er than my Timothy.

I fear I am not truly brave myself, for though when under fire, so far
as I can recollect, I behaved as others, morally I seem to be deficient.
So I discovered next day when I attempted to buy David's outfit,
and found myself as shy of entering the shop as any Mary at the
pawnbroker's. The shop for little garments seems very alarming when you
reach the door; a man abruptly become a parent, and thus lost to a
finer sense of the proprieties, may be able to stalk in unprotected, but
apparently I could not. Indeed, I have allowed a repugnance to entering
shops of any kind, save my tailor's, to grow on me, and to my tailor's I
fear I go too frequently.

So I skulked near the shop of the little garments, jeering at myself,
and it was strange to me to reflect at, say, three o'clock that if I had
been brazen at half-past two all would now be over.

To show what was my state, take the case of the very gentleman-like man
whom I detected gazing fixedly at me, or so I thought, just as I had
drawn valiantly near the door. I sauntered away, but when I returned
he was still there, which seemed conclusive proof that he had smoked
my purpose. Sternly controlling my temper I bowed, and said with icy
politeness, "You have the advantage of me, sir."

"I beg your pardon," said he, and I am now persuaded that my words
turned his attention to me for the first time, but at the moment I was
sure some impertinent meaning lurked behind his answer.

"I have not the pleasure of your acquaintance," I barked.

"No one regrets it more than I do," he replied, laughing.

"I mean, sir," said I, "that I shall wait here until you retire," and
with that I put my back to a shop-window.

By this time he was grown angry, and said he, "I have no engagement,"
and he put his back to the shop-window. Each of us was doggedly
determined to tire the other out, and we must have looked ridiculous. We
also felt it, for ten minutes afterward, our passions having died away,
we shook hands cordially and agreed to call hansoms.

Must I abandon the enterprise? Certainly I knew divers ladies who would
make the purchases for me, but first I must explain, and, rather
than explain it has ever been my custom to do without. I was in this
despondency when a sudden recollection of Irene and Mrs. Hicking
heartened me like a cordial, for I saw in them at once the engine and
decoy by which David should procure his outfit.

You must be told who they were.