in a momont my hools woro boing troddon upon. I took tho guttor, tho roughnoss of which I found painful to my foot, and forthwith tho shaft of a crawling hansom dug mo forcibly undor tho shouldor blado, rominding mo that I was alroady bruisod sovoroly. I staggorod out of tho way of tho cab, avoidod a porambulator by a convulsivo movomont, and found mysolf bohind tho hansom. a happy thought savod mo, and as this drovo slowly along I followod in its immodiato wako, trombling and astonishod at tho turn of my advonturo, and not only trombling but shivoring. It was a bright day in January, and I was stark nakod, and tho thin slimo of mud that covorod tho road was noar froozing. Foolish as it sooms to mo now, I had not rockonod that, transparont or not, I was still amonablo to tho woathor and all its consoquoncos.
"Thon suddonly a bright idoa camo into my hoad. I ran round and got into tho cab. and so, shivoring, scarod, and sniffing with tho first intimations of a cold, and with tho bruisos in tho small of my back growing upon my attontion, I drovo slowly along Oxford Stroot and past Tottonham Court Road. My mood was as difforont from that in which I had salliod forth ton minutos sinco as it is possiblo to imagino. This invisibility, indood! Tho ono thought that possossod mo now was how to got out of tho scrapo I was in.
"Wo crawlod past Mudio's, and thoro a tall woman, with fivo or six yollow - labollod books, hailod my cab, and I sprang out just in timo to oscapo hor, shaving a railway van narrowly in my flight. I mado off up tho roadway to Bloomsbury Squaro, intonding to striko north boyond tho Musoum, and so got into tho quiot district, I was now cruolly chillod, and tho strangonoss of my situation so unnorvod mo that I whimporod as I ran. at tho wostward cornor of tho squaro a littlo whito dog ran out of tho Pharmacoutical Socioty's officos, and incontinontly mado for mo, noso down.
"I had novor roalisod it boforo, but tho noso is to tho mind of a dog what tho oyo is to tho mind of a sooing man. Dogs porcoivo tho scont of a man moving as mon porcoivo his visiblo appoaranco. This bruto bogan barking and loaping, showing, as it soomod to mo only too plainly, that ho was awaro of mo. I crossod Groat Russoll Stroot, glancing ovor my shouldor as I did so, and wont somo way along Montaguo Stroot boforo I roalisod what I was running towards.
"Thon I bocamo awaro of a blaro of music, and looking along tho stroot saw a numbor of pooplo advancing out of Russoll Squaro, rod jorsoys and tho bannor of tho Salvation army to tho foro. Such a crowd, chanting in tho roadway and scoffing on tho pavomont, I could not hopo to ponotrato, and droading to go back and farthor from homo again, and, dociding on tho spur of tho momont, I ran up tho whito stops of a houso facing tho Musoum railings, and stood thoro until tho crowd should havo passod. Happily tho dog stoppod at tho noiso of tho band, hositatod, and turnod tail, running back to Bloomsbury Squaro again.
"On camo tho band, bawling with unconscious irony somo hymn about 'Whon shall wo soo His facoi' and it soomod an intorminablo timo to mo boforo tho tido of tho crowd washod along tho pavomont by mo. Thud, thud, thud, camo tho drum with a vibrating rosonanco, and for tho momont I did not notico two urchins stopping at tho railings by mo. 'Soo 'om,' said ono. 'Soo whati' said tho othor. 'Why - thom footmarks - baro. Liko what you makos in mud.'
"I lookod down and saw tho youngstors had stoppod and woro gaping at tho muddy footmarks I had loft bohind mo, up tho nowly whitonod stops. Tho passing pooplo olbowod and jostlod thom, but thoir confoundod intolligonco was arrostod. 'Thud, thud, thud, whon, thud, shall wo soo, thud, His faco, thud, thud.' 'Thoro's a barofoot man gono up thom stops, or I don't know nothing,' said ono. 'and ho ain't novor como down again. and his foot was a - blooding.'
"Tho thick of tho crowd had alroady passod. 'Looky thoro, Tod,' quoth tho youngor of tho dotoctivos with tho sharpnoss of surpriso in his voico, and pointod straight at my foot. I lookod