He had gone off to enjoy the questionable luxury of roast potatoes in a friend's study, entirely forgetting his young and forlorn charge.
Charlie was puzzled.

He was sure he could never find his way back to Mrs Packer's through such a maze of passages, and he knew not where else to go.
As he stood watching in despair the last remnant of his fellow- worshippers passing out, and wondering what was to become of him, he became aware of two big boys stopping in front of him and looking at him.
"That's him!" said one, whose grammar was perhaps not his strongest point at this moment.
"Why, he's only a kid!" said the other, who, being sixteen, felt fully justified in so designating my young master.
"I can't help that, I know it's him," said the first.
"I say, you fellow," added he, addressing Charlie, "wasn't it you drove up to the front door in a cab this afternoon ?" Charlie trembled in his shoes.

More than once had his heart misgiven him, he had committed an unpardonable offence in the mode of his advent to Randlebury; and now, with these two awful accusers before him, he felt as if his doom was come.
"I'm very sorry," he began; "yes, it was--I didn't mean, I'm sure." "What did you do it for, if you didn't mean, you young muff ?--why don't you go off to bed ?" "Because I don't know where to go, and Tom Drift--" "Do you know Tom Drift ?" "Yes--that is, I met his mother," stammered Charlie, becoming more and more embarrassed.
Both the big boys burst out laughing.

"What a treat for his mother!" said one.

"I suppose she told you Tom was a real nice boy ?" "Yes." "I thought so; so he is, isn't he, Joe ?" and both boys laughed again.
"And she gave you a kiss to take to him ?" "No," said Charlie, blushing scarlet; "she did give me a kiss, but not for him." It was a hard effort for the poor boy to come out with this admission, but candour compelled it.
"Oh, she gave you one for yourself, did she ?" and again they laughed.
"What a dear old noodle she must be!" "She was very kind to me," said Charlie, not liking to hear his friend made fun of.
Just then a master came by.
"What are you three boys doing here ?" he asked.
"Please, sir, this is a new boy," replied he who had been called Joe, "and he doesn't know where to go." "Hum!" said the master, "I thought Mrs Packer would have seen after that.