“Wait till you’ve had something to strengthen you,” I says, as could not help but pity her; “come home with me an’ I’ll make you a cup o’ tea.”
But I don’t believe she heard a word. She brushed past me and Nick, as if she’d forgotten all about us, and turned out of Lemon’s-passage, and went down the street, walking at a good pace. Nick darted after her in a minute, and I was bound to follow Nick. It’s a mercy, I happened to have my old bonnet on, or I should ha’ been took up for a lunatic.
On we went, Nick following her, and me following him—and turned up by Saint Paul’s, and so went westwards. The streets got bigger and more crowded, the shops grander. I never troubled to wonder where she was leading us, I was so afraid of losing sight of Nick. And, by and by, the woman began to go slower.
Once she stopped—it was in front of a grand place like a theatre—and began to posture on the pavement, and throw her arms about, and roll out grand-sounding words, for all the world like a play-actress.
A policeman told her to move on, and she turned on him like a tigress.
“Move on, fellow!” says she. “What do you mean? My foot is on my native heath,” or some such gibberish.
“Do you see these iron gates? Night after night crowds of people, rich and great, fine and fashionable, have thronged in at them, to see me. These walls have echoed to the voices of thousands, applauding me. I was their idol then! and to-day I’ve got to move on at your bidding! Ha, ha, ha! It’s a funny world, isn’t it, my man?”
And she laughed—a dreadful mad-sounding laugh, and went on, with me and the boy still at her heels, as she might have seen, if ever she’d looked round. But she never did.
It was dark when she next stopped, before a great house in a fashionable square.
The windows were all lighted up, and awnings were out, and carpets laid down the steps and across the sidewalk, for the grand ladies and gentlemen, that kept rolling up, in their shining carriages, to walk on. And a crowd of curious people was gathered by the area railings, staring at the diamonds and stars and ribbons, and wondering what was going to be for dinner.