stily left the shop. Mr. Bobbinet was disappointed, as,
indeed, was Col. Silky, who was present, en amateur; but the matter
could not be helped, as these were customers who acted and thought for
themselves, and all the oily persuasion of shop-eloquence could not
influence them.

{en amateur = in the guise of a connoisseur}

"It is quite surprising, colonel," observed Mr. Bobbinet, when his
customers were properly out of hearing, "that THESE young ladies should
let such an article slip through their fingers. Their father is one of
the richest men we have; and yet they never even asked the price."

"I fancy it was not so much the PRICE that held 'em back," observed the
colonel, in his elegant way, "as something else. There are a sort of
customers that don't buy promiscuously; they do every thing by rule.
They don't believe that a nightcap is intended for a bed-quilt."

Bobbinet & Co. did not exactly understand his more sophisticated
partner; but before he had time to ask an explanation, the appearance
of another customer caused his face to brighten, and changed the
current of his thoughts. The person who now entered was an exceedingly
brilliant looking girl of twenty, dressed in the height of fashion, and
extremely well, though a severe critic might have thought she was OVER
dressed for the streets, still she had alighted from a carriage. Her
face was decidedly handsome, and her person exquisitely proportioned.
As a whole, I had scarcely ever seen a young creature that could lay
claim to more of the loveliness of her sex. Both the young ladies who
had just left us were pleasing and pretty; and to own the truth, there
was an air of modest refinement about them, that was not so apparent in
this new visiter; but the dazzling appearance of the latter, at first,
blinded me to her faults, and I saw nothing but her perfection. The
interest manifested by the master--I beg his pardon, the boss of the
store--and the agitation among the clerks, very plainly proved that
much was expected from the visit of this young lady, who was addressed,
with a certain air of shop-familiarity, as Miss Halfacre--a familiarity
that showed she was an habituee of the place, and considered a good
customer.

Luckily for the views of Bobbinet & Co., we were all still lying on the
counter. This is deemed a fortunate circumstance in the contingencies
of this species of trade, since it enables the dealer to offer his
uncalled-for wares in the least sus