A pale, fragile little gentleman this, with eyes and hair of an
indeterminate color, while his clothes, scrupulously neat and
brushed and precise to a button, showed pitifully shabby and
threadbare in contrast with his elaborately frilled and starched
cravat and gay, though faded, satin waistcoat; and, as he stood
bowing nervously to them, there was an air about him that somehow
gave the impression that he was smaller even than Nature had intended.
"Gentlemen," said he, coughing nervously behind his hand, "hem!--I
trust I don't intrude. Feel it my obligation to pay my respects,
to--hem! to welcome you as a neighbor--as a neighbor. Arthur Bimby,
humbly at your service--Arthur Bimby, once a man of parts though now
brought low by abstractions, gentlemen, forces not apparent to the
human optic, sirs. Still, in my day, I have been known about town as
a downy bird, a smooth file, and a knowing card--hem!"
Hereupon he bowed again, looking as unlike a "smooth file" or
"knowing card" as any small, inoffensive gentleman possibly could.
"Happy to see you, sir," answered Barnabas, returning his bow with
one as deep, "I am Barnabas Barty at your service, and this is my
good friend John Peterby.
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