A messenger had now to be found to convey it to the village-inn.  Footmen were stirring about the house, and one meeting Evan close by his door, observed with demure grin, that he could not find the gentleman’s nether-garments.  The gentleman, it appeared, was Mr. John Raikes, who according to report, had been furnished with a bed at the house, because of a discovery, made at a late period over-night, that farther the gentleman could not go.  Evan found him sleeping soundly.  How much the poor youth wanted a friend!  Fortune had given him instead a born buffoon; and it is perhaps the greatest evil of a position like Evan’s, that, with cultured feelings, you are likely to meet with none to know you.  Society does not mix well in money-pecking spheres.  Here, however, was John Raikes, and Evan had to make the best of him.

‘Eh?’ yawned Jack, awakened; ’I was dreaming I was Napoleon Bonaparte’s right-hand man.’

‘I want you to be mine for half-an-hour,’ said Evan.

Without replying, the distinguished officer jumped out of bed at a bound, mounted a chair, and peered on tip-toe over the top, from which, with a glance of self-congratulation, he pulled the missing piece of apparel, sighed dejectedly as he descended, while he exclaimed: 

’Safe! but no distinction can compensate a man for this state of intolerable suspicion of everybody.  I assure you, Harrington, I wouldn’t be Napoleon himself—­and I have always been his peculiar admirer—­to live and be afraid of my valet!  I believe it will develop cancer sooner or later in me.  I feel singular pains already.  Last night, after crowning champagne with ale, which produced a sort of French Revolution in my interior—­by the way, that must have made me dream of Napoleon last night, with my lower members in revolt against my head, I had to sit and cogitate for hours on a hiding-place for these-call them what you will.  Depend upon it, Harrington, this world is no such funny affair as we fancy.’

‘Then it is true, that you could let a man play pranks on you,’ said Evan.  ‘I took it for one of your jokes.’

‘Just as I can’t believe that you’re a tailor,’ returned Jack.  ’It ’s not a bit more extraordinary.’

‘But, Jack, if you cause yourself to be contemptible——­’

‘Contemptible!’ cried Jack.  ’This is not the tone I like.  Contemptible! why it’s my eccentricity among my equals.  If I dread the profane vulgar, that only proves that I’m above them.  Odi, etc.  Besides, Achilles had his weak point, and egad, it was when he faced about!  By Jingo!  I wish I’d had that idea yesterday.  I should have behaved better.’

Evan could see that the creature was beginning to rely desperately on his humour.

‘Come,’ he said, ’be a man to-day.  Throw off your motley.  When I met you that night so oddly, you had been acting like a worthy fellow, trying to earn your bread in the best way you could—­’