Quotation from: The People of the Abyss

Written by: Jack London

I do not know what might have happened, for I was waxing indignant
myself; but the "congregation" had "piped" the situation, and he drew me
over to a corner of the room, and then into another room. Here he again
demanded my reasons for wishing to go.

"I want to go," I said, "because I wish to look for work over in Stepney,
and every hour lessens my chance of finding work. It is now twenty-five
minutes to twelve. I did not think when I came in that it would take so
long to get a breakfast."