me
_along_, Winnie."

"But there are no cafes in London."

"There must be some cafes somewhere."

"Only public-houses and restaurants. Of course, we could go to a teashop,
but they're all shut up now."

"Well, then, what do people do in London when they want to be jolly? I
always thought London was a terrific town."

"They never want to be jolly," said Miss Ingate. "If they feel as if they
couldn't help being jolly, then they hire a private room somewhere and draw
the blinds down."

With no more words, Audrey seized Miss Ingate by the arm and they walked
off, out of the square and into empty and silent streets where highly
disciplined gas-lamps kept strict watch over the deportment of colossal
houses. In their rapid stroll they seemed to cover miles, but they could
not escape from the labyrinth of tremendous and correct houses, which in
squares and in terraces and in crescents displayed the everlasting
characteristics of comfort, propriety and self-satisfaction. Now and then a
wayfarer passed them. Now and then a taxicab sped through the avenues of
darkness like a criminal pursued by the impalpable. Now and then a red
light flickered in a porch instead of a white one. But there was no
surcease from the sinister spell until suddenly they emerged into a long,
wide, illumined thoroughfare of shut shops that stretched to infinity on
either hand. And a vermilion motor-bus meandered by, and this motor-bus was
so sad, so inexpressibly wistful, in the solemn wilderness of the empty
artery, that the two women fled from the strange scene and penetrated once
more into the gigantic and fearful maze from which they had for an instant
stood free. Soon they were quite lost. Till that day and night Audrey had
had a notion that Miss Ingate, though bizarre, did indeed know every street
in London. The delusion was destroyed.

"Never mind," said Miss Ingate. "If we keep on we're bound to come to a
cabstand, and then we can take a taxi and go wherever we like--Regent
Street, Piccadilly, anywhere. That's the convenience of London. As soon as
you come to a cabstand you're all right."

And then, in the distance, Audrey saw a man apparently tampering with a
gate that led to an area.

"Why," she said excitedly, "that's the house we're staying in!"

"Of course it isn't!" said Miss Ingate. "This isn't Paget Gardens, because
there are houses on both sides of it and there's a big wall on one side of
Paget Gardens. I'm sure we're at least