Cimon examined the paper carefully.
“The prices are unexpectedly large, I confess,” he said gravely. “Have these goods risen in value lately?”
“By no means. The figures I have given you are the lowest we have made in many years.”
“Then you have been in charge of this department for a considerable time?”
“For twenty years.”
“Are these the bottom prices for so long a time as that?”
“Just so.”
“You surprise me. Are you quite sure that there is no mistake in this—that your memory serves you faithfully in regard to so many years?”
“Perfectly sure,” with emphasis. “You see, all the business of this department, so far as sales are concerned, has been in my hands for the number of years I have mentioned; and I remember perfectly that never during all that time have we offered or sold such goods as these at such low figures as I have written.”
“I think, then,” said Cimon, “it would be well for you to add as much to this paper. Would you object to write at the bottom, ‘These are the lowest figures at which the above goods have been sold for the last twenty years?’”