"Royston was staring after him, and wondering at his strange conduct,
when he was recalled to himself by the voice of the deceased, who had
struggled to his feet, and was holding on to the lamp-post, swaying to
and fro. 'I wan' g'ome,' he said in a thick voice, 'St. Kilda.' He then
tried to get into the cab, but was too drunk to do so, and finally sat
down again on the pavement. Seeing this, Royston got down, and lifting
him up, helped him into the cab with some considerable difficulty. The
deceased fell back into the cab, and seemed to drop off to sleep; so,
after closing the door, Royston turned to remount his driving-seat,
when he found the gentleman in the light coat whom he had seen holding
up the deceased, close to his elbow. Royston said, 'Oh, you've come
back,' and the other answered, 'Yes, I've changed my mind, and will see
him home.' As he said this he opened the door of the cab, stepped in
beside the deceased, and told Royston to drive down to St. Kilda.
Royston, who was glad that the friend of the deceased had come to look
after him, drove as he had been directed, but near the Church of
England Grammar School, on the St. Kilda Road, the gentleman in the
light coat called out to him to stop. He did so, and the gentleman got
out of the cab, closing the door after him.
"'He won't let me take him home,' he said, 'so I'll just walk back to
the city, and you can drive him to St. Kilda.'
"'What street, sir?' asked Royston.
"'Grey Street, I fancy,' said the other, 'but my friend will direct you
when you get to the Junction.' "'Ain't he too much on, sir?' said
Royston, dubiously.
"'Oh, no! I think he'll be able to tell you where he lives--it's Grey
Street or Ackland Street, I fancy. I don't know which.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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