her hair, and started.

Beatrice had never been in London before, and as soon as she left
the station the rush and roar of the huge city took hold of her, and
confused her. Her idea was to walk to the Houses of Parliament at
Westminster. She would, she thought, be sure to see Geoffrey there,
because she had bought a daily paper in which she had read that he was
to be one of the speakers in a great debate on the Irish Question, which
was to be brought to a close that night. She had been told by a friendly
porter to follow Praed Street till she reached the Edgware Road, then to
walk on to the Marble Arch, and ask again. Beatrice followed the first
part of this programme--that is, she walked as far as the Edgware Road.
Then it was that confusion seized her and she stood hesitating. At this
juncture, a coarse brute of a man came up and made some remark to her.
It was impossible for a woman like Beatrice to walk alone in the streets
of London at night, without running the risk of such attentions. She
turned from him, and as she did so, heard him say something about her
beauty to a fellow Arcadian. Close to where she was stood two hansom
cabs. She went to the first and asked the driver for how much he would
take her to the House of Commons.

"Two bob, miss," he answered.

Beatrice shook her head, and turned to go again. She was afraid to spend
so much on cabs, for she must get back to Bryngelly.

"I'll take yer for eighteenpence, miss," called out the other driver.
This offer she was about to accept when the first man interposed.

"You leave my fare alone, will yer? Tell yer what, miss, I'm a
gentleman, I am, and I'll take yer for a bob."

She smiled and entered the cab. Then came a whirl of great gas-lit
thoroughfares, and in a quarter of an hour they pulled up at the
entrance to the House. Beatrice paid the cabman his shilling, thanked
him, and entered, only once more to find herself confused with a vision
of white statues, marble floors, high arching roofs, and hurrying
people. An automatic policeman asked her what she wanted. Beatrice
answered that she wished to get into the House.

"Pass this way, then, miss--pass this way," said the automatic officer
in a voice of brass. She passed, and passed, and finally found herself
in a lobby, among a crowd of people of all sorts--seedy political touts,
Irish priests and hurrying press-men. At one side of the lobby were more
policemen and messengers, who were continually tak