“Glasses can do much,” said the stranger, “to redeem the human countenance, even when worn as a protest against the presence of one’s portrait in the rogues’ gallery. I don’t say you’re wrong; I’m only afraid the chances are that you’ll never be proved right. I should prefer to make a speculative approach to the facts on another plane. As you suggest, he had a sage and dignified appearance; I observed it myself; he had the effect--how shall I express it?--of some sort of studious rustic. Say he was a belated farm youth, working his way through a fresh-water college, who had great latent gifts of peculation, such as might have won him a wide newspaper celebrity as a defaulter later in life, and under more favorable conditions. He finds himself alone in a great city for the first time, and is attracted by the display of the trunk-dealer’s cellarway. The opportunity seems favorable to the acquisition of a neat travelling-bag; perhaps he has never owned one, or he wishes to present it to the object of his affections, or to a sick mother; he may have had any respectable motive; but his outlook has been so restricted that he cannot realize the difference between stealing a travelling-bag and stealing, say, a street; though I believe Mr. Sharp only bought Broadway of those who did not own it, and who sold it low; but never mind, it may stand for an illustration. If this young man had stolen a street, he would not have been arrested and handcuffed in that disgraceful way and led off to the dungeon-keep of the Jefferson Market Police Court--I presume that is the nearest prison, though I won’t be quite positive--but he would have had to be attacked and exposed a long time in the newspapers; and he would have had counsel, and the case would have been fought from one tribunal to another, till at last he wouldn’t have known whether he was a common criminal or a public benefactor. The difficulty in his case is simply an inadequate outlook.” The philosophic stranger lifted his face and gazed round over Ray’s head, but he came to a halt at the same time with the young fellow. “Well, sir,” he said, with bland ceremony, “I must bid you good-morning. As we go our several ways let us remember the day’s lesson, and when we steal, always steal enough.” He held out his hand, and Ray took it with a pleasure in his discourse which he was wondering how he should express to him. He felt it due himself to say something clever in return, but he could not think of anything. “I’m sure I shall remember your interpretation of it,” was all he could get out. “Ah, well, don’t act upon that without due reflection,” the stranger said; and he gave Ray’s hand a final and impressive downward shake. “Dear me!” he added, for Ray made no sign of going on. “Are we both stopping here--two spiders at the parlor of the same unsuspecting fly? But perhaps you are merely a buyer, not a writer, of books? After you, sir!”