"I have much to say to you." "No,"
said I, "I shall be better moving about;" and I was moving away, when it
suddenly occurred to me that I might never see this woman again; and
turning round I offered her my hand, and bade her good-bye. "Farewell,
child," said the old woman, "and God bless you!" I then moved along the
bridge until I reached the Southwark side, and, still holding on my
course, my mind again became quickly abstracted from all surrounding
objects.

At length I found myself in a street or road, with terraces on either
side, and seemingly of interminable length, leading, as it would appear,
to the south-east. I was walking at a great rate--there were likewise a
great number of people, also walking at a great rate; also carts and
carriages driving at a great rate; and all, men, carts and carriages,
going in the selfsame direction, namely, to the south-east. I stopped
for a moment and deliberated whether or not I should proceed. What
business had I in that direction? I could not say that I had any
particular business in that direction, but what could I do were I to turn
back? only walk about well-known streets; and, if I must walk, why not
continue in the direction in which I was to see whither the road and its
terraces led? I was here in a terra incognita, and an unknown place had
always some interest for me; moreover, I had a desire to know whither all
this crowd was going, and for what purpose. I thought they could not be
going far, as crowds seldom go far, especially at such a rate; so I
walked on more lustily than before, passing group after group of the
crowd, and almost vieing in speed with some of the carriages, especially
the hackney-coaches; and by dint of walking at this rate, the terraces
and houses becoming somewhat less frequent as I advanced, I reached in
about three-quarters of an hour a kind of low dingy town, in the
neighbourhood of the river; the streets were swarming with people, and I
concluded, from the number of wild-beast shows, caravans, gingerbread
stalls and the like, that a fair was being held. Now, as I had always
been partial to fairs, I felt glad that I had fallen in with the crowd
which had conducted me to the present one, and, casting away as much as I
was able all gloomy thoughts, I did my best to enter into the diversions
of the fair; staring at the wonderful representations of animals on
canvas hung up before the shows of wild beasts, which, by-the-bye, are
freque