I want a shave!" he said, weakly. "I rather think
you do, sir!" replied the man, busy with his lather.

"... Had a nasty accident," murmured Desmond, "I fell down and
cut my head..."

"We're used to that here, sir," answered the barber, "but the
bath'll make you as right as, rain. W'y we 'ad a genel'man in
'ere, only lars' week it was, as 'adn't been 'ome for five days
and nights and the coat mos tore off 'is back along with a bit of
turn-up 'e'd 'at one o' them night clubs. And drunk I... w'y 'e
went to bite the rubber, so they wos tellin' me! But, bless you,
'e 'ad a nice shave and a couple of hours in the bath and a bit
of a nap; we got him his clothes as was tore mended up fine for
'im and 'e went 'ome as sober as a judge and as fresh as a
daisy!"

Desmond had it in his mind to protest against this material
interpretation of his disreputable state; but the sight in the
mirror of his ignominiously scrubby and battered appearance
silenced him. The barber's explanation was as good as any, seeing
that he himself could give no satisfactory account of the
circumstances which had reduced him to his sorry pass. So Desmond
held his peace though he felt constrained to reject the barber's
offer of a pick-me-up.

From the shaving saloon, Desmond sent a messenger out for some
clothes, and for the next three hours amused himself by
exhausting the resources of the Turkish bath. Finally, about the
hour of noon, he found himself, considerably refreshed, swathed
in towel, reposing on a couch, a cup of coffee at his elbow and
that morning's Daily Telegraph spread out before him.

Advertisements, so the experts say, are printed on the front and
back of newspapers in order to catch the eye of the indolent, on
the chance that having exhausted the news, they may glance idly
over the front and back of the paper before laying it aside. So
Desmond, before he even troubled to open his paper, let his gaze
wander down the second column of the front page whence issue
daily those anguishing appeals, mysterious messages,
heart-rending entreaties and barefaced begging advertisements
which give this column its characteristic name.

There his eye fell on an advertisement couched in the following
terms:

"If Gunner Martin Barling, 1820th Battery, R.F.C., will
communicate with Messrs. Mills & Cheyne, solicitors 130 Bedford
Row, W. C., he will hear of something to his advantage.
Difficulties with the military can be arranged."

Desmond re