第4部分(第3/7 頁)

sequent　times；　when　I　lived　amid　decencies　and　had　enough　to　eat。　Some　day　I　will　go　to　London；　and　spend　a　day　or　two　amid　the　dear　old　horrors。　Some　of　the　places；　I　know；　have　disappeared。　I　see　the　winding　way　by　which　I　went　from　Oxford　Street；　at　the　foot　of　Tottenham　Court　Road；　to　Leicester　Square；　and；　somewhere　in　the　labyrinth　（I　think　of　it　as　always　foggy　and　gas…lit）　was　a　shop　which　had　pies　and　puddings　in　the　window；　puddings　and　pies　kept　hot　by　steam　rising　through　perforated　metal。　How　many　a　time　have　I　stood　there；　raging　with　hunger；　unable　to　purchase　even　one　pennyworth　of　food！　The　shop　and　the　street　have　long　since　vanished；　does　any　man　remember　them　so　feelingly　as　I？　But　I　think　most　of　my　haunts　are　still　in　existence：　to　tread　again　those　pavements；　to　look　at　those　grimy　doorways　and　purblind　windows；　would　affect　me　strangely。

I　see　that　alley　hidden　on　the　west　side　of　Tottenham　Court　Road；　where；　after　living　in　a　back　bedroom　on　the　top　floor；　I　had　to　exchange　for　the　front　cellar；　there　was　a　difference；　if　I　remember　rightly；　of　sixpence　a　week；　and　sixpence；　in　those　days；　was　a　very　great　consideration……why；　it　meant　a　couple　of　meals。　（I　once　FOUND　sixpence　in　the　street；　and　had　an　exultation　which　is　vivid　in　me　at　this　moment。）　The　front　cellar　was　stone…floored；　its　furniture　was　a　table；　a　chair；　a　wash…stand；　and　a　bed；　the　window；　which　of　course　had　never　been　cleaned　since　it　was　put　in；　received　light　through　a　flat　grating　in　the　alley　above。　Here　I　lived；　here　I　WROTE。　Yes；　〃literary　work〃　was　done　at　that　filthy　deal　table；　on　which；　by　the　bye；　lay　my　Homer；　my　Shakespeare；　and　the　few　other　books　I　then　possessed。　At　night；　as　I　lay　in　bed；　I　used　to　hear　the　tramp；　tramp　of　a　posse　of　policemen　who　passe