and Rollo walked in under the archway.
"This is a snug place," said Rollo.
"Yes," said Mr. George; "this is just the place for us. We will lookaround and find the best house, and then knock at the door and look atthe rooms."
So, after walking up and down the court once, Mr. George made hisselection, and knocked at the door with a long double rap, such as isusually given by gentlemen.
Very soon a pleasant-looking servant girl opened the door. Mr. Georgetold her that they had come to look at the rooms; whereupon the girlinvited them to walk in, and led the way up stairs.
This conversation took place while they were going up stairs; and justas they reached the head of the stairs, Mr. George asked the girl whather name was. She said it was Margaret.
Mr. George said he wished to have a sitting room and bed room. He didnot care, he said, if there were two bed rooms, if they were small. Thegirl said there was a sitting room and two bed rooms on the first floor,all connected together.
Margaret then led the way into the sitting room. It looked very snug andcomfortable; though, compared with the bright and cheerful appearance ofNew York rooms, it had rather a dark and dingy appearance. The paper wasdark, the paint was dark, and the furniture darker still. There was asofa on one side of the room, and two or three comfortable arm chairs.There was a round table in the middle of the floor, and several othersmaller tables in different places about the room. There was asideboard, also, with a clock and various ornaments upon it. There was amirror over the mantle shelf, and another between the windows; andvarious engravings, in frames that had evidently once been gilt, werehanging about the walls.
"Well," said Mr. George, as he looked about the room, "I don't know butthat this will do for us, Rollo. What do you think?"
"I like it pretty well," said Rollo.
"Now let us see the bed rooms, Margaret," said Mr. George.
So Margaret led the way across the little entry to one of the bed rooms.The room had the same dingy appearance that had been observed in thesitting room, but it was abundantly furnished with every thing necessaryfor such an apartment. Margaret led the way through this bed room to asmaller one, which was so situated that it communicated both with thelarge bed room and the sitting room.
"Ah," said Mr. George, "this is just the place for you, Rollo."
"Yes," said Rollo; "I shall like it very much."
"What is the price of these three rooms?" said Mr. George, turning toMargaret.
"Twenty-seven shillings a week, sir, if you please," said Margaret.
"Twenty-seven shillings a week," said Mr. George, repeating the words tohimself in a musing manner. "That must be about a dollar a day,reckoning four shillings to the dollar. Well, Rollo, I think you and Ican afford to pay half a dollar a piece for our rooms, considering thatit is London."
"Yes," said Rollo; "I think we can."
"We will take the rooms, then," said Mr. George, turning to Margaret.
"Very well, sir," said Margaret; "as you go down stairs I will speak tomy mistress."
So Margaret led the way down stairs, and Mr. George and Rollo followed.At the foot of the stairs they were met by the landlady, who came outfrom a basement room to see them. Mr. George told the landlady that theywould take the rooms; and he handed her his card, in order that shemight know his name.
"And perhaps, sir," said she, "you would be willing to make a deposit inadvance."
"Certainly," said Mr. George.
"Because sometimes," said the landlady, "a gentleman engages rooms, andthen something happens to prevent his coming, and so we lose all ourtrouble of putting them in order for him, and, perhaps, lose theopportunity of renting them to another lodger besides."
"Certainly," said Mr. George. "It is perfectly right you should have adeposit. How much shall it be?"
"Perhaps you would be willing to leave five shillings with me," saidthe landlady; "that would be sufficient."
Mr. George expressed himself entirely satisfied with this arrangement,and, giving the landlady five shillings, he went away, saying that heand Rollo would return in the course of a couple of hours with theirluggage. He t
hen went out into the street, called a cab from off thestand in front of Morley's Hotel, drove down the Strand to the city,through the city to London Bridge, and over the bridge to the railwaystation. The porter brought out his luggage and put it upon the top ofthe cab; and then Mr. George and Rollo got in, and the cabman drove themback again to the West End. The luggage was carried up to their rooms;and thus our two travellers found themselves regularly installed intheir London lodgings.