nd
before long each of the ladies received a large cardboard box full of
fresh-cut flowers, sent by Mr. Barker of course; and the Duke, hearing
of this from his man, sent "his compliments to Lady Victoria, and would
she send him a rose for his coat?" So the Duke sallied forth on foot,
and the little creases in his clothes showed that he had just arrived.
But he did not attract any attention, for the majority of the population
of New York have "just arrived." Besides, he had not far to go. He had a
friend in town who lived but a few steps from the hotel, and his first
move on arriving was generally to call there.

Claudius waited a short time to see whether Mr. Barker would come; but
as Claudius rarely waited for anybody, he soon grew impatient, and
squeezing himself into a cab, told the driver to take him to Messrs.
Screw and Scratch in Pine Street. He was received with deference, and
treated as his position demanded. Would he like to see Mr. Silas B.
Barker senior? Very natural that he should want to make the acquaintance
of his relative's old friend and partner. Mr. Screw was out, yes--but
Mr. Scratch would accompany him. No trouble at all. Better "go around
right off," as Mr. Barker would probably go to Newport by the boat that
evening. So they went "around right away," and indeed it was a circular
journey. Down one elevator, through a maze of corridors, round crowded
corners, through narrow streets, Claudius ploughing his way through
billows of curbstone brokers, sad and gay, messenger-boys, young clerks,
fruit vendors, disreputable-looking millionaires and gentlemanly-looking
scamps, newspaper-boys, drunken Irishmen, complacent holders of
preferred, and scatterbrained speculators in wild-cat, an atmosphere of
tobacco smoke, dust, melons, and unintelligible jargon--little Mr.
Scratch clinging to his client's side, nodding furiously at every other
face he saw, and occasionally shouting a word of outlandish etymology,
but of magic import. Claudius almost thought it would be civil to offer
to carry the little man, but when he saw how deftly Mr. Scratch got in a
foot here and an elbow there, and how he scampered over any little bit
of clear pavement, the Doctor concluded his new acquaintance was
probably used to it. More elevators, more passages, a glass door, still
bearing the names "Barker and Lindstrand," and they had reached their
destination.

The office was on the second floor, with large windows looking over the