“Life,” said Bagarrow, in a moment of expansiveness, “is scarcely worth living unless you are doing good to someone.”  That I take to be the keystone of him.  “I want to be a Good Influence upon all the people I meet.”  I do not think it has ever dawned upon him that he himself is any way short of perfection; and, so far as I can see, the triumph and end of his good influence is cleanliness of cuff, compactness of umbrella, and general assimilation to the Bagarrow ideal.

Hear him upon one’s social duties—­this living soul in this world of wonders!  “In moderation,” said Bagarrow, opening out to questions on that matter, “social relaxation is desirable, and I will even go so far as to admit that I think it well to have at hand some pleasant expedient for entertaining people and passing the time.  A humorous song or a recitation—­provided it is in really good taste—­is harmless enough, and sometimes it may even be turned to good account.  And everyone should try to master some instrument or other.  The flute, perhaps, is as convenient as any; for the fiddle and piano, you know, are difficult and expensive to learn, and require constant practice.  A little legerdemain is also a great acquisition for a man.  Some may differ from me in that,” continued Bagarrow, “but I see no harm in it.  There are hundreds of perfectly proper and innocent tricks with coins and bits of paper, and pieces of string, that will make an evening pass most delightfully.  One may get quite a little reputation as an entertainer with these things.”

“And it is,” pursued Bagarrow, quite glowing with liberality, “just a little pharisaical to object to card tricks.  There are quantities of really quite clever and mathematical things that one may do with a chosen card, dealing the pack into heaps and counting slowly.  Of course it is not for mere pleasuring that I learn these things.  It gives anyone with a little tact an opportunity for stopping card-playing.  When the pack is brought in, and all the party are intent upon gaming, you may seize your opportunity and take the cards, saying, ’Let me show you a little trick,’ or, ‘Have you seen Maskelyne’s new trick with the cards?’ Before anyone can object you are displaying your skill to their astonished eyes, and in their wonder at your cleverness the objectionable game may be indefinitely postponed.”

“Yet so set at times is your gambler upon his abominable pursuit,” says Bagarrow, “that in practice even this ingenious expedient has been known to fail.”  He tried it once, it seems, in a race train to Kempton Park, and afterwards he had to buy a new hat.  That incident, indeed, gives you the very essence of Bagarrow in his insidious attacks on evil.  I remember that on another occasion he went out of his way to promise a partially intoxicated man a drink; and taking him into a public-house ordered two lemon squashes!  Drinks!  He liked lemon squash himself and he did not like beer, and he thought he had only to introduce the poor fallen creature to the delights of temperance to ensure his conversion there and then.  I think he expected the man to fall upon him, crying “My benefactor!” But he did not say “My benefactor,” at anyrate, though he fell upon him, cheerfully enough.