Excuse the liberty, Professor, but you might have your boots blacked.

There is a little cad down the backstairs who does it." "Of course," answered Claudius, and disappeared within.

A small man who was coming out paused and turned to look after him, putting up his eyeglass.

Then he took off his hat to Mr.Barker.
"Pardon, Monsieur," he began, "if I take the liberty of making an inquiry, but could you inform me of the name of that gentleman, whose appearance fills me with astonishment, and whose vast dimensions obscure the landscape of Baden ?" Mr.Barker looked at the small man for a moment very gravely.
"Yes," said he pensively, "his royal highness _is_ a large man certainly." And while his interlocutor was recovering enough to formulate another question, Mr.Barker moved gently away to a flowerstand.
When Claudius returned his friend was waiting for him, and himself pinned a large and expensive rose in the Doctor's buttonhole.

Mr.Barker surveyed his work--the clipped head, the new hat, the shiny boots and the rose--with a satisfied air, such as Mr.Barnum may have worn when he landed Jumbo on the New York pier.