One evening in October I was walking with Henrietta, enjoying the cool breezes wafted over Vauxhall Bridge.  After several slow turns, Henrietta gaped frequently (so inseparable from woman is the love of excitement), and said, “Let’s go home by Grosvenor Place, Piccadilly, and Waterloo”—­localities, I may state for the information of the stranger and the foreigner, well known in London, and the last a Bridge.

“No.  Not by Piccadilly, Henrietta,” said I.

“And why not Piccadilly, for goodness’ sake?” said Henrietta.

Could I tell her?  Could I confess to the gloomy presentiment that overshadowed me?  Could I make myself intelligible to her?  No.

“I don’t like Piccadilly, Henrietta.”

“But I do,” said she.  “It’s dark now, and the long rows of lamps in Piccadilly after dark are beautiful.  I will go to Piccadilly!”

Of course we went.  It was a pleasant night, and there were numbers of people in the streets.  It was a brisk night, but not too cold, and not damp.  Let me darkly observe, it was the best of all nights—­FOR THE PURPOSE.

As we passed the garden wall of the Royal Palace, going up Grosvenor Place, Henrietta murmured: 

“I wish I was a Queen!”

“Why so, Henrietta?”

“I would make you Something,” said she, and crossed her two hands on my arm, and turned away her head.

Judging from this that the softer sentiments alluded to above had begun to flow, I adapted my conduct to that belief.  Thus happily we passed on into the detested thoroughfare of Piccadilly.  On the right of that thoroughfare is a row of trees, the railing of the Green Park, and a fine broad eligible piece of pavement.

“Oh my!” cried Henrietta presently.  “There’s been an accident!”

I looked to the left, and said, “Where, Henrietta?”

“Not there, stupid!” said she.  “Over by the Park railings.  Where the crowd is.  Oh no, it’s not an accident, it’s something else to look at!  What’s them lights?”

She referred to two lights twinkling low amongst the legs of the assemblage:  two candles on the pavement.

“Oh, do come along!” cried Henrietta, skipping across the road with me.  I hung back, but in vain.  “Do let’s look!”

Again, designs upon the pavement.  Centre compartment, Mount Vesuvius going it (in a circle), supported by four oval compartments, severally representing a ship in heavy weather, a shoulder of mutton attended by two cucumbers, a golden harvest with distant cottage of proprietor, and a knife and fork after nature; above the centre compartment a bunch of grapes, and over the whole a rainbow.  The whole, as it appeared to me, exquisitely done.