business." By this time I was getting a
little warm myself, and as I fastened up my case of patterns, I said,
"I hope, Mr. Shaw, that the want of your confidence won't be the death
of me. I always heard you were a queer fellow; but if you generally
treat people who call upon you on business in the way you have treated
me, I'm not at all surprised at the name you have in the town." He
looked at me furiously; came two or three strides towards me, as if he
would strike me; but, stopping suddenly, said, "I think you'd better
be off." "I quite agree with you, sir," I replied; "it's no use my
stopping here to be insulted." Upon this he returned to his private
office; the two clerks, who, during the "shindy," had been intently
searching inside their desks for something they had lost, now put down
the lids, and, looking at each other, grinned and tittered openly,
while I, to their intense relief, took up my hat and departed.

Two or three weeks subsequently, I had completed an article in my
business which was strikingly novel, and I went out to show a sample
of it to my customers. Passing Mr. Shaw's warehouse, the thought
occurred to me that it would be good fun to call upon him again, and
I accordingly soon found myself on the scene of the former interview.
Mr. Shaw was there, and to my bold greeting, "Good morning, Mr. Shaw,"
made a sulky-sounding acknowledgment. I went on--"I was here the other
day, and you told me you had no confidence in me; but I've plenty of
confidence in myself, and so I've come again." This seemed to amuse
him, and he asked, "Well, what is it?" I then showed him the sample
article, and told him the price was thirty-six shillings the gross. He
looked at it attentively, and said, "H'm! Costs you about eighteen." I
was in a bantering humour, and I replied, "No, I don't think it costs
me more than twelve; but I don't mean to sell any under thirty-six."
"Well," said he, "it's a very good thing. Send me ten gross." From
that moment we were excellent friends; I did business with him for
many years, and our intercourse was always warm and friendly.

Mr. Shaw's father was originally a working maker of currycombs, an
article, before his day, entirely made by hand. In conjunction with
his brother, he invented and took out a patent for cutting out and
shaping the various parts by machinery, and so producing the entire
article much more cheaply than before. It was a great success; they
readily sold as many as they