In the dark he almost ran against a ragged little child who was selling
flowers.
"Will you buy a rose-bud, sir?" said she.
"What?" he said, severely, "selling flowers at this time of night? Get
away home with you and get your supper, and go to bed;" but he spoiled
the effect of his sharp admonition by giving the girl all the silver he
had in his pocket.
He found the little dinner-party in a most loquacious mood. O'Halloran
in especial was in full swing. The internal economy of England was to be
readjusted. The capital must be transferred to the centre of the real
wealth and brain-power of the country--that is to say, somewhere about
Leeds or Manchester. This proposition greatly pleased Humphreys, the man
from the North, who was quite willing to let the Royal Academy, the
South Kensington and National Galleries, and the British Museum remain
in London, so long as the seat of government was transferred to
Huddersfield or thereabouts. But O'Halloran drew such a harrowing
picture of the effect produced on the South of England intellect by its
notorious and intense devotion to the arts, that Humphreys was almost
convicted of cruelty.
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