As soon as the light failed in his studio, Barstein summoned a hansom and sped to the Minories.
III
Nehemiah's voice bade him walk in, and turning the door-handle he saw the top-hatted figure sprawled in solitary gloom along a caneless chair, reading a newspaper by the twinkle of a rushlight. Nehemiah sprang up with a bark of joy, making his gigantic shadow bow to the visitor. From chimney-pot to coat-tail he stretched unchanged, and the same celestial rapture illumined his gaunt visage.
But Barstein drew back his own coat-tail from the attempted kiss.
'Where is the gas?' he asked drily.
'Alas, the company removed the meter.'
'But the gas-brackets?'
'What else had we to eat?' said Nehemiah simply.
Barstein in sudden suspicion raised his eyes to the ceiling. But a fragment of gaspipe certainly came through it. He could not, however, recall whether the pipe had been there before or not.
'So the young men would not come?' he said.