their　infancy；　and　she　had　very　neat　knees　and　very　neat　satin
  boots。　　Immediately　after　singing　a　slang　song　and　dancing　a　slang
  dance；　this　engaging　figure　approached　the　fatal　lamps；　and；
  bending　over　them；　delivered　in　a　thrilling　voice　a　random　eulogium
  on；　and　exhortation　to　pursue；　the　virtues。　　'Great　Heaven！'　was　my
  exclamation；　'Barlow！'
  There　is　still　another　aspect　in　which　Mr。　Barlow　perpetually
  insists　on　my　sustaining　the　character　of　Tommy；　which　is　more
  unendurable　yet；　on　account　of　its　extreme　aggressiveness。　　For　the
  purposes　of　a　review　or　newspaper；　he　will　get　up　an　abstruse
  subject　with　definite　pains；　will　Barlow；　utterly　regardless　of　the
  price　of　midnight　oil；　and　indeed　of　everything　else；　save　cramming
  himself　to　the　eyes。
  But　mark。　　When　Mr。　Barlow　blows　his　information　off；　he　is　not
  contented　with　having　rammed　it　home；　and　discharged　it　upon　me；
  Tommy；　his　target；　but　he　pretends　that　he　was　always　in　possession
  of　it；　and　made　nothing　of　it；　…　that　he　imbibed　it　with　mother's
  milk；　…　and　that　I；　the　wretched　Tommy；　am　most　abjectly　behindhand
  in　not　having　done　the　same。　　I　ask；　why　is　Tommy　to　be　always　the
  foil　of　Mr。　Barlow　to　this　extent？　　What　Mr。　Barlow　had　not　the
  slightest　notion　of　himself；　a　week　ago；　it　surely　cannot　be　any
  very　heavy　backsliding　in　me　not　to　have　at　my　fingers'　ends　to…
  day！　　And　yet　Mr。　Barlow　systematically　carries　it　over　me　with　a
  high　hand；　and　will　tauntingly　ask　me；　in　his　articles；　whether　it
  is　possible　that　I　am　not　aware　that　every　school…boy　knows　that
  the　fourteenth　turning　on　the　left　in　the　steppes　of　Russia　will
  conduct　to　such　and　such　a　wandering　tribe？　with　other　disparaging
  questions　of　like　nature。　　So；　when　Mr。　Barlow　addresses　a　letter
  to　any　journal　as　a　volunteer　correspondent　（which　I　frequently
  find　him　doing）；　he　will　previously　have　gotten　somebody　to　tell
  him　some　tremendous　technicality；　and　will　write　in　the　coolest
  manner；　'Now；　sir；　I　may　assume　that　every　reader　of　your　columns；
  possessing　average　information　and　intelligence；　knows　as　well　as　I
  do　that'　…　say　that　the　draught　from　the　touch…hole　of　a　cannon　of
  such　a　calibre　bears　such　a　proportion　in　the　nicest　fractions　to
  the　draught　from　the　muzzle；　or　some　equally　familiar　little　fact。
  But　whatever　it　is；　be　certain　that　it　always　tends　to　the
  exaltation　of　Mr。　Barlow；　and　the　depression　of　his　enforced　and
  enslaved　pupil。
  Mr。　Barlow's　knowledge　of　my　own　pursuits　I　find　to　be　so　profound；
  that　my　own　knowledge　of　them　becomes　as　nothing。　　Mr。　Barlow
  （disguised　and　bearing　a　feigned　name；　but　detected　by　me）　has
  occasionally　taught　me；　in　a　sonorous　voice；　from　end　to　end　of　a
  long　dinner…table；　trifles　that　I　took　the　liberty　of　teaching　him
  five…and…twenty　years　ago。　　My　closing　article　of　impeachment
  against　Mr。　Barlow　is；　that　he　goes　out　to　breakfast；　goes　out　to
  dinner；　goes　out　everywhere；　high　and　low；　and　that　he　WILL　preach
  to　me；　and　that　I　CAN'T　get　rid　of　him。　　He　makes　me　a　Promethean
  Tommy；　bound；　and　he　is　the　vulture　that　gorges　itself　upon　the
  liver　of　my　uninstructed　mind。
  CHAPTER　XXXV　…　ON　AN　AMATEUR　BEAT
  It　is　one　of　my　fancies；　that　even　my　idlest　walk　must　always　have
  its　appointed　destination。　　I　set　myself　a　task　before　I　leave　my
  lodging　in　Covent…garden　on　a　street　expedition；　and　should　no　more
  think　of　altering　my　route　by　the　way；　or　turning　back　and　leaving
  a　part　of　it　unachieved；　than　I　should　think　of　fraudulently
  violating　an　agreement　entered　into　with　somebody　else。　　The　other
  day；　finding　myself　under　this　kind　of　obligation　to　proceed　to
  Limehouse；　I　started　punctually　at　noon；　in　compliance　with　the
  terms　of　the　contract　with　myself　to　which　my　good　faith　was
  pledged。
  On　such　an　occasion；　it　is　my　habit　to　regard　my　walk　as　my　beat；
  and　myself　as　a　higher　sort　of　police…constable　doing　duty　on　the
  same。　　There　is　many　a　ruffian　in　the　streets　whom　I　mentally
  collar　and　clear　out　of　them；　who　would　see　mighty　little　of
  London；　I　can　tell　him；　if　I　could　deal　with　him　physically。
  Issuing　forth　upon　this　very　beat；　and　following　with　my　eyes　three
  hulking　garrotters　on　their　way　home；　…　which　home　I　could
  confidently　swear　to　be　within　so　many　yards　of　Drury…lane；　in　such
  a　narrow　and　restricted　direction　（though　they　live　in　their
  lodging　quite　as　undisturbed　as　I　in　mine）；　…　I　went　on　duty　with　a
  consideration　which　I　respectfully　offer　to　the　new　Chief
