or two! Couldn't you say eight sh"----

"We never abate, sir; it's not _our_ style of doing business," replied
the gentleman, in a manner that quite overawed poor Titmouse, who at
once bought this, the third abomination; not a little depressed,
however, at the heavy prices which he had paid for the three bottles,
and the uncertainty he felt as to the ultimate issue. That night he was
so well satisfied with the progress which he was making with his hair,
(for, by candle light, it really looked much darker than could have been
expected,) that he resolved--at all events for the present--to leave
well alone; or at the utmost, to try the effects of the Tetaragmenon
Abracadabra only upon his eyebrows and whiskers. Into them he rubbed the
new specific; which, on the bottle being opened, surprised him in two
respects: first, it was perfectly colorless; secondly, it had a most
infernal smell. It was, however, no use hesitating: he had bought and
paid for it; and the papers in which it was folded gave an account of
its success that was really irresistible and unquestionable. Away,
therefore, he rubbed; and when he had finished, got into bed, in humble
hope as to the result, which would be disclosed by the morning's light.
But, alas! would you have believed it? When he looked at himself in the
glass, about six o'clock on the ensuing morning, (at which hour he
awoke,) I protest it is a fact, that his eyebrows and whiskers were as
white as snow; which, combined with the purple color of the hair on his
head, rendered him one of the most astounding objects (in human shape)
the eye of man had ever beheld. There was the wisdom of age seated in
his white eyebrows and whiskers, unspeakable youthful folly in his
features, and a purple crown of WONDER on his head.

Really, it seemed as if the devil were wreaking his spite on Mr.
Titmouse; nay, perhaps it was the devil himself who had served him with
the bottles in Bond Street. Or was it a mere ordinary servant of the
devil--some greedy, impudent, unprincipled speculator, who, desirous of
acting on the approved maxim--_Fiat experimentum in corpore vili_--had
pitched on Titmouse (seeing the sort of person he was) as a godsend,
quite reckless what effect might be produced on his hair, so as the
stuff were paid for, and its effects noted? It might possibly have been
sport to the gentleman of the shop, but it was near proving death to
poor Titmouse, who might possibly have resolved on throwing