MISGIVINGS. 279 



while the man who does know what he is doing does 

 not, but estimates them by a proper scale : he knows, 

 as tradesmen, they will impose where they can. I 

 should deserve to be imposed upon if I went to a 

 linen-draper to buy window-curtains instead of send- 

 ing my wife, when, God knows, though I have heard 

 the names, I do not know book-muslin from lawn. 

 The only excuse I could have for entering the shop 

 would be a pair of bright eyes behind the counter ; 

 and then I should get a double refined dig as to price, 

 and well worth the money too : she would sport from 

 the extra five shillings, a new ribbon on Sunday: 

 whether a better or worse, it would be a different 

 heart to mine that would grudge it to her. Now if a 

 horse-dealer gets you into his stable, and you get the 

 worst of it (which you certainly will if not a judge), 

 he gives it you, as if he considered you a gentle- 

 man, to a gentlemanlike amount. But the master 

 dealer in jaconets and lenos, or whatever he calls them, 

 entices you in by a Brobdignagian two, and two or 

 three Lilliputian figures afterwards, something in this 

 wa y> 2s. 2id. the latter in pencil ; and on going into 

 his shop, tells you, on your throwing down six shil- 

 lings for three yards of quite new or just out, " Oh 

 Sir, 25. ^\d. ; but it is not what I recommend gentle- 

 men like you (you will find Tom's soap here also). 

 I have a beautiful article (a nice article he is) at 

 3s. 6d. : " so, blushing for being taken in, and laughed 

 at by half a dozen little wicked devils with ringlets 

 shaking at you, you pay 10s. 6d. for what is worth 

 the price you expected to pay, viz. six shillings. Con- 

 found the fellow ! Though I allowed myself to be 

 done by the little Briseis with the radiant eyes, 1 do 

 not bargain for the same in return for looking at his 



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