still less a shilling for a theatre gallery

[chong lee]

Hi,
The quote is from the story "The Philanthropist and the Happy Cat" by H. H. Munro.

Do I have to understand that a theatre ticket is less than a shilling and cheaper than coffee and sandwich?
Or after coffee and sandwich (if they find the necessary money anyhow) poor people has not a shilling for theatre to end the day properly.

Thank you

It was sad to think that there were young people who, after a long day's work, had to sit alone in chill, dreary bedrooms because they could not afford the price of a cup of coffee and a sandwich in a restaurant, still less a shilling for a theatre gallery.

 

[8thnote]

If they could not afford a sandwich and a cup coffee, then they definitely could not afford a ticket to the theatre either. Here, "still less" means the same thing as "much less".

Much less:

1. : not to mention —used especially in negative contexts to add to one item another denoting something less likely<had trouble paying for a car, much less a high-definition TV> (M-W Dictionary)
   

 

[heypresto]

They couldn't afford a coffee and a sandwich in a restaurant. And being able to afford a shilling for a theatre ticket was even further out of their reach.


Cross-posted.

 

[chong lee]

Thank you.