know, indeed. I've done what you told me the other day when you came to
that committee with your cat. I thought it over--I'm not a proud man,
never above takin' a hint,--and I admitted to meself that what you
said was fair about makin' money. Some'ow I never thought but what money
was the first thing to make in business. To tell you the truth, I always
thought it rather a feather in my cap that I never took advantage of
Brown Borough customers in selling adulterated goods, for--Lawdy--they'd
swallow anythink. It's different with your business, bein' in an
'igher-class locality. 'Igh prices, I thought, was only natural. Make
'ay while the sun shines was my motter, and I says to meself there was
no reason why this war should make _everyone_ un'appy. As for lookin' at
the grocery business as a trust from God, like you said, I never dremp
of such a thing, although I've bin to Chapel regular for ten years. But
I see now there was a lot in what you said, and when I come to think of
it, there was no need to make such a terrible lot of extra hay, 'owever
much the sun might be shinin'. When you put it like that, I couldn't say
why I was so set on more money, 'aving quite enough. Well, I says to
meself, after shutting meself up to think it out, like you said, 'ere
am I giving up all my life an' all my jolly days an' 'olidays, an' I'm
damned if I know what for. For money,--just money stewin' in its own
juice in a bank,--not money I can use. Well, everybody's trained so, I'm
thinkin'. Anyway I took it friendly of you to put it so delicate, so
fanciful as you did, so as them charity ladies didn't smell a rat. I
appreciated that, an' thought the more of what you said. I'm not a proud
man."

"You're just proud enough," said the witch. "You're a darling. If ever I
can help you in a business way, let me know. If you want to start a side
line, for instance, in Happiness, I can give you a tip where to get it
wholesale, within limits. It'd go like wildfire in the Brown Borough, if