The Amateur Gentleman

"A wonderful man, my comrade Jarsper, sir?"

"Yes," said Barnabas absently.

"Though he wouldn't ha' passed as a Grenadier,--not being tall enough,

you see."

"No," said Barnabas, his gaze still fixed.

"But as a trap, sir,--as a limb o' the law, he ain't to be

ekalled--nowheres nor nohow."

"No," said Barnabas, rising.

"What? are you off, sir--must you march?"

"Yes," said Barnabas, taking up his hat, "yes, I must go."

"'Olborn way, sir?"

"Yes."

"Why then--foller me, sir,--front door takes you into Gray's Inn

Lane--by your left turn and 'Olborn lays straight afore you,--this

way, sir." But, being come to the front door of the "Gun," Barnabas

paused upon the threshold, lost in abstraction again, and staring at

nothing in particular while the big Corporal watched him with a

growing uneasiness.

"Is it your 'ead, sir?" he inquired suddenly.

"Head?" repeated Barnabas.

"Not troubling you, is it, sir?"

"No,--oh no, thank you," answered Barnabas, and stretched out his

hand. "Good-by, Corporal, I'm glad to have met you, and the One and

Only was excellent."

"Thankee, sir. I hope as you'll do me and my comrade the honor to

try it again--frequent. Good-by, sir." But standing to watch

Barnabas as he went, the Corporal shook his head and muttered to

himself, for Barnabas walked with a dragging step, and his chin upon

his breast.

Holborn was still full of the stir and bustle, the rush and roar of

thronging humanity, but now Barnabas was blind and deaf to it all,

for wherever he looked he seemed to see the page of Mr. Shrig's

little book with its list of carefully written names,--those

names beginning with B.