are fond of crowds, though I can't say that I am."

I couldn't help smiling to see how long a tradition would last. Here
was the ghost of London still asserting itself as a centre,--an
intellectual centre, for aught I knew. However, I said nothing,
except that I asked him to drive very slowly, as the things in the
booths looked exceedingly pretty.

"Yes," said he, "this is a very good market for pretty things, and is
mostly kept for the handsomer goods, as the Houses-of-Parliament
market, where they set out cabbages and turnips and such like things,
along with beer and the rougher kind of wine, is so near."

Then he looked at me curiously, and said, "Perhaps you would like to
do a little shopping, as 'tis called."

I looked at what I could see of my rough blue duds, which I had
plenty of opportunity of contrasting with the gay attire of the
citizens we had come across; and I thought that if, as seemed likely,
I should presently be shown about as a curiosity for the amusement of
this most unbusinesslike people, I should like to look a little less
like a discharged ship's purser. But in spite of all that had
happened, my hand went down into my pocket again, where to my dismay
it met nothing metallic except two rusty old keys, and I remembered
that amidst our talk in the guest-hall at Hammersmith I had taken the
cash out of my pocket to show to the pretty Annie, and had left it
lying there. My face fell fifty per cent., and Dick, beholding me,
said rather sharply -

"Hilloa, Guest! what's the matter now? Is it a wasp?"