  Commissioner；　…　in　whom　I　thoroughly　confide　as　a　tried　and
  efficient　public　servant。　　How　often　（thought　I）　have　I　been　forced
  to　swallow；　in　police…reports；　the　intolerable　stereotyped　pill　of
  nonsense；　how　that　the　police…constable　informed　the　worthy
  magistrate　how　that　the　associates　of　the　prisoner　did；　at　that
  present　speaking；　dwell　in　a　street　or　court　which　no　man　dared　go
  down；　and　how　that　the　worthy　magistrate　had　heard　of　the　dark
  reputation　of　such　street　or　court；　and　how　that　our　readers　would
  doubtless　remember　that　it　was　always　the　same　street　or　court
  which　was　thus　edifyingly　discoursed　about；　say　once　a　fortnight。
  Now；　suppose　that　a　Chief　Commissioner　sent　round　a　circular　to
  every　division　of　police　employed　in　London；　requiring　instantly
  the　names　in　all　districts　of　all　such　much…puffed　streets　or
  courts　which　no　man　durst　go　down；　and　suppose　that　in　such
  circular　he　gave　plain　warning；　'If　those　places　really　exist；　they
  are　a　proof　of　police　inefficiency　which　I　mean　to　punish；　and　if
  they　do　not　exist；　but　are　a　conventional　fiction；　then　they　are　a
  proof　of　lazy　tacit　police　connivance　with　professional　crime；
  which　I　also　mean　to　punish'　…　what　then？　　Fictions　or　realities；
  could　they　survive　the　touchstone　of　this　atom　of　common　sense？　　To
  tell　us　in　open　court；　until　it　has　become　as　trite　a　feature　of
  news　as　the　great　gooseberry；　that　a　costly　police…system　such　as
  was　never　before　heard　of；　has　left　in　London；　in　the　days　of　steam
  and　gas　and　photographs　of　thieves　and　electric　telegraphs；　the
  sanctuaries　and　stews　of　the　Stuarts！　　Why；　a　parity　of　practice；
  in　all　departments；　would　bring　back　the　Plague　in　two　summers；　and
  the　Druids　in　a　century！
  Walking　faster　under　my　share　of　this　public　injury；　I　overturned　a
  wretched　little　creature；　who；　clutching　at　the　rags　of　a　pair　of
  trousers　with　one　of　its　claws；　and　at　its　ragged　hair　with　the
  other；　pattered　with　bare　feet　over　the　muddy　stones。　　I　stopped　to
  raise　and　succour　this　poor　weeping　wretch；　and　fifty　like　it；　but
  of　both　sexes；　were　about　me　in　a　moment；　begging；　tumbling；
  fighting；　clamouring；　yelling；　shivering　in　their　nakedness　and
  hunger。　　The　piece　of　money　I　had　put　into　the　claw　of　the　child　I
  had　over…turned　was　clawed　out　of　it；　and　was　again　clawed　out　of
  that　wolfish　gripe；　and　again　out　of　that；　and　soon　I　had　no　notion
  in　what　part　of　the　obscene　scuffle　in　the　mud；　of　rags　and　legs
  and　arms　and　dirt；　the　money　might　be。　　In　raising　the　child；　I　had
  drawn　it　aside　out　of　the　main　thoroughfare；　and　this　took　place
  among　some　wooden　hoardings　and　barriers　and　ruins　of　demolished
  buildings；　hard　by　Temple　Bar。
  Unexpectedly；　from　among　them　emerged　a　genuine　police…constable；
  before　whom　the　dreadful　brood　dispersed　in　various　directions；　he
  making　feints　and　darts　in　this　direction　and　in　that；　and　catching
  nothing。　　When　all　were　frightened　away；　he　took　off　his　hat；
  pulled　out　a　handkerchief　from　it；　wiped　his　heated　brow；　and
  restored　the　handkerchief　and　hat　to　their　places；　with　the　air　of
  a　man　who　had　discharged　a　great　moral　duty；　…　as　indeed　he　had；　in
  doing　what　was　set　down　for　him。　　I　looked　at　him；　and　I　looked
  about　at　the　disorderly　traces　in　the　mud；　and　I　thought　of　the
  drops　of　rain　and　the　footprints　of　an　extinct　creature；　hoary　ages
  upon　ages　old；　that　geologists　have　identified　on　the　face　of　a
  cliff；　and　this　speculation　came　over　me：　　If　this　mud　could
  petrify　at　this　moment；　and　could　lie　concealed　here　for　ten
  thousand　years；　I　wonder　whether　the　race　of　men　then　to　be　our
  successors　on　the　earth　could；　from　these　or　any　marks；　by　the
  utmost　force　of　the　human　intellect；　unassisted　by　tradition；
  deduce　such　an　astounding　inference　as　the　existence　of　a　polished
  state　of　society　that　bore　with　the　public　savagery　of　neglected
  children　in　the　streets　of　its　capital　city；　and　was　proud　of　its
  power　by　sea　and　land；　and　never　used　its　power　to　seize　and　save
  them！
  After　this；　when　I　came　to　the　Old　Bailey　and　glanced　up　it　towards
  Newgate；　I　found　that　the　prison　had　an　inconsistent　look。　　There
  seemed　to　be　some　unlucky　inconsistency　in　the　atmosphere　that　day；
  for　though　the　proportions　of　St。　Paul's　Cathedral　are　very
  beautiful；　it　had　an　air　of　being　somewhat　out　of　drawing；　in　my
  eyes。　　I　felt　as　though　the　cross　were　too　high　up；　and　perched
  upon　the　intervening　golden　ball　too　far　awa