It was the face of a genius, an evil genius, unjust and
ruthless--a brutal god. I felt, and no doubt everyone in the crowd felt,
that between us and that lonely man there was some immense difference
and distance of outlook and will and desire.
I could follow his progress for several yards. Then I lost sight of him.
Almost immediately afterward I heard a tumult--shouts and uproar--
Then the royal procession swept by.
I said to Mr. G.M., "Whether he was arrested that day, or knocked down
by the cavalry and taken to a hospital, I don't know. I have not seen or
heard of him till I got that letter on Wednesday."
Mr. G.M., who is now one of the managers of a well-known tobacconist
firm, had been in the same office as Barber, and notwithstanding the
disparity of age and position, had always shown a kindly interest in him
and befriended him when he could. Accordingly, when I received a letter
from Barber begging in very lamentable terms to visit him at an address
in Kent, I thought it prudent to consult this gentleman before sending
any reply. He proposed very amiably that we should meet at Charing Cross
Station on the following Saturday afternoon and travel in to Kent
together. In the train we discussed Barber's case. I related all I knew
of the young man and we compared our observations.
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