She
was by no means a vicious girl, she had no love of riot for its own
sake; she would greatly have preferred a decent mode of life, had it
seemed practicable. Hence she did not associate herself with the
rank and file of abandoned women; her resorts were not the crowded
centres; her abode was not in the quarters consecrated to her
business. In all parts of London there are quiet by-streets of
houses given up to lodging-letting, wherein are to be found many
landladies, who, good easy souls, trouble little about the private
morals of their lodgers, so long as no positive disorder comes about
and no public scandal is occasioned. A girl who says that she is
occupied in a workroom is never presumed to be able to afford the
luxury of strict virtue, and if such a one, on taking a room, says
that "she supposes she may have friends come to see her?" the
landlady will understand quite well what is meant, and will either
accept or refuse her for a lodger as she sees good. To such houses
as these Lotty confined herself. After some three or four years of
various experiences, she hit upon the abode in Milton Street, and
there had dwelt ever since. She got on well with Mrs. Ledward, and
had been able to make comfortable arrangements for Ida.
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