Ifthisweremeantasanirritant，itdidnotactsuccessfully。Thesocialagitator，thepoliticaldemagogue，theoratorwhosehoneyedtoneshadrungwithbitinginvectiveintheearsoftheUnitedBrotherhoodoftheAwl，thePlaneandtheTrowel，simplybowedandcalmlywaitedforthenextattack。
Perhapsitwasofanaturetosurpriseevenhim。”Wehavenowish，”continuedtheInspector，”toprobetoocloselyintoconcernsseeminglyquiteremovedfromthemainissue。Yousaythatyouareready，naymore，areeveneagertoanswerallquestions。
Youwillprobablybeanxiousthentoexplainawayadiscrepancybetweenyourwordandyourconduct，whichhascometoourattention。
YouwereknowntohaveexpressedtheintentionofspendingtheafternoonofMrs。Spotts’deathinNewYorkandweresupposedtohavedoneso，yetyouwerecertainlyseeninthecrowdwhichinvadedthatrearbuildingatthefirstalarm。Areyouconsciousofpossessingadouble，ordidyoufailtocrosstheriverasyouexpectedto?””Iamgladthishascomeup。”Thetonewasoneofself-congratulationwhichwouldhaveshakenSweetwatersorelyhadhebeenadmittedtothisunofficialexamination。”Ihaveneverconfidedtoanyonethestoryofmydoingsonthatunhappyafternoon，becauseIknewofnoonewhowouldtakeanyinterestinthem。Butthisiswhatoccurred。IdidmeantogotoNewYorkandIevenstartedonmywalktotheBridgeatthehourmentioned。ButIgotintoasmallcrowdonthecornerofFultonStreet，inwhichapoordevilwhohadrobbedavendor’scartofafeworanges，wasbeinghustledabout。Therewasnopolicemanwithinsight，andsoI
busiedmyselfthereforaminutepayingfortheorangesanddraggingthepoorwretchawayintoanalley，whereIcouldhavethepleasureofseeinghimeatthem。WhenIcameoutofthealleythesmallcrowdhadvanished，butabigonewascollectingupthestreetverynearmyhome。IalwaysthinkofmybookswhenIseeanythingsuggestingfire，andnaturallyIreturned，andequallynaturally，whenIheardwhathadhappened，followedthecrowdintothecourtandsouptothepoorwoman’sdoorway。Butmycuriositysatisfied，IreturnedatoncetothestreetandwenttoNewYorkasIhadplanned。””DoyoumindtellinguswhereyouwentinNewYork?””Notatall。Iwentshopping。Iwantedacertainveryfinewire，foranexperimentIhadonhand，andIfounditinalittleshopinFourthAvenue。IfIrememberrightly，thenameoverthedoorwasGrippus。Itsodditystruckme。”