I began to find existence more
alluring; and I hurried back to the man to get rid of him.
"There it is," said I. "I am glad you applied to me first."
The man took the money and scrutinized me closely. At what was he standing
there staring? I had a feeling that he particularly examined the knees of
my trousers, and his shameless effrontery bored me. Did the scoundrel
imagine that I really was as poor as I looked? Had I not as good as begun
to write an article for half-a-sovereign? Besides, I had no fear whatever
for the future. I had many irons in the fire. What on earth business was
it of an utter stranger if I chose to stand him a drink on such a lovely
day? The man's look annoyed me, and I made up my mind to give him a good
dressing-down before I left him. I threw back my shoulders, and said:
"My good fellow, you have adopted a most unpleasant habit of staring at a
man's knees when he gives you a shilling."
He leant his head back against the wall and opened his mouth widely;
something was working in that empty pate of his, and he evidently came to
the conclusion that I meant to best him in some way, for he handed me back
the money. I stamped on the pavement, and, swearing at him, told him to
keep it. Did he imagine I was going to all that trouble for nothing? If
all came to all, perhaps I owed him this shilling; I had just recollected
an old debt; he was standing before an honest man, honourable to his
finger-tips--in short, the money was his.
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