The step was not coming towards her but was going onwards slowly before her.  She hastened, and presently came up with an old man, poorly dressed in a dreadful frock-coat and disgraceful trousers, wearing on his long gray locks a desperado of a top hat, and carrying, in a bloated and almost purple hand, a large empty jug.

“Please!” said Rosamund.

The old gentleman shuffled on.

“Could you tell me—­please—­can you tell me where we are?”

She had grasped his left coat-sleeve.  He turned and, bending, she peered into the face of a drunkard.

“Close to the ‘Daniel Lambert,’” said an almost refined old voice.

And a pair of pathetic gray eyes peered up at her above a nose that was like a conflagration.

“Where’s that?  What is it?”

“Don’t you know the ’Daniel Lambert’?”

The voice sounded very surprised and almost suspicious.

“No.”

“It’s well known, very well known.  I’m just popping round there to get a little something—­eh!”

The voice died away.

“I want to find Great Cumberland Place.”

“Well, you’re pretty close to it.  The ‘Daniel Lambert’s’ in the Edgware Road.”

“Could you find it?—­Great Cumberland Place, I mean?”

“Certainly.”

“I wish you would.  I should be so grateful.”

The gray eyes became more pathetic.

“Grateful to me—­would you, miss?  I’ll go with you and very glad to do it.”

The old gentleman took Rosamund home and talked to her on the way.  When they parted she asked for his name and address.  He hesitated for a moment and then gave it:  “Mr. Thrush, 2 Albingdon Buildings, John’s Court, near Edgware Road.”

“Thank you.  You’ve done me a good turn.”

At this moment the front door was opened by the housemaid.

“Oh—­miss!” she said.

Her eyes left Rosamund and fastened themselves, like weapons, on the old gentleman’s nose.  He lifted his desperado of a hat and immediately turned away, trying to conceal his jug under his left arm, but inadvertently letting it protrude.

“Good night, and thank you very much indeed!” Rosamund called after him with warm cordiality.

“I’m glad you’ve got back, miss.  We were in a way.  It’s ever so late.”

“I got lost in the fog.  That dear old man rescued me.”

“I’m very thankful, miss, I’m sure.”

The girl seemed stiffened with astonishment.  She shut the street door automatically.

“He used to be a chemist once.”

“Did he, miss?”

“Yes, quite a successful one too; just off Hanover Square, he told me.  He was going round to get something for his supper when we met.”

“Indeed, miss?”

Rosamund went upstairs.

“Yes, poor old man,” she said, as she ascended.