s sporting paper, and his fine photographs of fine
women. He swore in Raleigh's very words, and used to spit like him;
Raleigh, if ever he chanced to expectorate, had an odd way of twisting
up the corner of his mouth, so did Nobbs. In town Nobbs went to the very
same bars (always, of course, discreetly and out of sight), the very
same theatres; a most perfect Raleigh to the tiniest detail. Why,
Raleigh very rarely wound up his watch--careless Raleigh; accordingly,
Nobbs' watch was seldom going. "And you just look here," said Nobbs to a
great and confidential friend, after they had done endless whiskies, and
smoked handfuls of Raleigh's tobacco, "you look here, if I was _he_, and
had lots of chink, and soft old parties to get money out of as easy as
filling yer pipe, by Jove! wouldn't _I_ cut a swell! I'd do it, _I_
would. I'd make that Whitechapel of his spin along, I rather guess I
would. I'd liquor up. Wouldn't I put a thou on the Middle Park Plate?
Ah! wouldn't I, Tommy, my boy! Just wouldn't I have heaps of wimmen;
some in the trap, and some indoors, and some to go to the theatre
with--respectable gals, I mean--crowds of 'em would come if Raleigh was
to hold up his finger. Guess I'd fill this old shop (the Pamment
mansion) choke full of wimmen! If I was only he! Shouldn't I like to
fetch one of them waiter chaps a swop on the nose, like _he_ did! Oh,
my! Oh, Tommy!" And Nobbs very nearly wept at the happy vision of being
"he."

Why, Raleigh was not only a Hero, he was a Demi-god to his valet! Not
only Nobbs, but the footmen, and the grooms, and the whole race of
servants everywhere who had caught a glimpse of Raleigh looked upon him
as the Ideal Man. So did the whole race of "cads" in the bars and at
the races, and all over town and country, all of that sort who knew
anything of Raleigh sighed to be like "he."

The fellow who said that "No man is a hero to his valet" seemed to
suppose that the world worships good and divine qualities only. Nothing
of the sort; it is not the heroic, it is the low and coarse and
blackguard part the mass of people regard with such deep admiration.

If only Nobbs could have been "he," no doubt whatever he would have
"done it" very big indeed. But he would have left out of his copy that
part of Raleigh's nature which, in spite of the whiskey and the cutty,
and the rest of it, made him still a perfect gentleman at heart. Nobbs
didn't want to be a perfect gentleman.

[Illustration]