.

It was a hideous feeling. Something in the fog and in the night made
an assault upon her imagination. Abruptly she was numbered among the
derelict women whom nobody wants, whom no man thinks of or wishes to be
with, whom no child calls mother. She felt physically and morally, "I
am solitary," and it was horrible to her. She saw herself old and alone,
and she shuddered.

How long she walked on she did not know, but when at last she heard
a step shuffling along somewhere in front of her, she had almost--she
thought--realized Eternity.

The step was not coming towards her but was going onwards slowly before
her. She hastened, and presently came up with an old man, poorly dressed
in a dreadful frock-coat and disgraceful trousers, wearing on his long
gray locks a desperado of a top hat, and carrying, in a bloated and
almost purple hand, a large empty jug.

"Please!" said Rosamund.

The old gentleman shuffled on.

"Could you tell me--_please_--can you tell me where we are?"

She had grasped his left coat-sleeve. He turned and, bending, she peered
into the face of a drunkard.

"Close to the 'Daniel Lambert,'" said an almost refined old voice.

And a pair of pathetic gray eyes peered up at her above a nose that was
like a conflagration.

"Where's that? What is it?"

"Don't you know the 'Daniel Lambert'?"

The voice sounded very surprised and almost suspicious.

"No."

"It's well known, very well known. I'm just popping round there to get a
little something--eh!"

The voice died away.

"I want to find Great Cumberland Place."

"Well, you're pretty close to it. The 'Daniel Lambert's' in the Edgware
Road."

"Could you find it?--Great Cumberland Place, I mean?"

"Certainly."

"I wish you would. I should be so grateful."

The gray eyes became more pathetic.

"Grateful to me--would you, miss? I'll go with you and very glad to do
it."

The old gentleman took Rosamund home and talked to her on the way.
When they parted she asked for his name and address. He hesitated for
a moment and then gave it: "Mr. Thrush, 2 Albingdon Buildings, John's
Court, near Edgware Road."

"Thank you. You've done me a good turn."

At this moment the front door was opened by the housemaid.

"Oh--miss!" she said.

Her eyes left Rosamund and fastened themselves, like weapons, on the
old gentleman's nose. He lifted his desperado of a hat and immediately
turned away, trying to conceal his jug under his left arm, but
inadv