He had got it now.  This was right; and he laid all his plans accordingly.  First he pawned his silver watch and chain, so obtaining a little money without bothering anybody.  The pawnbroker’s shop was in Chapel Street, and he went on along the Edgware Road and up a narrow street in search of a shop where he could procure a suit of old clothes.  Here again it was as though instinct guided him, because he had no knowledge of London and did not know where to look for a slop-shop; but he pushed on, noticing that the houses were shabby, and feeling sure that he would soon find what he wanted.  And this happened.  All at once he was among the second-hand clothes; every shop on both sides of the street invited him—­the whole street at this sordid end of it was trying to help him.  For a very few shillings he bought just the garments that he had imagined—­loose and big made of drab canvas or drill, the suit of overalls that had been worn by some kind of mechanic, with two vast inside pockets to the jacket, in which the wearer had carried tools, food, and his bottle of drink.  Dale also bought a common soft felt hat, a thing you could pull down over your eyes and ears, and make into any shape you pleased.

When he put on the suit and the hat in his bedroom, he felt satisfied with their appearance.  He said to himself, “After I have slept out a night, and got plenty of earth stains and muck on this greasy old canvas, I shall look just a tramp wandered from the highroad, and no one will recognize me if they do chance to see me—­that is, unless I take my hat off.  And I don’t do that, until I take it off for the purpose of being recognized by him.”

He locked the suit of overalls and the slouch hat safely in his bag.  But next day he brought out the hat, and wore it while making a very careful tour of inspection in the neighborhood of the Grosvenor Place mansion.  Approaching it from the western side he spied out the lie of the land, found a mews that had an entrance in the side street, and judged that this mews contained Mr. Barradine’s horses and carriages.  This proved to be true.  Sauntering up and down, and lurking at corners on the side street, Dale waited and watched.  Always seeming to be strolling away from the house, but glancing back over his shoulder now and then, he saw Mr. Barradine’s brougham come out of the mews and stand at Mr. Barradine’s door.  No luggage was brought down the steps:  Mr. Barradine was merely starting for a drive about town.  Dale came in the evening and observed the house as he strolled along the main thoroughfare of Grosvenor Place.  There were lights in several rooms, and the window of the porch showed that the hail was lighted up.  Mr. Barradine had said that he hoped to be able to get home to-day, but evidently his journey had been postponed until to-morrow.  He had said he would go on Friday at the latest.