_his_ weren't going up--not even in his mind."

She could not keep from worrying about him. "They'll just 'do' him,"
she was sure. "And then laugh at him in the bargain. A man like that
has no _business_ to be let loose in a store all by himself."

And sure enough, a half hour later she came upon him up in the dress
department. Three of them had gathered round to "do" him. They were
making rapid headway, their smiling deference scantily concealing
their amused contempt. The spectacle infuriated Virginia. "They just
think they can _work_ us!" she stormed. "They think we're
_easy_. I suppose they think he's a _fool_. I just wish
they could get him in a business deal! I just wish--!"

"I can assure you, sir," the English-speaking manager of the
department was saying, "that this garment is a wonderful value. We
are able to let you have it at so absurdly low a figure because--"

Virginia did not catch why it was they were able to let him have it
at so absurdly low a figure, but she did see him wipe his brow and
look helplessly around. "Poor _thing_," she murmured, almost
tenderly, "he doesn't know what to do. He just _does_ need
somebody to look after him." She stood there looking at his back. He
had a back a good deal like the back of her chum's father at home.
Indeed there were various things about him suggested "home." Did one
want one's own jeered at? One might see crudities one's self, but
was one going to have supercilious outsiders coughing those sham
coughs behind their hypocritical hands?

"For seven hundred francs," she heard the suave voice saying.