Even I, who know him so well, have been taken in by him.

I have given alms to a blind beggar in the streets, have encountered him as a _chiffonier_ prowling about the gutters, have sat next to him on an omnibus when he has been clothed as an artisan in a blue blouse, and on not one of those occasions have I ever recognized him until he made himself known to me.

Among other things he was a decided epicure, and loved a good dinner as well as any of his compatriots.

Could you but see him with his napkin tucked under his chin, his little twinkling eyes sparkling with mirth, and his face wreathed in smiles, you would declare him to be one of the jolliest-looking individuals you have ever encountered.

See him, however, when he is on business and has a knotty problem to solve, and you will find a different man.