he said to his father, who had that moment shut the door of his cab
upon a fare--

"Father, I want to go and look after the girl, She can't be well."

"All right," said his father. "Only take care of yourself, Diamond."

So saying he climbed on his box and drove off.

He had great confidence in his boy, you see, and would trust
him anywhere. But if he had known the kind of place in which
the girl lived, he would perhaps have thought twice before he
allowed him to go alone. Diamond, who did know something of it,
had not, however, any fear. From talking to the girl he had
a good notion of where about it was, and he remembered the
address well enough; so by asking his way some twenty times,
mostly of policemen, he came at length pretty near the place.
The last policeman he questioned looked down upon him from the summit
of six feet two inches, and replied with another question, but kindly:

"What do you want there, my small kid? It ain't where you was bred,
I guess."

"No sir" answered Diamond. "I live in Bloomsbury."

"That's a long way off," said the policeman.

"Yes, it's a good distance," answered Diamond; "but I find my way
about pretty well. Policemen are always kind to me."