ite comment; for in the
working quarter of London a high standard of beauty is not insisted
upon. On the next occasion when I caught his eye I frowned at him, and a
moment later I found myself trying to stare him down. After two minutes
it was I who retired in confusion to my glass.

As I prepared to go--for to be watched at meals makes me nervous, and
leads me sometimes to eat the card with "Foie Gras" on it in mistake for
the sandwich--he came up to me and raised his hat.

"You must excuse me, sir, for staring at you," he said, "but has any
one ever told you that you are exactly like A. E. Barrett?"

I drew myself up and rested my left hand lightly on my hip. I thought he
said David Garrick.

"The very image of him," he went on, "when first I met him."

Something told me that in spite of his grey hair he was not talking of
David Garrick after all.

"Like _who?_" I said in some disappointment.

"A. E. Barrett."

I tried to think of a reply, both graceful and witty. The only one I
could think of was, "Oh?"

"It's extraordinary. If your hair were just a little longer the likeness
would be perfect."

I thought of offering to go away now and come back in a month's time.
Anyway, it would be an excuse for going now.

"I first knew him at Cambridge," he explained. "We were up together in
the 'seventies."

"Ah, I was up in the nineteen hundreds," I said. "I just missed you
both."

"Well, didn't they ever tell you at Cambridge that you were the image of
A. E. Barrett?"

I tried to think. They had told me lots of things at Cambridge, but I
couldn't remember any talk about A. E. Barrett.

"I should have thought every one would have noticed it," he said.

I had something graceful for him this time all right.

"Probably," I said, "those who were unfortunate enough to know me had
not the honour of knowing A. E. Barrett."

"But everybody knew A. E. Barrett. _You've_ heard of him, of course?"

The dreadful moment had arrived. I knew it would.

"Of course," I said.

"A charming fellow."

"Very brainy," I agreed.

"Well, just ask any of your artist friends if they don't notice the
likeness. The nose, the eyes, the expression--wonderful! But I must be
going. Perhaps I shall see you here again some day. Good afternoon"; and
he raised his hat and left me.

You can understand that I was considerably disturbed. First, why had I
never heard of A. E. Barrett? Secondly, what sort of looking fellow was
he? Thirdl