e matter and said with the verve of slight
intoxication:

"Only two places appeal to me at present, heaven (not hell as you
suggested), and Grosvenor Square. Perhaps, however, they are the same;
at any rate, there is an angel in both of them."

The policeman stared at him but could find no fault with the perfect
sobriety of his appearance.

"Young luny, I suspect," he muttered to himself, then said aloud:
"Well, the Strand doesn't lead to 'eaven so far as I have noticed,
rather t'other way indeed. But if you want Grosvenor Square, it's over
there," and he waved his hand vaguely towards the west.

"Thank you," said Godfrey, taking off his hat with much politeness. "If
that is so, I will leave heaven to itself for the present and content
myself with Grosvenor Square."

Off he started in the direction indicated, and, as it seemed to him,
walked for many miles through a long and bewildering series of
brilliant streets, continually seeking new information as to his goal.
The end of it was that at about a quarter to eleven he found himself
somewhere in the neighbourhood of the Edgware Road, utterly stranded as
it were, since his mind seemed incapable of appreciating further
indications of locality.

"Look here, young man," said a breezy costermonger to whom he had
appealed, "I think you had better take a 'ansom for the 'orse will know
more about London than you seem to do. There's one 'andy."

"That is an idea," said Godfrey, and entered the cab, giving the
address of Grosvenor Square.

"What number?" asked the driver.

"I don't know," replied Godfrey, "the Ball, Grosvenor Square."

Off they went, and in due course, reaching the square, drove round it
until they came to a great house where there were signs of festivity in
the shape of an awning above the entrance and a carpet on the pavement.

The cab stopped with a jerk and a voice from above--never having been
in a hansom before, at first Godfrey could not locate it--exclaimed:

"Here's your Ball, young gent. Now you'd better hop out and dance."

His fare began to explain the situation through the little trap in the
roof, demonstrating to the Jehu that his object was to observe the ball
from without, not to dance at it within, and that it was necessary for
him to drive on a little further. That worthy grew indignant.

"Blowed if I don't believe you're a bilk," he shouted through the hole.
"Here, you pay me my fare and hook it, young codger."

Godfrey desce