And so the Clockwork man was able to conceal his clock from the gaze of a curious world, and the grotesqueness of his appearance was heightened by the addition of a neatly trimmed chestnut wig and a soft round clerical hat. His perceptions must have been extraordinarily rapid, and he must have acted upon the instant. Nor did it seem to occur to him that in this world there are laws which forbid theft. Probably, in the world from which he came such restrictions are unnecessary, and the exigency would not have arisen, every individual being provided by parliamentary statute with a suitable covering for that blatant and too obvious sign of the _modus operandi_ in the posterior region of their craniums. It was shortly after this episode that the Clockwork man experienced his first moment of vivid illumination about the world of brief mortal span. He had become entangled with a lamp-post. There is no other way of describing his predicament. He came to rest with his forehead pressed against the post, and all his efforts to get round it ended in dismal failure. His legs kicked spasmodically and his arms revolved irregularly. There were intermittent explosions, like the back-firing of a petrol engine. The only person who witnessed these peculiar antics was P.C. Hawkins, who had been indulging in a quiet smoke beneath the shelter of a neighbouring archway. At first it did not occur to the constable that the noise proceeded from the figure. He craned his head forward, expecting every moment to see a motor bicycle come along. The noise stopped abruptly, and he decided that the machine must have gone up a side street. Then he stepped out of his retreat and tapped the Clockwork man on the shoulder The latter was quite motionless now and merely leaning against the lamp-post. "You go 'ome," suggested the constable, "I don't want to have to take you. This is one of my _lenient_ nights, lucky for you." "Wallabaloo," said the Clockwork man, faintly, "Wum--Wum--" "Yes, we know all about that," said the constable, "but you take my tip and go 'ome. And I don't want any back answers neither." The Clockwork man emitted a soft whistling sound from between his teeth, and rubbed his nose thoughtfully against the post. "What is this?" he enquired, presently. "Lamp-post," rejoined the other, clicking his teeth, "L.A.M.P.-P.O.S.T. Lamp-post." "I see--curious, only one lamp-post, though. In my country they grow like trees, you know--whole forests of them--galaxy of lights--necessary--illuminate multiform world." The constable laughed gently and stroked his moustache. His theory about the condition of the individual before him slowly developed. "You get along," he persuaded, "before there's trouble. I don't want to be 'arsh with you."