But, of course, she never betrayed the
least emotion.'And what article may I have the pleasure to serve you
with?' she asked, m the still small voice of a duchess. There was a
gulping sensation in my throat as I answered, 'You have, I believe,
in one corner of one of your windows a number of little Japanese
baskets, marked, if my eyes did not deceive me, twopence each. (The
graceful nod of her head was reassuring.) I should be very glad to
become the possessor of one of those articles.' 'Certainly, sir, I'll
bring it to you,' she answered. 'Oh, thank you!' I returned,
delighted at the prospect; and so she departed on her errand of
mercy.
"Whether, by the rules of the establishment, it was necessary for her
to obtain a written permission from each of those three noblemen to
pass over their territory and invade the shop window, or whether she
lost herself in the numerous windings and turnings through which I
had been conducted in perfect safety, I cannot say; I only know that
she was gone a very long time. But when at last she made her
reappearance with one of those little Japanese baskets in her hand,
and beaming with smiles, I felt I owed her an everlasting debt of
gratitude. She did not ask me if there was any other article she
could have the pleasure of showing me; she had asked me that before
and she remembered that I was proof against her persuasiveness! The
fair creature simply made a movement towards the spiral staircase,
as I thought, to fetch down a witness to the important transaction,
until my eyes rested on some tissue paper.
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