Elkan whistled incredulously.

"You don't tell me," he said. "I always heard it that the expenses is
high uptown, but even if the walls was hung _mit_ diamonds yet, Miss
Holzmeyer, your bosses wouldn't starve neither. Do you got maybe a dress
for twenty-eight dollars which it is worth, anyhow, twenty-five
dollars?"

This last jibe was too much for Miss Holzmeyer.

"Mis-ter Lap-in!" she howled, and immediately a glazed mahogany door in
an adjoining partition burst open and Max Lapin appeared on the floor of
the showroom.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

Miss Holzmeyer sat down in the nearest chair and fanned herself with her
pocket handkerchief.

"This man insulted me!" she said; whereat Max Lapin turned savagely to
Elkan.

"What for you are insulting this lady?" he demanded as he made a rapid
survey of Elkan's physical development. He was quite prepared to defend
Miss Holzmeyer's honour in a fitting and manly fashion; but, during the
few seconds that supervened his question, Max reflected that you can
never tell about a small man.

"What d'ye mean insult this lady?" Elkan asked stoutly. "I never says a
word to her. Maybe I ain't so long in the country as you are, but I got
just so much respect for the old folks as anybody. Furthermore, she is
showing me here garments which, honest, Mister--er----"

"Lapin," Max said.

"Mister Lapin, a house with the reputation of Appenweier & Murray
shouldn't ought to got in stock at all."

"Say, lookyhere, young feller," Lapin cried, "what are you driving into
anyway? I am buyer here, and if you got any kick coming tell it to me,
and don't go insulting the salesladies."

"I ain't insulted no saleslady, Mr. Lapin," Elkan declared. "I am coming
here to buy for my wife a dress and certainly I want to get for my money
some decent value; and when this lady shows me a garment like this"--he
held up the topmost garment--"and says it is from this year a model,
understand me, naturally I got my own idees on the subject."

Lapin looked critically at the garment in question.

"Did you get this style from that third case there, Miss Holzmeyer?" he
asked, and Miss Holzmeyer nodded.

"Well, that whole case is full of leftovers and I don't want it
touched," Lapin said. "Now go ahead and show this gentleman's wife some
more models; and if he gets fresh let me know--that's all."

"One minute, Mr. Lapin," Elkan said. "Will you do me the favour and let
me show you something?"

He h