There was, indeed, a little room at the top of the stairs, in which visitors were requested to sit down; but even here two men were always at work--at work, or else at play.
Into this room Mrs.Davis was shown, and there Charley found her.
Long and intimately as the young navvy had been acquainted with the landlady of the 'Cat and Whistle,' he had never before seen her arrayed for the outer world.

It may be doubted whether Sir John Falstaff would, at the first glance, have known even Dame Quickly in her bonnet, that is, if Dame Quickly in those days had had a bonnet.

At any rate Charley was at fault for a moment, and was shaking hands with the landlady before he quite recognized who she was.
The men in the room, however, had recognized her, and Charley well knew that they had done so.
'Mr.Tudor,' she began, not a bit abashed, 'I want to know what it is you are a-going to do ?' Though she was not abashed, Charley was, and very much so.
However, he contrived to get her out of the room, so that he might speak to her somewhat more privately in the passage.

The gentlemen at the Internal Navigation were well accustomed to this mode of colloquy, as their tradesmen not unfrequently called, with the view of having a little conversation, which could not conveniently be held in the public room.
'And, Mr.Tudor, what are you a-going to do about that poor girl there ?' said Mrs.Davis, as soon as she found herself in the passage, and saw that Charley was comfortably settled with his back against the wall.
'She may go to Hong-Kong for me.' That is what Charley should have said.

But he did not say it.