with her rendering of 'Little Beatrice's Resolve'."

"Anything less likely to make your shop a fashionable shopping centre I
can't imagine," said the artist, with a very genuine shudder; "if I were
trying to decide between the merits of Carlsbad plums and confected figs
as a winter dessert it would infuriate me to have my train of thought
entangled with little Beatrice's resolve to be an Angel of Light or a
girl scout. No," he continued, "the desire to get something thrown in
for nothing is a ruling passion with the feminine shopper, but you can't
afford to pander effectively to it. Why not appeal to another instinct;
which dominates not only the woman shopper but the male shopper--in fact,
the entire human race?"

"What is that instinct, sir?" said the grocer.

* * * * *

Mrs. Greyes and Miss Fritten had missed the 2.18 to Town, and as there
was not another train till 3.12 they thought that they might as well make
their grocery purchases at Scarrick's. It would not be sensational, they
agreed, but it would still be shopping.

For some minutes they had the shop almost to themselves, as far as
customers were concerned, but while they were debating the respective
virtues and blemishes of two competing brands of anchovy paste they were
startled by an order, given across the counter, for six pomegranates and
a packet of quail seed. Neither commodity was in general demand in that
neighbourhood. Equally unusual was the style and appearance of the
customer; about sixteen years old, with dark olive skin, large dusky
eyes, and think, low-growing, blue-black hair, he might have made his