II.
Albert Grapp, ladies' man though he was, was humble of heart. Nobody
knew this but himself. Not one of his fellow clerks in Clither's
Bank knew it. The general theory in Hanbridge was "Him's got a stiff
opinion o' hisself." But this arose from what was really a sign of
humility in him. He made the most of himself. He had, for instance, a
way of his own in the matter of dressing. He always wore a voluminous
frock-coat, with a pair of neatly-striped vicuna trousers, which he
placed every night under his mattress, thus preserving in perfection
the crease down the centre of each. His collar was of the highest,
secured in front with an aluminium stud, to which was attached by a
patent loop a natty bow of dove-coloured sateen. He had two caps,
one of blue serge, the other of shepherd's plaid. These he wore on
alternate days. He wore them in a way of his own--well back from his
forehead, so as not to hide his hair, and with the peak behind. The
peak made a sort of half-moon over the back of his collar. Through a
fault of his tailor, there was a yawning gap between the back of his
collar and the collar of his coat. Whenever he shook his head, the
peak of his cap had the look of a live thing trying to investigate
this abyss. Dimly aware of the effect, Albert Grapp shook his head as
seldom as possible.
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