What is he ?" inquired Wyndham.
"He's the Aquarium!" said Gilks, laughing.
"And do they play skittles in the Aquarium ?" asked the boy.
"Rather!" said Silk; "it amuses the fishes, you know." Beamish's was, as Gilks had said, another name for the Shellport Aquarium--a disreputable place of resort, whose only title to the name of Aquarium was that it had in it, in an obscure corner which nobody ever explored, a small tank, which might have contained fishes if there had been any put into it.

As it was, the last thing any one went to Beamish's for was to study fishes, the other attractions of the place--the skittles, bowls, and refreshment bars--being far more popular.

These things in themselves, of course, were not enough to make Beamish's a bad place.
That character was supplied by the company that were mostly in the habit of frequenting it, of which it is enough to say it was the very reverse of select.
At this time of day, however, the place was almost empty, and when, after a good deal of chaff and persuasion, Wyndham was induced to take a little turn round the place, he was surprised to find it so quiet and unobjectionable.

The boys had a short game at skittles and a short game at bowls, and bought a few buns and an ice at the refreshment stall, and then departed schoolwards.
They reached Willoughby in good time for call-over, no one except Riddell being aware of their pleasant expedition.

Still Wyndham, when it was all _over_, did not feel altogether comfortable.