ould not have told whether I had four, five, or six.

It was an amusing sight to see scores of ragged boys carrying about
torches for sale. The cry of 'Links! links!' resounded on all sides.
'Light you home for sixpence, sir,' said one of them, as I stood
watching their operations. 'If 'tan't far,' he added, presently, 'I'll
light you for a Joey.' A Joey is the flash term for a four-penny piece,
or eight cents of our money, and is so called because these silver
coins, somewhat larger than a half-dime, are said to owe their origin to
Mr. Joseph Hume. We witnessed a bargain struck between one of these
urchins and a servant-girl, who imprudently yielded to his demand to
have the money in advance. No sooner had the young rogue conveyed it to
his pocket than he ran off to seek another customer as simple, leaving
the poor girl to strike a wiser bargain on the next occasion.

That I might fairly appreciate the character of the fog, my companion
proposed that we should 'put off into the unknown dark.' Not till I had
got into the street, and was groping my way among the pedestrians,
instead of watching them in security from the topmost of a flight of
steps, could I estimate its real nature. To my bewildered eyes it had
the appearance of a solid wall constantly opposing our further progress.
The blazing torches that we met were invisible at fifty yards' distance.
The tradesmen had closed their stores from fear of thieves, who are
remarkably active at such seasons. I afterward learned that in one of
the leading thoroughfares a vender of hams and bacon, who had a quantity
of goods exposed in front of his open store, was robbed in a most daring
manner at an early hour of the evening. The thieves drove a cart to his
door, and had nearly filled the vehicle with spoil before they were
observed. The tradesman rushed into the street, but the villains had
urged on the horse, and although he heard the noise of the wheels,
pursuit was an utter impossibility. Robberies on the person are of
frequent occurrence at such times, even in the most crowded streets, the
security with which the thief attacks a single individual rendering his
audacity almost incredible. Before assistance can arrive he has darted
across the road, and is in safety at a few yards' distance from the
scene of his violence.

We were about a quarter of a mile from the hotel, and were on the point
of retracing our steps when a cry of 'Fire!' was raised in our vicinity,
follo