The curious sense of guilt he felt when he performed this innocent act surprised as well as amused him.
"It is exactly as if I had murdered somebody and had sunk a body into the well instead of a coat!" he said--"and--perhaps I have! Perhaps I am killing my Self,--getting rid of my Self,--which would be a good thing, if I could only find Some one or Some thing better than my Self in my Self's place!" When he had finally disposed of every article that could suggest any possibility of his ever having been clothed as a gentleman, he unripped the lining of his rough "workman's" vest, and made a layer of the banknotes he had with him between it and the cloth, stitching it securely over and over with coarse needle and thread, being satisfied by this arrangement to carry all his immediate cash hidden upon his person, while for the daily needs of hunger and thirst he had a few loose shillings and coppers in his pocket.

He had made up his mind not to touch a single one of the banknotes, unless suddenly overtaken by accident or illness.

When his bit of silver and copper came to an end, he meant to beg alms along the road and prove for himself how far it was true that human beings were in the main kind and compassionate, and ready to assist one another in the battle of life.

With these ideas and many others in his mind, he started on his "tramp"-- and during the first two or three days of it suffered acutely.

Many years had passed since he had been accustomed to long sustained bodily exercise, and he was therefore easily fatigued.