In its promenades men were drinking and smoking, while gaudy women, painted and low-robed, leered at them.

On the stage girls danced, throwing their legs above their heads.

Then they vanished amidst applause, and a woman in a yellow robe, who pretended to be tipsy, sang a horrible and vulgar song full of topical allusions, which was received with screams of delight by the enormous audience.
"Here the hearers are very many, but those to whom they listen do not talk well.

Let us go," said Oro, and we went.
At a recruiting station we paused a moment to consider posters supposed to be attractive, the very sight of which sent a thrill of shame through me.

I remember that the inscription under one of them was: "What will your best girl say ?" "Is that how you gather your soldiers?
Later it will be otherwise," said Oro, and passed on.
We reached Blackfriars and entered a hall at the doors of which stood women in poke-bonnets, very sweet-faced, earnest-looking women.