As one result of this, Charley was already deep in his debt.

Not that Norman had lent him money, or even paid bills for him; but the lodgings in which they lived had been taken by Norman, and when the end of the quarter came he punctually paid his landlady.
Charley had once, a few weeks before the period of which we are now writing, told Norman that he had no money to pay his long arrear, and that he would leave the lodgings and shift for himself as best he could.

He had said the same thing to Mrs.
Richards, the landlady, and had gone so far as to pack up all his clothes; but his back was no sooner turned than Mrs.Richards, under Norman's orders, unpacked them all, and hid away the portmanteau.

It was well for him that this was done.

He had bespoken for himself a bedroom at the public-house in Norfolk Street, and had he once taken up his residence there he would have been ruined for ever.
He was still living with Norman, and ever increasing his debt.