ll you take for it?" "Oh, it doesn't matter
at all," I returned, anxious only to rush away from the spot--which I
did. It was a good quarter-of-an-hour before I gained the street.
During that interval, I strayed into the carpet department, upset an
old lady, fell sprawling over a chair, rushed into the arms of the
shopwalker, knocked down a huge stack of flannels, trod on some
unfortunate young fellow's corn, making him howl with pain, and last,
not least, ran foul of a perambulator laden with a baby and the usual
Saturday night's marketing in the doorway.

I entered that shop full of hope and promise; I left it a melancholy
man.

Though not quite so exciting as the foregoing, there is an intimate
connection between that incident and the one I shall now dwell upon.
Let me tell the tale as I told it to my wife. The other day I brought
home a neat little Japanese basket--a mere knick-knack, costing only
twopence. "Oh, how pretty!" exclaimed my wife. "Wherever did you get
this?" "I bought it at a large shop in Regent Street," I answered,
"but it cost me a great deal of trouble to get it." Pressed for
particulars, I continued:

"I was amusing myself by looking at the shops, when I saw a lot of
these little Japanese baskets in the corner of a large window,
plainly marked twopence each. So I stepped inside to buy one. The
door was promptly opened for me by a black boy, resplendent in
gold-faced livery. He made me a profound salaam, as a gentleman of
aristocratic bearing came forward to meet me. 'And what may I have
the pleasure of showing you?' he inquired. 'Oh!' I returned, not
without some misgivings, 'I only want one of those little Japanese
baskets which you have in one corner of the window, marked, I
believe, twopence each.' 'Certainly, sir. Will you be so kind as to
step into this department?' he said.

"Meekly I followed him through long avenues of silks, damasks,
brocades, and other costly examples of Oriental luxury in all the
tints of the rainbow. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable at the
thought of causing him so much trouble, when he paused at the
entrance to another department, and called out, 'Japanese baskets,
please.' Then turning to me, he said, 'If you will be good enough to
step forward, they will be most happy to serve you.' I did so, and
found myself on the threshold of an Eastern bazaar. Another nobleman
now took me in hand. 'And what may I have the pleasure----' he began,
making a courteous bow