This is an extract from George Orwell's famous record of his experiences in the late 1920s when he lived among the tramps and plongeurs of London and Paris. In this section (Chapters IX to XVIII) Orwell and his friend Boris find work at the hotel "X", near the Place de la Concorde in Paris. It includes Orwell's astute observations on the hierarchy and snobberies of the staff, chefs, waiters and dishwashers, and is a vivid account of their life on and off duty.