As for Laurence, his curiosity was now almost equal to his bitterness. The visit to the drug-store he could understand, but that to the barber-shop astounded him; and when he came to the shop he paused to flatten his nose upon the window. The fat mulatto barber nearest the window was still massaging the face of the recumbent customer and continuing his narrative; the other barbers were placidly grooming the occupants of their chairs, while two or three waiting patrons, lounging on a bench, read periodicals of a worn and flaccid appearance. Nothing gave any clue to the errand of Laurence’s fair friends; on the contrary, everything that was revealed to his staring eyes made their visit seem all the more singular. He went in, and addressed himself to the fat barber. “Listen,” he said. “Listen. I want to ast you somep’m.” “Dess ’bout when she was fixin’ to holler,” the barber continued, to his patron, “I take an’ slap my money ri’ back in my pocket. ‘You talk ’bout tryin’ show me some _class_,’ I say. ‘Dess lem me——’” “Listen!” Laurence said, speaking louder. “I want to ast you somep’m.” “‘Dess lem me tell you, if you fixin’ show me some class,’” the barber went on; “‘if you fixin’ show me some class,’ I say. ‘Dess lem me tell you if——’” “_Listen!_” Laurence insisted. “I want to ast you somep’m.” For a moment the barber ceased to manipulate his customer and gave Laurence a look of disapproval. “Listen _me_, boy!” he said. “Nex’ time you flatten you’ face on nat window you don’ haf to breave on nat glass, do you? Ain’ you’ folks taught you no better’n go roun’ dirtyin’ up nice clean window?” “What I want to know,” Laurence said: “—What were they doin’ in here?” “What were who doin’ in here?” “Those two little girls that were in here just now. What did they come here for?” “My goo’nuss!” the barber exclaimed. “Man’d think barber got nothin’ do but stan’ here all day ’nanswer questions! Run out, boy!” “But, listen!” Laurence urged him. “What were they——” “Run out, boy!” the barber said, and his appearance became formidable. “Run _out_, boy!” Laurence departed silently, though in his mind he added another outrage to the revenge he owed the world for the insults and mistreatments he was receiving that morning. “I’ll show you!” he mumbled in his throat as he came out of the shop. “You’ll wish you had some _sense_, when I get through with you, you ole barber, you!” Then, as he looked before him, his curiosity again surpassed his sense of injury. The busy shoppers were just coming out of a harness-shop, which was making a bitter struggle to survive the automobile; and as they emerged from the place, they had for a moment the hasty air of ejected persons. But this was a detail that escaped Laurence’s observation, for the gestures and chatter were instantly resumed, and the two hurried on as before.