"Yes."
"I seem to remember seeing him without glasses," said Quarles. "I thought Jews always wore glasses."
"We are usually short-sighted," said Isaacson, touching his spectacles, "I am myself. Mr. Portman worked in glasses always, but if you met him in the street you would probably see him without them."
"Ah, you are remembering that he did not wear them the night you met him in Finsbury Pavement," said Quarles, "that is probably why he did not see you."
"He happened to be wearing them that night," Isaacson returned. "I believe he did see me, but was in too much of a hurry to stop."
"Rude, very rude," remarked Quarles.
"Small men have to put up with many things from big ones," said Isaacson humbly.
The professor treated him to a short dissertation on the equality of man, and then we left.
"Honest, I think, so far as he goes," said Quarles, "but he is desperately afraid of being drawn too deeply into this affair. He couldn't afford to be questioned too closely about his business, Wigan."
It had been thought advisable to keep the clerk at his post for the present, and he was quite ignorant of the fact that he was watched both during his business and leisure hours. His own importance rather impressed him at this time, and Quarles soon succeeded in making him talkative, but, as far as I could see, very little of what he said was worth particular note.