As I spoke I felt in my pockets one after the other for the address of Mr Rowle's brother, but to my dismay I found that it was gone, and, search how I would, there was no sign of it in either pocket. At last I looked up full in the policeman's face, to exclaim pitifully--"Please, sir, it's gone." "Is it now?" he said in a bantering, sneering tone. "That's a wonder, that is: specially if it warn't never there. Look here, young fellow, what have you come to London for?" "Please, sir, I've come to seek my fortune." "Oh, you have, have you? Now look here, which are you, a young innocent from the country, or an artful one? You may just as well speak out, for I'm sure to find out all about it." "Indeed I've come up from the country, sir, to try and get a place, for I was so unhappy down there." "Then you've run away from your father and mother, eh?" "No, sir; they are both dead." "Well, then, you've run away from home, eh?" "No, sir," I said sadly; "I haven't any home." "Well, what's got to be done? You can't stop here all night." "Can't I, sir?" "Can't you, sir? Why, what a young gooseberry it is! Have you been to London before?" "No, sir." "When did you come up?" "Only this evening, sir." "And don't you know that if I leave you here some one'll have your bundle, and perhaps you too, before morning?" "I was so tired, sir, I fell asleep." "Come along o' me. The best thing I can do for you's to lock you up till morning." "Thank you, sir." He burst out into a roar of laughter as he turned off the light of his bull's-eye. "Come along, youngster," he said, "it's all right, I see. Why, you are as green as a gooseberry." "Am I, sir?" I said piteously, for I felt very sorry that I was so green, as he called it, but I was too much confused to thoroughly understand what he meant. "Greener, ever so much. Why, if you'd gone down Covent Garden to sleep amongst the baskets you'd have got swept up for cabbage leaves." "Covent Garden Market, sir? Is that close here?" I said. "As if you didn't know," he replied, returning to his doubting vein. "I've heard my papa speak of it," I said, eager to convince him that I was speaking the truth. "He said the finest of all the fruit in the country went there, and that the flowers in the central--central--" "Avenue?" suggested the constable. "Yes, central avenue--were always worth a visit." "That's so. And that's what your papa said, eh?" "Yes, sir, I have heard him say so more than once." "Then don't you think, young fellow, as it looks very suspicious for a young gent as talks about his _papa_ to be found sleeping on a doorstep?" "Yes, sir, I suppose it does," I said, "but I have no friends now." "Well, you'd better come along o' me, and tell your tale to the inspector. I'm not going to leave you here. He'll soon get to know the rights of it. You've run away, that's what you've done." "Yes, sir," I said; "I did run away, but--"