"Sir," said Peterby, "when do we start?"
Then, very slowly, Barnabas lifted his heavy head and looked at John
Peterby; and, in that dark hour, smiled, and reaching out, caught
and grasped his hand; also, when he spoke again, his voice was less
hard and not so steady as before: "Oh, John!" said he, "John Peterby--my faithful John! Come with me
if you will, but you come as my--friend."
"And--where are we going, sir?" inquired John, as they stood thus,
hand in hand, looking into each other's eyes.
"To Giles's Rents, John,--down by the River."
And thus did Barnabas, in getting rid of the "best valet in the world,"
find for himself a faithful friend instead.